Compare
Free Infura alternative — no credit card required
NodeFlare is a free EVM RPC provider with 2,000,000 compute units per month, no credit card, and eth_getLogs, trace_* and debug_* unlocked on the free tier. It runs on own bare-metal nodes in multiple regions and covers young chainslike Robinhood Chain, Arc and Ink that Infura doesn't serve. The endpoint is standard JSON-RPC — swapping from Infura is a single URL change.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Infura free | NodeFlare free |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ~100k requests/day, rate-limited | 2,000,000 CU/month — no credit card |
| eth_getLogs | ✓ (rate-limited on free) | ✓ — unlimited on free tier |
| trace_* methods | paid plans only | ✓ included — free tier |
| debug_* methods | paid plans only | ✓ included — free tier |
| WebSocket (eth_subscribe) | ✓ on major chains | ✓ on major chains |
| Robinhood Chain (4663) | not supported | ✓ own node |
| Arc (chain 5042, USDC gas) | not supported | ✓ own node — live day one |
| Ink / Zircuit | not supported | ✓ own nodes |
| x402 pay-per-call (no account) | not available | ✓ pay in USDC, no signup |
| Own bare-metal nodes | cloud / third-party infrastructure | ✓ — not a reseller |
Infura plan limits change — verify at infura.io. NodeFlare free tier: 2M CU/month, no card, all methods unlocked.
One URL swap
NodeFlare speaks standard JSON-RPC. Your request body doesn't change — only the base URL.
# Before: Infura (Ethereum mainnet)
curl https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_INFURA_KEY \
-X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'
# After: NodeFlare — one URL swap, same JSON-RPC body
curl https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/v1/YOUR_NODEFLARE_KEY \
-X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'
# Or test now with no key:
curl https://rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/public \
-X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}'Chain slugs: eth, base, arb, op, bnb, polygon, avax — same pattern for every chain we serve.
Chains Infura does not serve
NodeFlare runs its own nodes for the young EVM chains most providers skip — alongside every major chain.
All chains share the same endpoint pattern and API key — swap the slug, nothing else.
Why developers switch
Heavy methods, free
eth_getLogs, trace_block, trace_transaction, debug_traceTransaction — unlocked on the free tier with no upgrade and no surcharge per call.
Young chains, own nodes
Robinhood Chain, Arc, Ink, Zircuit, Soneium, BOB and Mode on bare-metal nodes — not a pass-through to a third-party API that doesn't support them.
x402 for agents
Call RPC or data endpoints and pay per request in USDC with no account. Designed for AI agents that need on-chain access without human onboarding.
FAQ
Is NodeFlare really free with no credit card?
Yes. Create a free key at nodeflare.app — no credit card, no billing info required. You get 2,000,000 compute units per month. eth_getLogs, trace_* and debug_* are all included without upgrading. The public endpoint (/{chain}/public) lets you test instantly before signing up.
Which methods are unlocked on the free tier?
Everything: eth_getLogs with no block-range restriction, trace_block, trace_transaction, debug_traceTransaction, debug_traceBlockByNumber, and all standard eth_* methods. Heavy methods are not gated behind a paid plan — they are part of the free tier from the start.
How do I migrate from Infura to NodeFlare?
It is a single URL change. NodeFlare speaks standard JSON-RPC — the same wire format Infura uses. Replace mainnet.infura.io/v3/YOUR_KEY with rpc.nodeflare.app/eth/v1/YOUR_NODEFLARE_KEY and keep every request body exactly as-is. The public endpoint lets you test before you commit.
Which chains does NodeFlare cover that Infura doesn't?
NodeFlare runs its own nodes for young chains Infura does not list: Robinhood Chain (4663), Arc (5042 — Circle's USDC-native L1), Ink (57073), Zircuit (48900), Soneium (1868), BOB (60808), Mode (34443) and HyperEVM (999) — alongside Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Avalanche, Unichain, Sonic, and X Layer.
What is Arc and why is it listed here?
Arc is Circle's USDC-native L1 that launched 16 September 2026. USDC is the gas token; gas accounts in 18 decimals. NodeFlare was live on Arc from day one with two regions (Chicago and Frankfurt). Chain ID is 5042 (0x13b2). Infura does not currently serve Arc.
What is x402 pay-per-call?
x402 lets you call NodeFlare RPC or data endpoints and pay per request in USDC — no account, no API key, no dashboard. Your agent or script attaches a payment to the HTTP request using the x402 protocol; NodeFlare verifies it and processes the call. It is designed for AI agents that need on-chain access without a human setting up an account first.
Is NodeFlare built on Infura's infrastructure?
No. NodeFlare operates its own bare-metal nodes across US-East, US-West, EU and Asia. It is not a reseller or aggregator of third-party node infrastructure. Requests are geo-routed to the nearest healthy node with automatic failover — Base and Arbitrum in 5 regions, BNB in 4, Ethereum in 2.
Free key in under a minute
2M compute units/month, no credit card. Every chain, every method, one endpoint pattern — swap your Infura URL and you're live.