SQD vs Goldsky

SQD vs Goldsky: which blockchain data platform should you choose?

225+ chains · Open source · self-host Decentralized network

SQD and Goldsky both serve indexed blockchain data, but in different models. Goldsky is a fully managed platform spanning hosted subgraphs, Mirror streaming into your database, and Edge, a fast RPC endpoint for EVM chains. SQD is a decentralized, open-source network that serves validated, decoded, multi-chain data through a sub-second Portal and a TypeScript SDK you can self-host. Both speak The Graph's subgraph model, but Goldsky hosts subgraphs drop-in while on SQD a subgraph becomes a Squid, its own TypeScript indexer.

Try the Portal Read Docs

Pick SQD if

→ You want open-source, self-hostable, decentralized infrastructure
→ You need data beyond Goldsky’s list: Substrate, Hyperliquid, 225+ networks
→ You want data validated at the source, not unchecked

Pick Goldsky if

→ You want a fully managed service with zero infrastructure to run
→ You want managed streaming (Mirror) into your warehouse with published per-hour pricing
→ You’re hosting existing subgraphs and want drop-in compatibility

Same layer, two models

Where SQD and Goldsky sit in your data stack

Both serve indexed data and reach further into the stack. Goldsky runs the indexing infrastructure and hands you a subgraph endpoint or a Mirror stream into your database, and also offers Edge, a managed RPC endpoint for EVM chains. SQD serves the same data as a decentralized, open-source network you query through the Portal or self-host. Goldsky Edge overlaps with Portal's raw-access side, but Portal additionally serves decoded, validated data across EVM and non-EVM chains. The deeper difference is who owns the infrastructure.

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

✓Openness: Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0, fully self-hostable
✓Decentralization: a network of worker nodes, not one vendor’s servers
✓Chain breadth: 225+ networks incl. Substrate parachains and Hyperliquid
✓Validated data with 6-step verification at ingestion
✓Free public Portal; no API key, no card, no token

Goldsky optimizes for

✓Fully managed convenience: no node operations, no indexing infrastructure to run
✓Mirror: managed real-time streaming into Postgres, ClickHouse, Snowflake, BigQuery, Kafka
✓Edge: a fast unified RPC endpoint for EVM chains (7ms cached), built on open-source eRPC
✓Drop-in The Graph compatibility: migrate a subgraph with one CLI command
✓Transparent usage-based pricing published per worker-hour

At a glance

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	SQD	Goldsky
Coverage & performance
Networks indexed	225+	155 chains / 254 networks
Multi-VM support	EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid	EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, NEAR, Sui, Stellar
Real-time latency	Sub-second on Portal	Sub-second (Mirror)
Historical depth	Full archive from genesis	Not published
Real-time data endpoint	Portal: decoded, multi-VM, streaming HTTP	Edge: raw JSON-RPC, EVM, 7ms cached
Architecture & openness
Architecture	Decentralized data lake + Portal API	Fully managed hosted SaaS
Self-hostable	✓	✗
Open source	Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0	Only the eRPC engine (Apache-2.0)
Decentralized	✓	✗
Data validation	Validated at ingestion (6-step)	Not published
Developer experience
Subgraph compatibility	Port subgraph to a Squid	The Graph-compatible (drop-in)
SDK / authoring	TypeScript	AssemblyScript (Subgraphs); SQL + TypeScript transforms (Mirror)
Stream to your warehouse	Pipes SDK (self-run)	Mirror (managed)
Deployment	SQD Cloud, Docker, or self-host	Goldsky-hosted (CLI deploy)
Economics
Free tier	Public Portal (no key, no card)	Starter (free, no card)
Paid pricing model	Predictable monthly tiers, network-based	Usage-based (worker-hours + data)
Token required for production	✗	✗

Facts verified June 2026 against Goldsky’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

→You want open-source infrastructure you can run yourself, with no vendor lock-in.
→You value a decentralized network over a single managed provider for resilience and trust.
→You need chains Goldsky does not list, such as Substrate parachains or Hyperliquid.
→You want data validated at ingestion rather than served unchecked.
→You prefer predictable network-based pricing over per-worker-hour metering.

When Goldsky is the better choice

→You want zero infrastructure to operate and a single managed service to own it all.
→Your main need is managed streaming of onchain data into a warehouse, which Mirror is purpose-built for.
→You run existing The Graph subgraphs and want to host them unchanged.
→Usage-based billing fits your volume better than a fixed monthly tier.

Goldsky hosts existing subgraphs drop-in; on SQD a subgraph becomes a Squid, so factor in a one-time migration to port the mappings to TypeScript.

Switching

Migrating from Goldsky to SQD

Goldsky hosts The Graph-compatible subgraphs and Mirror streaming pipelines. Both map onto SQD, with the gain that you own the runtime afterward. The work falls into two tracks.

Subgraph → Squid

AssemblyScript → TypeScript

GraphQL entities carry over. Mapping handlers become a Squid's batch processors in idiomatic TypeScript with full type inference and npm.

Mirror pipelines

Managed Mirror → Pipes SDK

Stream decoded data into Postgres, ClickHouse, and other stores. You run the pipeline, so there are no per-worker-hour charges.

Deployment

Hosted-only → Cloud, Docker, self-host

Run on SQD Cloud, in Docker, or fully self-hosted. No lock-in to one provider’s infrastructure.

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

Free tier, no card

+215 more

Frequently asked questions

Is SQD a good Goldsky alternative?

Yes. Both serve indexed blockchain data. On workflow, Goldsky hosts The Graph-compatible subgraphs directly (drop-in), while on SQD a subgraph becomes a Squid, a TypeScript indexer built with the Squid SDK, so moving a Goldsky subgraph to SQD usually means porting its mappings to TypeScript. SQD differs in model: it is a decentralized, open-source network you can self-host, with data validated at ingestion and coverage across 225+ networks including Substrate and Hyperliquid. Goldsky is a fully managed, proprietary service. Teams pick SQD when openness, self-hosting, or validation matter; they pick Goldsky when a fully managed service with transparent usage pricing matters more.

What is the difference between SQD and Goldsky?

Goldsky is a fully managed, proprietary SaaS: hosted subgraphs plus Mirror, a streaming product that replicates onchain data into your database. SQD is a decentralized, open-source data network: validated, multi-chain data served through a sub-second Portal API and a TypeScript SDK (Squid SDK and Pipes SDK) that you can self-host. Both deliver indexed data; the split is managed-and-proprietary versus decentralized-and-open.

Can I migrate from Goldsky to SQD?

Yes. Goldsky hosts The Graph-compatible subgraphs, and the same subgraph logic ports to SQD’s Squid SDK: GraphQL entity definitions carry over, and mapping handlers become batch processors in TypeScript instead of AssemblyScript. Goldsky Mirror pipelines map to SQD’s Pipes SDK, which streams decoded data into the same kinds of stores (Postgres, ClickHouse, and others). The difference after migrating is that you own the runtime and can self-host.

Is Goldsky open source or self-hostable?

Goldsky’s data products, Subgraphs and Mirror, are fully managed and not self-hostable. The one open-source piece is its Edge RPC engine (eRPC, Apache-2.0), which is an RPC proxy rather than the indexing layer. SQD’s Squid SDK is GPLv3, the Pipes SDK is permissively licensed, and the Portal node software is AGPL-3.0, all self-hostable.

How does SQD pricing compare to Goldsky?

Goldsky has a free Starter tier (no card) and usage-based Scale pricing billed on worker-hours plus data, with published rates such as roughly $0.05 per worker-hour for Subgraphs and $0.10 per worker-hour for Mirror (June 2026). SQD’s Portal has a free public tier with no API key or card; paid tiers are network-based rather than per-call metered, and final pricing has not been published. For steady workloads, fixed monthly pricing is more predictable; for spiky or low-volume ones, usage-based billing can be cheaper.

Does Goldsky support Solana and non-EVM chains?

Partially. Goldsky cites 155 chains across 254 networks; Solana and other non-EVM chains (Bitcoin, NEAR, Sui, Stellar) are served through its Turbo pipelines rather than classic subgraphs. Substrate and Hyperliquid are not listed on Goldsky’s supported-networks pages. SQD covers 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, and Hyperliquid through one Portal endpoint.

Does Goldsky Edge compete with SQD Portal?

They overlap on one axis: both give you a fast, unified, multi-chain endpoint instead of juggling per-chain providers. The difference is the data each serves. Goldsky Edge is a managed RPC endpoint for top EVM chains, built on the open-source eRPC proxy, with finality-aware caching (a reported 7ms average on cached queries) and flat $5-per-million-request pricing; it returns raw JSON-RPC. SQD Portal serves decoded, validated data across EVM and non-EVM chains (Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid) over streaming HTTP, and the same data can be self-hosted. For raw EVM RPC, Edge is a strong fit; for decoded, multi-VM, validated data, Portal is the closer match.

Sources & methodology (14 citations, verified June 2026)

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

Goldsky products & architecture

Subgraphs are a fully managed hosted service (indexing, database, querying all managed by Goldsky) [goldsky.com/products/subgraphs]
Mirror streams data into your own database with sub-second latency, sinks incl. Postgres, ClickHouse, Snowflake, BigQuery, Kafka, S3 [goldsky.com/products/mirror]
Subgraph vs Mirror product overview [docs.goldsky.com/subgraph-vs-mirror]
Edge is a managed RPC endpoint for top EVM chains: global edge network, cross-node consensus, millisecond failover, archive + trace methods; flat $5 per 1M requests [goldsky.com/products/edge]
Edge is built on the open-source eRPC proxy (Apache-2.0); ~7ms average latency on cached queries [goldsky.com/blog/introducing-goldsky-edge-rpc]

Chain coverage

Goldsky cites 155 chains across 254 networks [goldsky.com/chains]
Supported networks; Solana and other non-EVM served via Turbo pipelines [docs.goldsky.com/chains/supported-networks]
SQD covers 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid [/chains/ catalogue]

Openness & self-hosting

Goldsky Edge RPC is built on eRPC, maintained open-source under Apache-2.0; the eRPC engine is self-hostable, Edge Cloud is managed [goldsky.com/blog/introducing-goldsky-edge-rpc]
SQD is open source (Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0) and self-hostable [github.com/subsquid]

Economics

Goldsky pricing: free Starter tier; usage-based Scale (worker-hours + data), e.g. Subgraphs ~$0.05/hr, Mirror ~$0.10/hr [goldsky.com/pricing]
Goldsky Subgraphs are The Graph-compatible; migrate with a single CLI command, zero code changes [goldsky.com/products/subgraphs]
SQD free public Portal (no API key, no card) [/portal/]
SQD pricing model [/pricing/]

More comparisons

Compare SQD to other platforms

SQD vs The Graph

Subgraphs vs Squid SDK

SQD vs Alchemy

Indexing vs RPC

SQD vs QuickNode

Decentralized data layer

SQD vs Dune

Raw data vs SQL dashboards

SQD vs Bitquery

Self-host, no vendor lock

Coming soon

Own your indexing on 225+ chains

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

Try the Portal Read Docs

Migrating subgraphs or Mirror pipelines at scale, or need a dedicated portal? Talk to sales.