Finding a reliable free Ethereum RPC endpoint is harder than it sounds. Most providers throttle aggressively, go down without warning, or quietly stop serving free tiers. This guide covers the best options available in 2026 so you can make an informed choice.
What is an Ethereum RPC endpoint?
An RPC (Remote Procedure Call) endpoint is a URL you point your wallet, script, or dapp at to communicate with the Ethereum network. Instead of running your own full node (which requires ~2TB of storage and constant maintenance), you connect to a node run by a provider.
All Ethereum RPC endpoints speak the same language: JSON-RPC 2.0. That means you can swap providers by changing a single URL.
Quick comparison
| Provider | Free tier | Rate limit | API key required | Regions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NodeFlare | 2M CU/month | 10 req/s | No (public), optional | EU, AS, NA |
| Alchemy | 300M CU/month | Varies | Yes | US-based |
| Infura | 100K req/day | Varies | Yes | Global |
| Ankr | Public endpoint | ~30 req/s | No | Global |
| PublicNode | Public endpoint | No stated limit | No | Global |
The best free Ethereum RPC endpoints
NodeFlare — https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public
NodeFlare's public endpoint requires no API key and is rate-limited to 2 req/s per IP. The free plan (with a free API key) gives you 2M compute units per month at up to 10 req/s — enough for most side projects and development workflows.
What makes NodeFlare different is the architecture: requests automatically route to the nearest healthy node across Europe, Asia, and North America. If a node goes down, traffic fails over instantly with no configuration needed.
curl https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public \
-X POST \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'Ankr Public Endpoint — https://rpc.ankr.com/eth
Ankr's public endpoint is widely used and generally stable. No API key required. The rate limit is approximately 30 req/s. Ankr has a paid tier if you need more throughput.
PublicNode — https://ethereum-rpc.publicnode.com
PublicNode is a community-run service with no stated rate limits. It's a good fallback option, though being community-run means uptime guarantees are informal.
Which endpoint should you use?
For development and testing: The NodeFlare public endpoint or any of the above work fine. Use what's closest to you geographically.
For production dapps with low traffic: NodeFlare's free tier (2M CU/month, free API key) gives you proper rate limits, usage metrics in a dashboard, and access to methods like eth_getLogs that are blocked on public endpoints.
For high-traffic production: You'll need a paid plan from NodeFlare, Alchemy, Infura, or similar. Free tiers aren't designed for sustained load.
Getting a free NodeFlare API key
- Sign up at nodeflare.app
- Your API key is provisioned instantly — no credit card required
- Your endpoint:
https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/v1/YOUR_KEY
The free plan includes 2M compute units per month across every chain we serve (Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Arbitrum One, Optimism, Avalanche, HyperEVM and more). Unused CU don't roll over but the limit resets on the 1st of each month.
Using the endpoint in your project
ethers.js:
import { JsonRpcProvider } from "ethers";
const provider = new JsonRpcProvider("https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/v1/YOUR_KEY");viem:
import { createPublicClient, http } from "viem";
import { mainnet } from "viem/chains";
const client = createPublicClient({
chain: mainnet,
transport: http("https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/v1/YOUR_KEY"),
});MetaMask / wallets: Open Network Settings, set RPC URL to https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public and Chain ID to 1.
Beyond Ethereum
NodeFlare also provides free public endpoints for 22 other chains — Base, BNB Chain, Arbitrum One, Optimism, Avalanche C-Chain, HyperEVM and more. All follow the same URL pattern:
https://rpc.nodeflare.app/{chain}/publicSee the full list at nodeflare.app/chains.