Comparing RPC Providers: GetBlock, Infura, Tatum and Settla

Choosing an RPC provider is one of the first architectural decisions when launching a Web3 project. It determines response speed, application stability, and budget predictability. A modern web3tech stack is impossible to imagine without a reliable RPC layer. In this review, we analyze three leading blockchain infrastructure providers — GetBlock, Infura and Tatum — and explain why Settla deserves attention as a modern alternative for developers and companies building on the blockchain.

What Is an RPC Provider and Why Do You Need One

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is a protocol that allows an application to interact with a blockchain node without having to run one locally. Every time your wallet displays a balance, a DEX platform calculates a swap route, or an NFT marketplace shows a collection — there is an RPC request to a node behind it.

Running your own node requires tens of terabytes of disk space (for Ethereum archive nodes — over 14 TB), constant synchronization and monitoring. An RPC provider takes this infrastructure burden off your hands: you get an API endpoint, send JSON-RPC requests and receive blockchain data in response.

Key parameters when choosing a provider:

• Supported networks — how many blockchains are available through a single account.
• Request limits (RPS) — the maximum number of requests per second before throttling.
• Pricing model — fixed subscription, per-request credits or compute units.
• Archive data access — the ability to query historical blockchain states.
• Latency and geo-distribution — response speed from different regions around the world.
• WebSocket support — critical for applications that need real-time event subscriptions.

Understanding these parameters allows you to make an informed choice between GetBlock, Infura, Tatum and Settla. Let's examine each provider in detail.

GetBlock — Multi-Chain Access with Flexible Pricing

GetBlock positions itself as a multi-chain platform providing RPC endpoints to more than 130 blockchain networks. This is one of the broadest coverages on the market: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Solana, TRON, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Avalanche, Bitcoin and dozens of other networks are supported.

Pricing model. GetBlock uses a Compute Units (CU) system — units of computational load. Each RPC method has its own "weight" in CU, which depends on the network, method type and whether you are accessing archive data. This model is transparent but requires calculating consumption in advance.

GetBlock pricing plans (Shared Nodes):

• Free — free, 50,000 CU/day, limited RPS.
• Starter — $49/mo, 50M CU/month, increased RPS.
• Advanced — $199/mo, extended CU quota and priority routing.
• Pro — $499/mo, up to 600M CU/month, high RPS.
• Enterprise — $999/mo, maximum limits and dedicated support.

In addition to shared nodes, GetBlock offers Limitless Node — a dedicated endpoint from $99/mo for 25 RPS with full access to archive data. The subscription is tied to a single network but includes multi-regional routing (EU, US, Asia).

GetBlock advantages: broadest network coverage, cryptocurrency payments, uniform pricing for all blockchains. Disadvantages: the CU system complicates budgeting, the free plan is extremely limited for real development, and dedicated node pricing grows quickly when working with multiple networks.

Infura — A Proven Veteran of the Ethereum Ecosystem

Infura is one of the oldest RPC providers, owned by Consensys (the creators of MetaMask). This makes it a natural choice for Ethereum-focused projects: deep integration with MetaMask SDK, access to the Gas API and a well-established infrastructure for EVM networks.

Supported networks. Unlike multi-chain competitors, Infura focuses on depth rather than breadth: the platform supports approximately 25 networks. The main emphasis is on Ethereum, along with key L2 solutions: Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, Linea. Access to Solana remains limited and is provided upon request.

Pricing model. Since 2025, Infura has switched to a credit system with daily quotas. A standard RPC call costs approximately 20 credits, but complex methods (debug_traceCall, eth_getLogs with a wide range) can consume significantly more.

Infura pricing plans:

• Core (Free) — 3,000,000 credits/day, 500 credits/sec.
• Developer — $50/mo, up to 15M credits/day, increased throughput.
• Team — $225/mo, up to 75M credits/day, 40,000 credits/sec.
• Growth — $1,000/mo, maximum quotas, priority support.

Infura advantages: solid reputation, best integration with Ethereum tooling, native MetaMask support, high stability. Disadvantages: narrow set of supported networks, daily limit constraints (unused credits expire), high cost for multi-chain projects, opaque pricing for complex methods.

Tatum — A Developer Platform with an RPC Layer

Tatum differs from classic RPC providers by offering a full-fledged Web3 development platform. Tatum's philosophy is to give developers a single SDK for all blockchain operations. In addition to RPC endpoints, Tatum includes high-level APIs for working with balances, transactions, tokens and smart contracts, as well as a webhook system for subscribing to blockchain events.

Supported networks. Tatum claims support for more than 60 blockchains through a unified API. Tatum's documentation describes integration with both EVM-compatible networks and Bitcoin, Solana, TRON, XRP Ledger and other chains.

Pricing model. Tatum uses a credit system with RPS limits. Tatum's free plan does not limit the number of credits but strictly caps requests at 5 per second — enough for experimentation but not for production.

Tatum pricing plans:

• Free — free, unlimited credits, 5 RPS.
• Startup — $99/mo, 50 RPS, extended credits.
• Business — $249/mo, 100 RPS, priority infrastructure.
• Enterprise — $509/mo and above, increased limits, dedicated support.

Tatum advantages: universal all-in-one Web3 platform, convenient high-level APIs (no need to parse raw blockchain data), generous free plan for prototyping. Tatum's ecosystem also includes SDKs for JavaScript, Python and other languages, simplifying the getting-started experience. Tatum disadvantages: automatic plan upgrades when limits are exceeded (unexpected bills), subscription is blocked when 120% of the credit limit is reached until the next billing period, credits do not carry over between months, less control over the infrastructure layer.

RPC Provider Price and Feature Comparison Table

The table shows that each provider occupies its own niche. GetBlock wins on the number of networks, Infura — on the depth of Ethereum integration, Tatum — on the completeness of the developer platform. At the same time, neither GetBlock, nor Infura, nor Tatum offer unused resource rollover — this is a unique advantage of Settla. In terms of the price-to-functionality ratio, Settla offers the most competitive alternative.

Settla as an Alternative — Predictable Budget and Complete Infrastructure

Settla (settla.net) is a next-generation Web3 infrastructure platform designed to solve the typical pain points developers face when working with existing RPC providers: unpredictable bills, complex pricing models and unexpected blocks when limits are exceeded.

Fixed subscription instead of credit puzzles. Unlike GetBlock with its Compute Units, Infura with daily credits and Tatum with its automatic upgrade system, Settla offers fixed plans with clear limits. You know your monthly bill in advance — no surprises and no hidden multipliers.

Unused resource rollover. One of Settla's key differentiators from competitors — unused requests carry over to the next month. With Infura, daily credits expire every 24 hours; with GetBlock and Tatum, monthly quotas reset on the renewal date. Settla accounts for the uneven workloads typical of most Web3 projects.

Archive data on all plans. Access to archive nodes from most providers is a privilege reserved for expensive plans. GetBlock provides it only through Limitless Node (from $99/mo for a single network), Infura — starting from paid plans. Settla includes access to historical data in all plans, including the free one.

Multi-chain by default. Settla supports 50+ blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Solana, TRON and other popular ecosystems. All networks are available within a single subscription — without the need to purchase a separate plan for each blockchain, as is the case with GetBlock's Limitless plan.

High-level APIs and developer tools. Similar to Tatum, Settla provides not only raw RPC endpoints but also convenient APIs for common tasks: fetching balances, transaction history, working with tokens, subscribing to events via webhooks. However, unlike Tatum, Settla does not block the subscription when 120% of the limit is reached — instead, soft throttling with notifications is applied.

Cryptocurrency and fiat payments. Settla accepts both traditional payment methods and cryptocurrencies (USDT, USDC, ETH, BTC). This is convenient for Web3-native teams that work with digital assets.

Which RPC Provider to Choose: Recommendations by Scenario

The choice between GetBlock, Infura, Tatum and Settla depends on the specifics of your project. Here are practical recommendations for different user categories.

For hobby developers and learning. If you are just starting to learn Web3 development, begin with free plans. Tatum has the most generous free plan (unlimited credits), but Tatum's 5 RPS limitation will hinder load testing scenarios. Settla's free plan provides sufficient capacity for experimentation with archive data access — and without the strict RPS limit like Tatum's. Infura is suitable if you work exclusively with Ethereum.

For startups at the MVP stage. The balance between cost and reliability is critical. Settla ($29/mo) and GetBlock ($49/mo) are the most cost-effective options. Settla wins thanks to unused resource rollover and a fixed budget. Tatum Startup ($99/mo) is worth considering if you need a complete Web3 platform with high-level APIs — Tatum's SDK saves development time, but consider Tatum's automatic plan upgrade policy.

For growing projects (10K–100K users). At this stage, stability, multi-chain support and cost predictability are important. GetBlock Advanced ($199/mo) is suitable if the project works with many exotic networks. Infura Team ($225/mo) is optimal for Ethereum-centric dApps that need MetaMask integration. Tatum Business ($249/mo) is for teams actively using Tatum's high-level APIs in production. Settla ($79/mo) offers the best price-to-performance ratio in this segment.

For enterprise solutions. Large projects with millions of daily transactions need guaranteed SLAs, dedicated nodes and personalized support. Infura Growth ($1,000/mo) provides maximum reliability on Ethereum. GetBlock Enterprise ($999/mo) offers network versatility. Settla Enterprise (from $199/mo) provides custom configurations with dedicated infrastructure while maintaining competitive pricing.

General recommendation. Regardless of whether you are considering GetBlock, Infura or Tatum — be sure to test Settla. If you are building a multi-chain application and want to minimize infrastructure costs without sacrificing quality — start with Settla. Fixed pricing, resource rollover and archive data access on all plans make the platform predictable and cost-effective at any stage of project growth.

Conclusions: The Future of RPC Infrastructure and Settla's Place

The RPC provider market is rapidly evolving. GetBlock is expanding network coverage and refining its Compute Units system. Infura is deepening its integration with the Ethereum ecosystem and Consensys tools. Tatum is evolving into a universal Web3 platform, expanding SDK and API functionality. Each of these providers — GetBlock, Infura, Tatum — solves its own challenge, but none covers all developer needs without compromises.

Settla occupies a unique niche, combining multi-chain access, predictable pricing and a full-featured development toolkit. If GetBlock is about maximum network coverage, Infura is about the depth of the Ethereum stack, and Tatum is about SDKs and high-level APIs, then Settla is about balancing all these factors with transparent economics. The Settla platform accounts for real-world Web3 infrastructure usage patterns: uneven workloads, the need for archive data and multi-chain access within a single subscription.

When choosing an RPC provider, don't focus solely on the entry-level plan price. Calculate the cost at scale: how will your budget behave when the number of requests grows 10x? It is at this stage that the difference between providers becomes significant — and this is exactly where Settla's predictable model shows its advantage.

Try Settla for free at settla.net and see for yourself that quality blockchain infrastructure doesn't have to be expensive. Signing up for Settla takes less than a minute, and you can send your first RPC request immediately after creating an account — no verification or credit card required.