Free Base RPC Endpoint

Base is Coinbase's OP Stack L2 and one of the fastest-growing EVM chains. If you're building on Base or need a reliable RPC for wallet integrations and indexers, this guide has your endpoint URLs, code snippets, and everything you need to connect in under a minute.

Base RPC URLs#

Public endpoint (no sign-up)#

https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/public

No API key, no account. Works immediately. Rate-limited per IP (2 requests/second) — suitable for development and one-off queries.

Free keyed endpoint#

https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/v1/YOUR_KEY

Get a free key at nodeflare.app — no credit card required. The free tier includes:

• 2,000,000 compute units/month — no credit card
• Up to 10 requests/second
• eth_getLogs, trace_*, debug_* — heavy methods available on the free tier
• WebSocket for real-time subscriptions
• Multi-region nodes (US-East, US-West, EU, Asia) with automatic failover

Quick test#

curl https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/public \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'

Expected response:

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":"0x..."}

Connect with ethers.js#

import { ethers } from 'ethers';

const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider(
  'https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/v1/YOUR_KEY'
);

const block = await provider.getBlockNumber();
console.log('Base block:', block);

Connect with viem#

import { createPublicClient, http } from 'viem';
import { base } from 'viem/chains';

const client = createPublicClient({
  chain: base,
  transport: http('https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/v1/YOUR_KEY'),
});

const block = await client.getBlockNumber();

Connect with web3.py#

from web3 import Web3

w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider('https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/v1/YOUR_KEY'))
print(w3.eth.block_number)

WebSocket for real-time subscriptions#

wss://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/ws/v1/YOUR_KEY

const ws = new WebSocket('wss://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/ws/v1/YOUR_KEY');
ws.onopen = () => ws.send(JSON.stringify({
  jsonrpc: '2.0', id: 1,
  method: 'eth_subscribe',
  params: ['newHeads'],
}));
ws.onmessage = (e) => console.log(JSON.parse(e.data));

Base chain details#

What is Base?#

Base is an OP Stack L2 launched by Coinbase. It's designed for consumer crypto apps — low fees, high throughput, and full EVM compatibility. Because it's backed by Coinbase and inherits Ethereum's security via optimistic fraud proofs, it's become a major destination for DeFi protocols, onchain social apps, and NFT platforms.

Key properties:

• EVM-compatible — all Ethereum tooling works: ethers.js, viem, Hardhat, Foundry
• Low fees — typical transactions cost a fraction of a cent
• High throughput — designed for consumer-scale workloads
• Coinbase integration — easy onboarding via Coinbase Wallet and Coinbase Pay

Why use a keyed endpoint instead of the public one?#

The public endpoint is shared across all users on the same IP range. At peak hours you may hit rate limits or see increased latency. A free NodeFlare key gives you:

• An isolated path — your traffic doesn't compete with other users
• eth_getLogs support — essential for indexers and event listeners
• 10× higher rate limits vs the public endpoint
• WebSocket for eth_subscribe and real-time block streaming

At 2M compute units/month on the free tier, a typical DeFi app or indexer running a few hundred queries per minute stays well within the limit. See the rate limits reference for per-method compute unit weights.

Add Base to MetaMask#

To add Base with NodeFlare's endpoint in MetaMask:

1. Open MetaMask → network selector → Add network → Add a network manually.
2. Fill in:

1. Click Save.

For a keyed endpoint, swap /public for /v1/YOUR_KEY after signing up.

Getting started#

1. Go to nodeflare.app — no credit card required
2. Your Base endpoint is ready immediately: https://rpc.nodeflare.app/base/v1/YOUR_KEY
3. Swap your existing RPC URL — nothing else changes in your code

• Full Base endpoint reference →
• Rate limits and compute unit weights →
• Quick-start guide →
• Pricing — free plan details →