SQD vs Carbon
SQD vs Carbon: which should power your Solana indexer?
225+ networks, not Solana-only · Portal data, no RPC/Geyser to run · Sub-second hot path
Carbon is an open-source Rust framework for building Solana indexers from datasources, decoders, and processors; you supply and operate the underlying data feed (Yellowstone gRPC, RPC, or a provider stream) yourself. SQD provides the indexed data itself through one streaming Portal API across 225+ networks, so there is no RPC or Geyser node to run. Carbon gives you fine-grained Rust control on Solana; SQD removes the data-sourcing layer and spans many chains.
Pick SQD if
- → You need more than Solana: EVM, Substrate, Bitcoin, or Hyperliquid data through one Portal API and contract.
- → You do not want to run or pay for RPC/Geyser/archive infrastructure to source data.
- → You want decoded data with a sub-second hot path and cryptographic validation served to you, not assembled.
Pick Carbon if
- → You are Solana-only and want maximal control in Rust over how data is decoded and processed.
- → You want to generate typed Rust decoders directly from Anchor or Codama IDLs with carbon-cli.
- → You prefer an MIT-licensed library you fully own, and you already operate or pay for a Yellowstone gRPC / ShredStream / RPC feed.
Two different layers
Where SQD and Carbon sit in your data stack
Carbon is a self-hosted Rust library: you bring your own Solana data feed (Yellowstone gRPC, RPC subscriptions, transaction crawlers, or hosted provider streams), wire in decoders, and write processors that persist or react to decoded data. It is Solana-only and has no hosted backend or managed data service of its own. SQD sits a layer earlier in the stack: it provides the indexed data itself through a streaming Portal API across 225+ networks, so you query decoded onchain data without operating your own RPC, Geyser, or archive infrastructure.
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- Indexed data
- Our focus Read-side infrastructureSQD decentralized, validated, multi-chain at source
- Node providers
SQD optimizes for
- ✓Chain breadth: 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, and Hyperliquid
- ✓Real-time latency: sub-second from chain head to query response
- ✓TypeScript-native indexing with typed decoders, plus a streaming Portal API
- ✓Cryptographically validated data with 6-step verification at ingestion
- ✓OSI open source (Pipes SDK MIT, Portal node AGPL-3.0), self-hostable, free public Portal
Carbon optimizes for
- ✓Low-level Rust control over how Solana data is decoded and processed
- ✓Typed Rust decoders generated from Anchor or Codama IDLs via carbon-cli
- ✓Pluggable datasources: Yellowstone gRPC, Jito ShredStream, RPC crawlers, validator snapshots
- ✓An MIT-licensed library with no copyleft and no external network dependency
At a glance
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | SQD | Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & data | ||
| Networks supported Carbon processes Solana account/transaction/block data exclusively. | 225+ across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid | Solana only |
| What it provides Carbon is datasources + decoders + processors you assemble. | Indexed onchain data via streaming Portal API | Framework to build an indexer; you supply the data feed |
| Decoded data out of the box Carbon decoders directory covers SPL, Token-2022, major DeFi, NFT, and infra programs. | Decoded data from the Portal across all supported networks | 80+ pre-built decoders in-repo plus IDL-generated decoders |
| Custom program decoding Carbon's IDL-to-decoder generation is a strong Solana-native workflow. | Decode any contract/program client-side from the raw data stream | Generate Rust decoders from Anchor or Codama IDLs via carbon-cli |
| Architecture & openness | ||
| Data sourcing Carbon datasources include yellowstone-grpc, jito-shredstream, helius-laserstream, rpc-*-datasource, validator-snapshot. | Portal serves data; no RPC, Geyser, or archive to operate | You run/connect Yellowstone gRPC, RPC, crawlers, or provider streams |
| Language / SDK Carbon targets Rust developers; SQD's primary SDK is TypeScript. | Squid SDK TypeScript; Pipes SDK streaming ETL | Rust |
| Self-hostable | True (Squid SDK + Portal node), plus managed SQD Cloud | True (it is a library you run yourself) |
| License Carbon's MIT license is more permissive than SQD's GPL-family SDK licenses. | Pipes SDK MIT, Portal node AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Decentralized data network Carbon is a client library with no network. | True (worker operators paid in SQD) | ✗ |
| Storage / sinks Carbon leaves the storage choice (Postgres, GraphQL, etc.) to your processor code. | GraphQL or any TypeORM-compatible database via Squid SDK | You write processors; persistence is up to your implementation |
| Performance & operations | ||
| Real-time latency Carbon's latency is determined by your datasource, not Carbon itself. | Sub-second hot path; benchmark 27ms P50 / 48.5ms P90 | Depends on the connected feed (e.g. Yellowstone gRPC, ShredStream) |
| Historical backfill SQD's Portal reports start_block 0 for solana-mainnet, so you backfill the full Solana ledger from genesis with no archive node to run. Carbon v1.0.0 release notes cite performance improvements for backfills. | Served by the Portal from a multi-chain data lake, with Solana decoded from slot 0 (genesis) to a real-time head | Via RPC block crawler / transaction crawler / validator snapshot datasources you run |
| Data validation | 6-step cryptographic validation at ingestion | Not a built-in feature; you trust your chosen RPC/Geyser source |
| Operational burden Carbon requires running and scaling your own pipeline and data source. | None for data access (managed Portal) or self-host the node | You operate the feed, the binary, and storage |
| Economics | ||
| Pricing model Carbon itself is free; you pay your node provider separately. | Free public Portal; paid tiers predictable, network-based (final pricing not yet published) | Free (MIT); external costs for RPC/Geyser feed and compute |
| Token required for production | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free tier / no card | Free public Portal, no API key, no card | Entire library free; feed cost depends on provider |
Facts verified June 2026 against Carbon’s public docs and product pages. Every cell value is cited in the Sources section at the bottom of this page.
Decision framework
Choose based on your workload
When SQD is the better choice
- →Your indexer needs to span multiple chains beyond Solana.
- →You want to avoid operating RPC nodes, Geyser plugins, or your own archive for backfill.
- →You need decoded historical data quickly from a managed data lake rather than crawling RPC yourself.
- →Your team works in TypeScript and prefers Squid SDK / Pipes SDK over Rust.
- →You want a free public data endpoint with no API key or card to start.
When Carbon is the better choice
- →You are building a Solana-only pipeline and want low-level Rust control over decoding and processing.
- →You already run a Yellowstone gRPC or ShredStream feed and want a thin framework on top of it.
- →You need typed Rust structs generated from program IDLs and tight integration with the Solana account/transaction model.
- →You require an MIT license with no copyleft obligations.
- →You want everything self-contained in one binary you fully control.
Switching
Migrating from Carbon to SQD
Carbon and SQD overlap at the data-sourcing and decode layers, so the common move is to keep Carbon's pipeline model on Solana while replacing the feed you operate with SQD-served data, or to consolidate a multi-chain effort onto the Squid or Pipes SDK. The biggest change is that you stop running and scaling your own Yellowstone gRPC, RPC crawler, or validator-snapshot infrastructure; SQD's Portal serves decoded and validated data instead. Custom Rust decoders generated from IDLs do not port directly to TypeScript, but the per-program decoding logic maps cleanly onto Squid SDK handlers or Pipes streams.
Datasource layer
Carbon datasources (yellowstone-grpc, rpc-transaction-crawler, validator-snapshot) to SQD Portal
Replace the feed and infrastructure you operate with a single streaming Portal endpoint that serves decoded, validated data; no RPC or Geyser node to run for data access. If you want live Geyser streaming specifically, SQD also publishes Spray, an open-source proxy that re-exposes a Yellowstone gRPC source as filtered JSON-RPC WebSocket subscriptions.
Decode layer
Carbon IDL-generated Rust decoders to Squid/Pipes decoding
Re-express per-program decode logic in the Squid SDK or Pipes SDK. The mapping from instruction/account layouts is conceptually similar; the language changes from Rust to TypeScript.
Processor / sink layer
Carbon processors to Squid stores
Carbon processors persisting to a database or exposing GraphQL map onto Squid SDK stores (GraphQL or any TypeORM-compatible database), or onto a Pipes ETL sink.
Read the SQD docs for the current migration guide and step-by-step examples.
The full SQD toolkit
What you get with SQD
SQD offers four products that share the same underlying data lake. Pick the layer that fits your workload.
| Product | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Portal API | Sub-second multi-chain query API | Real-time apps, trading, agents |
| Squid SDK | TypeScript indexer framework | Custom data products, GraphQL APIs |
| Pipes SDK | Streaming ETL pipelines | Warehouses, analytics, batch loads |
| SQD Network | Decentralized data lake | Open access, no vendor lock |
225+
Networks indexed
27ms
Median Portal response
6-step
Validation at ingestion
Frequently asked questions
Carbon vs SQD: what is the actual difference?
Is Carbon still maintained in 2026?
Does Carbon support chains other than Solana?
Does Carbon include a hosted service or have pricing?
Do I need to run my own RPC or Geyser node to use Carbon?
Is SQD a drop-in replacement for Carbon?
Carbon alternative for multi-chain indexing?
Sources & methodology (6 citations, verified June 2026)
Every comparison cell and statement about Carbon is anchored to Carbon’s own public documentation. Spotted something stale? Let us know.
Carbon project, license, and architecture
- Carbon is an open-source MIT Rust framework for building Solana indexers and data pipelines from datasources, decoders, and processors; Solana-only [sevenlabs-hq/carbon (GitHub README)]
- Carbon is a client-side Rust framework used with a Yellowstone gRPC endpoint; developers run the pipeline on their own infrastructure with no hosted Carbon service [QuickNode: Yellowstone and Carbon guide]
Maintenance, versions, and adoption
- carbon-core v1.0.0 published 2026-06-04; prior releases 0.12.0 (2025-11-27), 0.11.0 (2025-10-18), 0.10.0 (2025-09-16), 0.9.1 (2025-07-18); 92,647 total downloads; MIT [crates.io: carbon-core]
- Carbon V1 is a Rust framework for building Solana indexers with a modular datasource/decoder/processor pipeline and backfill performance improvements; built by SevenLabs and presented at Breakpoint 2025 [Solana Compass: SevenLabs Carbon V1 data pipeline talk]
Datasources and decoders
- Carbon datasource crates include yellowstone-grpc, jito-shredstream-grpc, helius-laserstream, helius-atlas-ws, rpc-block-subscribe, rpc-program-subscribe, rpc-transaction-crawler, rpc-block-crawler, validator-snapshot, and stream-message (14 datasource crates total) [sevenlabs-hq/carbon datasources directory]
- Carbon includes 80+ pre-built decoders, covering SPL token, Token-2022, Metaplex, Raydium, Jupiter, Orca, Meteora, Pump.fun, Kamino, Drift, and more [sevenlabs-hq/carbon decoders directory]
More comparisons
Compare SQD to other platforms
Decoded data on 225+ chains, one endpoint
Free public Portal, open-source SDK, and 225+ chains indexed from day one.
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