SQD vs The Graph

SQD vs The Graph: which blockchain data API should you choose?

225+ chains · Sub-second real-time · TypeScript end-to-end

SQD and The Graph are both decentralized networks for blockchain data, but they solve adjacent problems. SQD operates a multi-chain data lake with a sub-second Portal API and a TypeScript SDK; The Graph runs a network of indexers serving curated GraphQL subgraphs authored in AssemblyScript. The right choice depends on chain breadth, latency requirements, and which language your team prefers.

Try the Portal Read Docs

Pick SQD if

→ You need data beyond EVM (Solana, Bitcoin, Substrate, Hyperliquid)
→ Sub-second real-time latency is a hard requirement
→ Your team writes TypeScript, not AssemblyScript

Pick The Graph if

→ You’re running production subgraphs with mature mapping handlers
→ Your protocol benefits from GRT delegation and curation signal

Two different layers

Where SQD and The Graph sit in your data stack

The Graph is an indexed-data vendor: a managed subgraph product layered on top of indexer nodes. SQD is read-side infrastructure: a decentralized data lake that serves validated, multi-chain raw data at the source. Wallets, intelligence tools, protocol analytics, and indexed-data vendors all need the same upstream input; SQD provides it as a network, so the layer above stops stitching it themselves.

Apps & products

Wallets Tax Payments KYC RWA
Intelligence
Protocol analytics
Indexed data

The Graph·
Our focus
Read-side infrastructure

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

Alchemy

SQD optimizes for

✓Chain breadth: 225+ networks across EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid
✓Real-time latency: sub-second from chain head to query response
✓TypeScript-native developer experience with typed event decoders
✓Cryptographically validated data with 6-step verification
✓Free public Portal tier; no API key, no card, no token required

The Graph optimizes for

✓The subgraph ecosystem: curators, delegators, and indexer competition
✓GraphQL-first schema model with mapping handlers
✓GRT token economics aligning curators, delegators, and indexers
✓A large library of public subgraphs for popular protocols

At a glance

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	SQD	The Graph
Coverage & Performance
Networks indexed	225+	40+
Multi-VM support	EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid	EVM (Subgraphs); Solana + Tron via Token API
Real-time latency	Sub-second on Portal	Depends on indexer; subgraph head can lag chain head
Historical depth	Full archive	Full archive
Architecture & Openness
Architecture	Decentralized data lake + Portal API	Decentralized indexer network serving subgraphs
Self-hostable	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Decentralized	✓	✓
Developer Experience
SDK language	TypeScript	AssemblyScript
Schema model	GraphQL or any TypeORM-compatible store	GraphQL with mapping handlers
Deployment	CLI to SQD Cloud, Docker, or self-host	Subgraph Studio, decentralized network, self-host
Economics
Free tier	Public Portal (no key, no card)	100,000 queries/month on Subgraph Studio
Paid pricing model	Predictable monthly tiers, network-based	Query fees in GRT on the decentralized network
Token required for production	✗	✓

Facts verified May 2026 against The Graph’s public docs. 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 need data from 100+ chains and don’t want to manage per-chain integrations.
→Sub-second real-time latency is a hard requirement (trading desks, intelligence, alerts, agents).
→You want validated data with cryptographic provenance, not just attestation.
→Your team works in TypeScript and wants type-safe decoders end-to-end.
→You need data on Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, or Hyperliquid alongside EVM chains.
→Predictable monthly pricing matters more than per-query token economics.

When The Graph is the better choice

→You’re committed to the GraphQL subgraph model and have AssemblyScript expertise.
→Your protocol benefits from decentralized indexer competition and curation signal.
→You’re indexing a single high-traffic protocol where subgraph composability matters more than chain breadth.
→You already operate within The Graph ecosystem (curators, delegators, indexer service).

Switching

Migrating from The Graph to SQD

Both systems share the same fundamental model: extract chain events, transform into typed entities, store in a queryable database. The differences sit at three layers: language, programming model, and deployment.

Language

AssemblyScript → TypeScript

Most mapping logic translates line for line. You gain full type inference, npm packages, and standard tooling.

Programming model

Per-event handlers → batch processor

Instead of one function per event, a processor iterates over batches of blocks. Fewer database round-trips, easier to reason about.

Deployment

Subgraph Studio → Squid CLI

Deploy to SQD Cloud, run in Docker, or self-host. GraphQL schema definitions port over largely as-is.

Read the SQD docs for the current migration guide and step-by-step examples.

Teams that made the move

Customers who replaced The Graph with SQD

Two protocols moved their indexing off The Graph subgraphs to SQD in production. Different problems, same root cause: subgraph performance and operational overhead under real production load.

DeFi lending · Monad

Curvance cut indexing time from days to minutes

Curvance's The Graph subgraph took 3-5 days to catch up to Monad's chain head. RPC load and hosted limits made the setup hard to scale. SQD cleared the backlog.

"The numbers are night and day.". Curvance

Read the case study

Perpetual DEX · 6 chains

GMX rebuilt cross-chain indexing on SQD

GMX outgrew the per-event handler model. Subgraphs strained under multichain load across Arbitrum, Avalanche, Botanix, Solana, Base, and BNB. SQD's batch processors and custom resolvers replaced the layer.

"It wasn't one killer feature. It was the total package. Everything just clicked.". Hubert, GMX

Read the case study

The full SQD toolkit

What you get with SQD

The comparison above covers data indexing. SQD ships 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 subgraph alternative?

Yes. SQD is the closest one-for-one subgraph alternative if you want to keep the same workflow (GraphQL schemas, typed entities, mapping logic) but trade AssemblyScript for TypeScript, gain 100+ extra chains, and serve real-time blockchain data with sub-second latency. The migration path is documented and most teams port a subgraph in a few hours. SQD is also a decentralized indexer in its own right, so you keep the trust model of an indexer network rather than moving to a centralized SaaS.

Is SQD better than The Graph?

It depends on your workload. SQD wins when you need data from 100+ chains in one API, sub-second real-time blockchain data, validated data via cryptographic checks, multi-ecosystem coverage (Solana, Bitcoin, Substrate), or TypeScript end-to-end. The Graph wins when you’re committed to the GraphQL subgraph model, your team maintains AssemblyScript mappings, or your protocol benefits from GRT delegation and curation signal.

Can I migrate from The Graph subgraphs to SQD?

Yes. Both systems share the same fundamental model: extract chain events, transform into typed entities, store in a queryable database. The Squid CLI scaffolds a new indexer, GraphQL entity definitions port over largely as-is, and mapping handlers become batch processors written in idiomatic TypeScript instead of AssemblyScript. See the three migration layers above or read the migration guide in the docs.

How does SQD pricing compare to The Graph?

SQD’s Portal has a free public tier (no API key, no card); paid tiers are predictable and network-based rather than per-call metered. Final SQD pricing has not been published. The Graph’s hosted service is free for development; production queries on the decentralized network are paid in GRT. For most teams, fixed monthly pricing is more predictable than per-query GRT pricing. High-volume protocols on curated subgraphs may benefit from indexer competition on The Graph.

Does SQD support the same chains as The Graph?

SQD covers 225+ networks; The Graph's decentralized network supports 40+ chains, primarily EVM. SQD additionally indexes Substrate parachains, Bitcoin, and Hyperliquid through the same Portal endpoint. The Graph's newer Token API extends to Solana and Tron for token-specific data. Common EVM chains (Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism, Avalanche, BNB) are covered by both. Source: thegraph.com/networks.

Is SQD open source?

Yes. The Squid SDK is GPLv3, the Pipes SDK is permissively licensed, and the SQD Portal node software is open-source Rust under AGPL-3.0. The SQD Network is decentralized with worker operators paid in SQD instead of running centralized infrastructure. The Graph is also open source and decentralized; the practical difference is the underlying data model and token economics.

Which has lower latency, SQD Portal or The Graph subgraphs?

SQD Portal is structurally faster for real-time. The Portal’s hot path delivers sub-second latency from chain head to query response, with a median of 27ms in SQD’s public Portal benchmark. Subgraph response time depends on which Indexer serves the query and how far its node has synced behind chain head. For backtest-heavy or batch workloads both platforms perform well; for trading desks, intelligence customers, and agent workloads, the latency difference matters.

Sources & methodology (15 citations, verified May 2026)

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

Chain coverage

The Graph supports 40+ chains on its decentralized network [thegraph.com/networks]
The Graph supported networks documentation [thegraph.com/docs/en/supported-networks]
The Graph Token API covers ETH, BSC, Polygon, OP, Base, Unichain, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Solana, Tron [thegraph.com/docs/en/token-api/faq]
SQD covers 225+ networks [/chains/ catalogue]
SQD multi-VM: EVM, Solana, Substrate, Bitcoin, Hyperliquid [/chains/ catalogue]

Architecture & developer experience

The Graph subgraph mappings are written in AssemblyScript [thegraph.com/docs/.../assemblyscript-mappings]
The Graph is a decentralized indexer network [thegraph.com/docs/en/network]
SQD Squid SDK and Pipes SDK (TypeScript) on GitHub [github.com/subsquid]
SQD platform overview [sqd.dev]

Economics

The Graph billing: 100,000 free queries/month, GRT for paid queries [thegraph.com/docs/en/subgraphs/billing]
The Graph network tokenomics: query fees paid in GRT, distributed to Indexers/Curators/Delegators [thegraph.com/docs/en/resources/tokenomics]
SQD free public Portal (no API key, no card) [/portal/]
SQD pricing model [/pricing/]

SQD performance & openness

SQD Portal benchmark and latency claims [/portal/]
SQD is open-source (Squid SDK GPLv3, Portal AGPL-3.0) [github.com/subsquid]

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Try SQD on 225+ chains

Free public Portal, open-source SDK, and 225+ chains indexed from day one.

Try the Portal Read Docs

Indexing more than 100M events a day or need a dedicated portal? Talk to sales.