SQD vs Dune

SQD vs Dune: data infrastructure or SQL analytics?

Decoded at source · 225+ chains · Self-host or pipe to your warehouse

SQD and Dune solve adjacent problems. Dune is an analytics platform: SQL queries and dashboards over onchain data it indexes and hosts. SQD is the read-side data infrastructure underneath: decoded, validated, multi-chain data you pipe into your own warehouse, query through a sub-second Portal, or self-host. Dune is where analysts explore; SQD is the pipeline you own.

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Pick SQD if

→ You need to own the data pipeline or embed onchain data in a product
→ You need sub-second, real-time data, not minute-to-hourly refreshes
→ You want to self-host or load decoded data into your own warehouse

Pick Dune if

→ You want a managed SQL workspace and dashboards with no infrastructure to run
→ You do ad-hoc exploration and publish public dashboards
→ You rely on community Spellbook tables and an analyst-facing workflow

Two different layers

Where SQD and Dune sit in your data stack

Dune sits in the protocol-analytics layer: it indexes onchain data into SQL tables and gives analysts a place to query and visualise it. SQD sits one layer down, in read-side infrastructure: it produces the decoded, validated, multi-chain data that analytics tools, wallets, and intelligence products all consume. The stack below shows the relationship; Dune is downstream of the data SQD serves.

Apps & products

Wallets Tax Payments KYC RWA
Intelligence
Protocol analytics

Dune·
Indexed data

The Graph Goldsky
Our focus
Read-side infrastructure

SQD decentralized, validated, multi-chain at source
Node providers

Alchemy QuickNode

SQD optimizes for

✓Decoded data at source you can pipe anywhere: your warehouse, your app, your schema
✓Sub-second real-time data for in-product features, not just analysis
✓Chain breadth: 225+ networks incl. Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid
✓Validated data with 6-step verification at ingestion
✓Open source and self-hostable, no vendor lock-in on the data layer

Dune optimizes for

✓A managed SQL workspace: write a query, get a result, no infrastructure
✓Dashboards and visualisation for sharing onchain analysis
✓Curated tables and the open-source Spellbook community layer
✓An analyst-facing workflow with public dashboards and an API

Complementary, not interchangeable

When to reach for each, and when to use both

The clearest way to choose is by what you are doing with the data. Exploring and visualising favours Dune. Owning, embedding, or serving the data favours SQD. Plenty of teams do both.

Reach for Dune

Ad-hoc questions, exploratory SQL, public dashboards, and sharing analysis. No infrastructure to run, and a large library of community queries.

Reach for SQD

Powering a product backend, owning the schema, serving sub-second data, loading decoded data into your own warehouse, or self-hosting the whole layer.

Use both

Explore and prototype in Dune, then build the production pipeline on SQD when the query has to live inside your product.

The matrix below breaks the differences down dimension by dimension. Every claim is cited in Sources.

At a glance

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	SQD	Dune
What it is
Layer	Read-side data infrastructure	Analytics: SQL + dashboards on indexed data
Primary interface	Portal API, TypeScript SDK, self-host	SQL queries, dashboards, API
Who it serves	Engineers building data pipelines and products	Analysts and teams querying onchain data
Data & coverage
Networks covered	225+	100+
Multi-VM support	EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid	EVM, SVM, Move, Bitcoin, Substrate, Starknet, + more
Data freshness	Sub-second hot path	Minutes (raw) to hourly (curated)
Data model	Decoded raw data at source	Raw, decoded, and curated SQL tables
Ownership & openness
Self-hostable	✓	✗
Open source	Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0	Only Spellbook (curated layer)
Decentralized	✓	✗
Data portability	Pipe into your own warehouse, or self-host	CSV / API export; Datashare (enterprise)
Economics
Free tier	Public Portal (no key, no card)	Free (2,500 credits/mo)
Paid pricing model	Network-based monthly tiers	Credit-based tiers
Token required for production	✗	✗

Facts verified June 2026 against Dune’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 what you’re building

When SQD is the better choice

→The data has to live inside your product, not in a dashboard.
→You need sub-second freshness for trading, alerts, wallets, or agents.
→You want to own the schema and load decoded data into your own warehouse.
→You need validated data, broader coverage, or the ability to self-host.

When Dune is the better choice

→You want to answer a question with SQL today, with no setup.
→You publish dashboards or share analysis with a wider audience.
→You lean on curated and community Spellbook tables for common metrics.
→Minute-to-hourly freshness is fine for your analysis.

Many teams keep Dune for exploration and build their production data layer on SQD.

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

Free tier, no card

+215 more

Frequently asked questions

Is SQD an alternative to Dune?

They occupy different layers. Dune is an analytics platform: SQL queries and dashboards over onchain data it indexes and hosts, used in a browser or via an API. SQD is the read-side data infrastructure underneath: decoded, validated, multi-chain data you can pipe into your own warehouse, query through a sub-second Portal, or self-host. SQD replaces Dune when you need to own the pipeline or embed data in a product, and complements it when you want a managed SQL environment for exploration.

What is the difference between SQD and Dune?

Dune gives you a managed SQL workspace and dashboards on top of data Dune indexes and hosts. SQD gives you the underlying decoded data and the tools to move it where you want: a sub-second Portal API, a TypeScript SDK, and a self-hostable decentralized network. One is analyst-facing; the other is infrastructure you build on.

Can I use Dune and SQD together?

Yes, and the split is natural. Many teams use Dune for ad-hoc exploration and public dashboards, and SQD to power their own product backend or to load decoded data into their own warehouse. Dune for analysis, SQD for the pipeline you own.

Is Dune real-time?

Not sub-second. Per Dune’s data-catalog documentation, raw data arrives within minutes of onchain finality and curated datasets refresh on an hourly cadence, which suits analytics and dashboards. For sub-second, in-product data, SQD’s Portal serves a real-time hot path from chain head.

Is Dune open source or self-hostable?

Dune’s platform and data are proprietary and not self-hostable; you access them through its web app, API, or Datashare. The open-source part is Spellbook, the community-maintained curated-table layer. SQD’s SDK (GPLv3) and Portal (AGPL-3.0) are open-source and self-hostable, so you can run the full data layer yourself.

How does SQD pricing compare to Dune?

Dune meters query credits across tiers: Free (2,500 credits), Analyst $75/mo (4,000), Plus $399/mo (25,000), and Enterprise custom. SQD’s Portal has a free public tier with no API key or card; paid tiers are network-based. Dune prices analyst query compute, while SQD prices data infrastructure, so the two are not directly comparable per unit; the right one depends on whether you are querying data or piping it.

Does Dune cover the same chains as SQD?

Both cover broad, multi-VM chain sets. Dune’s catalog spans EVM, Solana, Move (Aptos, Sui), Bitcoin, Substrate, Starknet, and others (Flow, Stellar, TON, XRPL, Tron, NEAR, Hyperliquid), and cites 100+ chains. SQD covers 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, and Hyperliquid. Chain coverage is not the main difference between them; the data model is. Dune serves curated SQL tables in a hosted warehouse, while SQD serves decoded raw data you can pipe into your own warehouse or self-host.

Sources & methodology (12 citations, verified June 2026)

Every comparison cell and statement about Dune is anchored to Dune’s own public documentation. Spotted something stale? Let us know.

Dune product & model

Dune is the onchain data platform for analytics, data engineering, and application development [docs.dune.com]
DuneSQL engine, dashboards, Dune API, Datashare, and dbt connector [dune.com/apis-and-connectors]
Data layers (raw, decoded, curated) maintained as a managed, centralized service; raw within minutes of finality, curated hourly [docs.dune.com/data-catalog/overview]

Chain coverage

Dune cites 100+ chains [dune.com]
Dune now supports 100 chains (Feb 2025 milestone) [dune.com/blog/chain-coverage]
SQD covers 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid [/chains/ catalogue]

Openness & self-hosting

Spellbook (curated transformation layer) is open source; platform and data are proprietary [github.com/duneanalytics/spellbook]
Managed, centralized service accessed via web app, API, or Datashare (not self-hostable) [docs.dune.com/data-catalog/overview]
SQD is open source (Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0) and self-hostable [github.com/subsquid]

Economics

Dune tiers: Free (2,500 credits/mo), Analyst $75/mo (4,000), Plus $399/mo (25,000), Enterprise custom; credits meter query compute [docs.dune.com/.../credit-system]
Dune pricing page [dune.com/pricing]
SQD free public Portal (no API key, no card) [/portal/]

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SQD vs Alchemy

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SQD vs QuickNode

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Self-host, no vendor lock

Coming soon

The data layer under your analytics

Free public Portal, open-source SDK, and 225+ chains you can pipe anywhere or self-host.

Try the Portal Read Docs

Building a product on onchain data, or need a dedicated portal? Talk to sales.