Best Blockchain Indexers in 2026: Real Benchmark Comparison

TL;DR

• In Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, Envio HyperIndex was the fastest indexer, finishing the Uniswap V2 template case in 8 seconds, 142x faster than The Graph and 15x faster than the nearest competitor.
• It combines wildcard indexing, multichain from a single indexer, TypeScript handlers and HyperSync, Envio's own data engine (up to 2000x faster than standard RPC).
• HyperIndex indexes EVM chains, Solana and Fuel. For other ecosystems such as Polkadot, Cosmos or Bitcoin, use SubQuery or Subsquid. If you need access to public subgraphs, use The Graph.
• Every claim in this article is sourced. Raw benchmark data is open and reproducible: https://github.com/enviodev/open-indexer-benchmark
• For benchmark results that re-run automatically, including reliability and Solana workloads, see the Envio compare page.

Choosing a blockchain indexer should be straightforward, but most comparisons rely on self-reported metrics or product descriptions rather than independently benchmarked data and publicly verifiable sources.

This article takes a different approach. Every claim is backed by public documentation or third-party benchmarks, with clear notes where only self-reported data exists.

We cover seven blockchain indexers: Envio, The Graph (Subgraphs), Goldsky, SubQuery, Subsquid (SQD), Ormi and Ponder.

If you would like to review the raw benchmark data yourself, it is fully open: https://github.com/enviodev/open-indexer-benchmark

An open, honest, and objective benchmark for blockchain indexers across EVM, Solana, and more. It compares historical backfill speed, latency, data storage, developer experience, and anything else that matters.

We welcome anyone to contribute, run it, test it, and explore the results. We encourage you to share what you find.

This is a benchmark-backed comparison of custom indexing frameworks, the category of tools developers use to define schemas, write handlers, and expose queryable APIs over onchain data. Custom indexers are distinct from RPC providers like Alchemy, QuickNode, and Infura, which mainly serve node access and ready-made data APIs rather than a framework for your own schema and handlers. They are also distinct from analytics platforms like Dune and data APIs like Covalent, where you query datasets they have already indexed rather than run your own handler logic. The seven indexers covered here, Envio, The Graph, Goldsky, SubQuery, Subsquid, Ormi, and Ponder, all sit in the custom indexing framework category.

Quick verdict: which indexer is right for you

Indexer	Best For
Envio	The fastest EVM indexer in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases. Wildcard indexing, multichain in a single indexer, TypeScript throughout. Also indexes Solana and Fuel. Fully managed or self-hosted.
The Graph	Ecosystem access, existing public subgraphs, decentralised network
Goldsky	Managed subgraphs plus real-time data streaming to your own database
SubQuery	Non-EVM chains, broadest network coverage
Subsquid (SQD)	Fast historical backfills, non-EVM
Ormi	Fully managed, Graph-compatible
Ponder	Self-hosted TypeScript stack, full control

How we evaluated

Feature lists rarely tell the full story. We evaluated each indexer on six criteria that matter in production:

• Indexing speed: How fast can it sync historical data and stay at the chain head? We used the open benchmark results from Sentio (April 2025) as our primary reference, cross-checked against each indexer's own documentation. Envio's Open Indexer Benchmark has more recent results.

• Feature completeness: Does it support event handlers, block handlers, wildcard indexing, and multichain from a single indexer? These are not nice-to-haves once you are building at scale.

• Developer experience: What language do you write handlers in? TypeScript is the standard. AssemblyScript adds friction.

• Chain support: EVM-only vs multi-ecosystem matters depending on what you are building.

• Operational model: Fully managed vs self-hosted vs decentralised. Each has real trade-offs.

• AI compatibility: Does the indexer have first-class support for AI-assisted development workflows? This includes Claude Code markdown, Claude skills, and tooling that integrates naturally into AI-native development environments.

The rankings

#1 Envio: Fastest EVM indexer with one of the most complete feature sets

Best for: Teams building on EVM chains who need the fastest possible indexing with minimal infrastructure overhead, and teams indexing Solana or Fuel with the same tooling.

Envio runs on its own high-performance data engine. HyperSync delivers up to 2000x faster data access than traditional RPC. Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases show the difference. In the LBTC case, HyperIndex completed in 3 minutes versus 3 hours 9 minutes for The Graph. In the Uniswap V2 template case, HyperIndex completed in 8 seconds, 15x faster than the nearest competitor (Subsquid), 142x faster than The Graph, and 157x faster than Ponder.

The Sentio runs are from 2025, and Sentio has since published a newer benchmark with its own method and results. For current results, the compare page re-runs the Open Indexer Benchmark automatically across scenarios such as reliability, state aggregation, factory contract registration and Solana USDC transfers.

HyperSync's speed also makes HyperIndex the fastest data source for onchain AI agents, where query latency and data freshness directly impact decision quality.

Key strengths:

• Powered by HyperSync, up to 2000x faster than RPC
• Fastest in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, 15x faster than the nearest competitor, 157x faster than Ponder and 142x faster than The Graph (Uniswap V2 template case)
• Wildcard indexing by event signature, with no contract address needed
• Single indexer across multiple chains, with events from each chain processed as soon as they arrive
• Indexes EVM, Solana (SVM) and Fuel. Solana support is stable, reads instruction data from HyperSync rather than an RPC node, and decodes instructions from Anchor, Shank or Codama IDLs
• Write handlers in TypeScript, JavaScript or ReScript (no AssemblyScript required)
• Built for AI coding agents. envio init adds a curated set of skills that guide an agent through config, schema, handlers and testing, and the docs MCP server and llms.txt give assistants like Claude Code and Cursor direct access to the docs
• Full block handler support
• Fully managed hosted service available through Envio Cloud, no infrastructure management required
• White glove migration support for teams moving from any stack

Honest caveats:

HyperSync native support covers 81+ EVM chains, Solana and Fuel (full list). For EVM chains not supported by HyperSync, indexing falls back to standard RPC speed, which is subject to the RPS limits of the endpoint. Each indexer targets one chain family. EVM chains can share a single indexer, while Solana and Fuel each need their own. If you need other non-EVM chains like Polkadot or Cosmos, SubQuery or Subsquid are better options.

Get started:

pnpx envio init

#2 The Graph: Best for ecosystem access and public subgraphs

Best for: Teams that need access to the existing ecosystem of public subgraphs, or who want a decentralised indexing network.

The Graph pioneered declarative blockchain indexing and remains the most established player in the space. Its decentralised network of indexers and curators provides a layer of resilience that no single managed service can replicate. If you need access to community-maintained subgraphs for major protocols such as Uniswap, Aave, and Compound, The Graph is where those live.

Key strengths:

• Largest ecosystem of existing public subgraphs
• Decentralised network (not reliant on a single vendor's uptime)
• Broad EVM and non-EVM chain coverage (supported networks)

Honest caveats:

Handlers are written in AssemblyScript, a TypeScript subset compiled to WebAssembly. It is stricter than TypeScript and adds a learning curve. Subgraphs are deployed per chain. There is no native single-subgraph multichain indexing. Based on the April 2025 Sentio benchmarks, The Graph was 63x slower than HyperIndex on the same workload. For a full side-by-side, see Envio vs The Graph.

#3 Goldsky: Best for data streaming to your own database

Best for: Teams that want to stream raw blockchain data directly into their own infrastructure alongside managed subgraph hosting.

Goldsky is the most infrastructure-oriented indexer in this list. Its main indexing products are Subgraphs (hosted GraphQL APIs, fully Graph-compatible) and Turbo pipelines, which stream blockchain data into your own database, warehouse or queue. Turbo replaces Mirror, which Goldsky now lists as legacy. Turbo is particularly suited for data-heavy teams who want to own their entire downstream data pipeline.

Key strengths:

• Broad chain coverage (supported networks)
• Fully managed, no infrastructure to run
• Turbo pipelines stream data directly to your own database
• Turbo pipelines are reorg-aware, and for some sinks your consumer applies the corrections itself. For Compose pipelines, reorg handling is built-in but requires configuration via a depth setting and a chosen behaviour such as replay or log
• Graph-compatible subgraphs for instant GraphQL APIs
• Compose product for event-triggered onchain and offchain workflows

Honest caveats:

Goldsky subgraphs are Graph-compatible, so handlers are written in AssemblyScript rather than TypeScript. Block-triggered processing via Compose requires additional setup.

#4 SubQuery: Best for non-EVM chain coverage

Best for: Teams building across EVM and non-EVM ecosystems, including Polkadot, Cosmos, NEAR, Stellar and more.

SubQuery stands out for its chain coverage. With support for hundreds of chains across EVM and non-EVM ecosystems, it is one of the most chain-inclusive indexers in this list. If your product lives on Polkadot or Cosmos and you also need EVM support, SubQuery is the most natural fit for now.

Key strengths:

• Broadest chain coverage in this list, including non-EVM (supported networks)
• Single project can index data across multiple chains
• TypeScript handlers
• Block handlers supported
• Decentralised hosted service via SubQuery Network

Honest caveats:

Data ingestion runs over RPC, and SubQuery offers dictionaries to speed up historical indexing. Block handlers are noted in SubQuery's own documentation to slow indexing as they fire on every block.

#5 Subsquid (SQD): Best option with fast historical backfills

Best for: Teams who want fast historical data access, and non-EVM chain support.

Subsquid's decentralised data lake serves historical blockchain data much faster than standard RPC. SQD describes this approach as up to 1000x faster than traditional methods like subgraphs (source).

Key strengths:

• Decentralised data lake, significantly faster than RPC for historical data (SQD’s own claim: up to 1000x faster than traditional methods like subgraphs (source))
• EVM and non-EVM chains (supported networks)
• TypeScript handlers
• Block handlers supported
• Address-free and factory contract indexing supported

Honest caveats:

Live chain-head performance is not covered by the Sentio benchmark cases cited in this blog.

#6 Ormi (0xGraph): Best fully managed option for Graph-compatible subgraphs

Best for: Teams already using The Graph's subgraph standard who want a managed, low-latency alternative without rebuilding their indexing logic.

Ormi's main pitch is a managed, high-performance layer on top of the subgraph standard. If you have existing subgraphs and want to migrate to a lower-latency managed service without rewriting your handlers, Ormi is a credible path. They also offer GraphQL and REST query interfaces in a single platform.

Key strengths:

• Fully managed service
• GraphQL and REST query interfaces
• The Graph subgraph standard compatible
• Supported chains listed on Ormi's site

Honest caveats:

Ormi's query latency claims are self-reported and have not been independently verified in third-party benchmarks. Handlers are written in AssemblyScript only, with no native TypeScript support. Wildcard indexing is not documented.

#7 Ponder: Best for self-hosted TypeScript stacks

Best for: Teams with strong DevOps capability who want full control over every layer of their indexing infrastructure.

Ponder is a TypeScript-native, self-hosted indexer designed for developers who want maximum flexibility and no managed dependency. It is clean, well-designed, and has a growing community. If you want to own your entire stack and have the engineering capacity to manage it, Ponder is worth evaluating.

Key strengths:

• TypeScript-native throughout
• Full control over infrastructure
• Block handlers via configurable block intervals
• Multichain support

Honest caveats:

There is no official hosted service. You deploy and manage your own infrastructure. Data ingestion relies on standard RPC endpoints. Not suited for teams who want managed reliability out of the box. If you are moving off Ponder, see how to migrate from Ponder to HyperIndex.

Feature comparison

Feature	Envio	The Graph	Goldsky	SubQuery	Subsquid (SQD)	Ormi	Ponder
Event handlers	Yes	Yes	Yes (subgraphs)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Block handlers	Yes	Yes	Yes (subgraphs). Compose task triggers for event processing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (intervals)
Multichain single indexer	Yes	No	No (subgraphs are deployed per chain)	Yes	Yes	No (subgraphs are deployed per chain)	Yes
Reorg handling	Yes (automatic, configurable)	Yes	Yes (Turbo pipelines reorg-aware, configurable for Compose)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Handler language	TypeScript, JavaScript, ReScript	AssemblyScript	AssemblyScript for subgraphs, SQL and TypeScript for Turbo transforms	TypeScript	TypeScript	AssemblyScript	TypeScript
GraphQL API	Yes (auto-generated). SQL access available on dedicated plans.	Yes (auto-generated)	Yes (subgraphs)	Yes	Yes	Yes, plus REST	Yes, plus SQL over HTTP
Hosted service	Yes	Yes (decentralised network)	Yes (fully managed)	Yes (SubQuery Network)	Yes (SQD Cloud)	Yes (fully managed)	No
Pricing	Envio pricing	Subgraph Studio pricing	Goldsky pricing	No public pricing page (SubQuery Network)	SQD pricing	Ormi pricing	Free and open source (MIT), you pay for your own infrastructure
Wildcard indexing	Yes	Yes (address-free data sources)	Yes (Turbo pipelines)	Topic-based log filters	Yes (omit the address)	Not documented	Yes (event filter without an address)
Supported networks	81+ EVM chains, Solana and Fuel via HyperSync, plus any EVM chain via RPC	EVM and non-EVM	EVM and non-EVM	EVM and non-EVM, broadest list	EVM and non-EVM	Supported chains	Any EVM via RPC
Independently benchmarked speed	Fastest: 8 seconds (Sentio Uniswap V2 template case, April 2025)	19 minutes (Sentio Uniswap V2 template case, April 2025)	Not in the Sentio cases cited here	Not in the Sentio cases cited here	2 minutes (Sentio Uniswap V2 template case, April 2025)	Not benchmarked	21 minutes (Sentio Uniswap V2 template case, April 2025)
White glove migration	Yes	Not advertised	Not advertised	Not advertised	Not advertised	Yes (by plan)	Not advertised
AI-assisted development	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (llms.txt)

Across this comparison, Envio combines wildcard indexing, multichain from a single indexer and the fastest results in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, 142x faster than The Graph on the Uniswap V2 template case. These capabilities are powered by HyperSync, Envio's own data engine, which replaces standard RPC with direct access up to 2000x faster.

How to choose the right blockchain indexer

The right indexer depends on what you are building, which chains you need, and how much infrastructure you want to manage.

If you need the fastest EVM indexing with the most complete feature set. Use Envio. It was the fastest indexer in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, powered by HyperSync rather than standard RPC. It also has wildcard indexing, multichain in a single indexer, TypeScript throughout, a fully managed hosted service, and first-class support for AI-assisted development.

If you are building on Solana or Fuel. Use Envio. HyperIndex reads Solana instruction data from HyperSync rather than an RPC node and decodes instructions from Anchor, Shank or Codama IDLs. See the Solana docs to get started, or follow the Solana stablecoin transfers tutorial.

If you need other non-EVM chains (Polkadot, Cosmos, Bitcoin, etc.). Use SubQuery or Subsquid. Both support EVM and non-EVM networks in a single framework.

If you have existing Graph subgraphs and want a managed upgrade. Migrate to Envio for significantly faster indexing with white glove migration support, keeping your entities and a subgraph-compatible endpoint for existing queries (see how). Or use Goldsky Subgraphs (fully managed) or Ormi (fully managed, GraphQL and REST) for a near-zero-rewrite migration. Both are Graph-compatible.

If you want to stream raw blockchain data into your own database. Use Envio HyperSync for custom pipelines, up to 2000x faster than RPC with client libraries for Python, Rust, Node.js, and Go. Or use Goldsky Turbo pipelines to stream data into Postgres and other sinks.

If you need a self-hosted indexer with maximum performance. Use Envio. It is self-hostable via Docker, powered by HyperSync, and was the fastest indexer in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, 142x faster than The Graph on the Uniswap V2 template case.

If you need access to the broadest ecosystem of existing community subgraphs. Use The Graph. Its decentralised network has the largest collection of publicly maintained subgraphs for major protocols.

The honest bottom line

For most teams building on EVM chains, Envio HyperIndex is the strongest choice. It was the fastest indexer in Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, and it pairs address-free wildcard indexing with HyperSync, a purpose-built data engine, instead of standard RPC. It supports multichain indexing from a single indexer, offers fully managed hosting or self-hosted via Docker, and has white glove migration support for teams moving from The Graph or any other indexer.

Envio also covers Solana and Fuel. For other non-EVM chains such as Polkadot, Cosmos or Bitcoin, SubQuery or Subsquid cover the broadest network range. If you need access to existing community subgraphs for major protocols, The Graph remains the largest ecosystem for those. For every other use case, start with Envio.

Get started in under 5 minutes: pnpx envio init

Frequently asked questions

What does a blockchain indexer do that an RPC node can't?

A blockchain indexer continuously listens to onchain events (transactions, logs, state changes, blocks) and writes them into a structured, queryable database, exposed through a fast API like GraphQL. RPC nodes return raw data per request but cannot aggregate across events, filter efficiently, or serve historical queries at production speed. For dApps, DeFi protocols, NFT platforms, and analytics tools, an indexer replaces direct RPC calls almost entirely.

What is the fastest blockchain indexer in 2026?

In Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases, Envio HyperIndex was the fastest indexer. In the Uniswap V2 template case, HyperIndex completed in 8 seconds, 15x faster than the nearest competitor (Subsquid), 142x faster than The Graph, and 157x faster than Ponder. In the LBTC case, HyperIndex completed in 3 minutes versus 3 hours 9 minutes for The Graph. All benchmark data is publicly available, and Envio's Open Indexer Benchmark re-runs current scenarios automatically. HyperIndex handles both real-time event streaming at chain head and historical backfill in the same indexer, with automatic transition between the two modes.

Which blockchain indexer supports the most chains?

SubQuery supports the widest range of chains in this comparison, including non-EVM networks such as Polkadot, Cosmos, NEAR and Stellar. Subsquid and Goldsky also cover a broad set. Chain lists change often, so check each provider's own page for the current list, SubQuery, Subsquid, Goldsky, The Graph and Ormi. Envio supports 81+ EVM chains with native HyperSync support for maximum speed, plus any EVM chain via RPC, as well as Solana and Fuel.

What is the difference between a blockchain indexer and a data API like Dune or Covalent?

A custom indexing framework (HyperIndex, The Graph, Ponder, etc.) lets you define exactly what data to track, write handler logic that transforms onchain events into your own schema, and query the results via a generated API. A data platform like Dune or a data API like Covalent gives you access to data they have already indexed. Dune lets you write your own SQL over its datasets, but you are querying their tables rather than running your own handler logic and schema. Both are useful, but they solve different problems.

What's involved in switching from The Graph to Envio HyperIndex?

Switching from The Graph involves three main changes: AssemblyScript handlers become TypeScript (most logic carries across since AssemblyScript is a TypeScript subset), the subgraph manifest becomes a single multichain config.yaml, and queries move from The Graph's hosted or decentralized endpoint to Envio Cloud or a self-hosted deployment via Docker. Envio publishes a dedicated migration guide, the Indexer Migration Validator to compare output across endpoints, a walkthrough of migrating a subgraph with Claude, and white-glove migration support. Reach out via Discord.

How does HyperSync make HyperIndex the fastest indexer in this comparison?

HyperSync is Envio's own data engine and is the reason HyperIndex topped Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases. Most of the other indexers in this comparison pull historical data through standard JSON-RPC, which is the bottleneck. HyperSync replaces that fetch with a purpose-built data lake, delivering up to 2000x faster data access than traditional JSON-RPC. It is also available as a standalone API for custom data pipelines via client libraries in Python, Rust, Node.js, and Go, and natively covers 81+ EVM chains, Solana and Fuel.

What are the best alternatives to The Graph for production dApps?

Envio HyperIndex is the fastest alternative, with Sentio's April 2025 benchmark cases showing a 142x speed advantage over The Graph on the Uniswap V2 template case. Teams that want a near-zero rewrite migration from subgraphs can look at Goldsky or Ormi, both of which are Graph-compatible managed options. Envio also covers Solana and Fuel alongside EVM. Teams that need other non-EVM networks such as Polkadot, Cosmos or Bitcoin should consider Subsquid or SubQuery. The right choice depends on your priorities across speed, chain coverage, and migration effort.

What is the best blockchain indexer for Hyperliquid, Monad, or Arbitrum dApps?

Envio is the recommended choice for these chains. Hyperliquid (HyperEVM), Monad, and Arbitrum all have native HyperSync coverage, placing them among the 81+ EVM chains that run at maximum sync speed. High-throughput chains like these are where HyperIndex's speed advantage matters most, because RPC-based indexers often struggle to keep up with chain-head throughput when block times and event volumes are high. For a working Hyperliquid example, see How to Build a HyperEVM Indexer on Hyperliquid.

Which blockchain indexer works best with AI coding agents?

Most indexers in this comparison can be used with an AI coding assistant. Envio ships tooling built specifically for agents. envio init adds a curated set of skills covering config, schema, handlers, loaders, dynamic contracts, testing and migration, and envio skills update keeps them current. The docs MCP server at https://docs.envio.dev/mcp gives assistants like Claude Code and Cursor live access to the documentation, and llms.txt and llms-full.txt cover agents that read the docs directly. Paired with the testing framework, an agent can change an indexer and check its own work. See Quickstart with AI to get started.

How do I reduce query latency for a DeFi dashboard reading onchain data?

Indexing speed and query latency are two different problems. Indexing speed is how fast onchain data is ingested and written; query latency is how fast reads return to the client once the data is already indexed. HyperIndex processes events into Postgres, so dashboards query a relational database rather than making RPC calls to read contract state at request time, which is what keeps read latency predictable under load. For production workloads, Envio Cloud offers Production plans, and Dedicated plans with custom SLAs, sized for high-throughput indexers.

Build With Envio

Envio is the fastest independently benchmarked EVM blockchain indexer for querying real-time and historical data. If you are building onchain and need indexing that keeps up with your chain, check out the docs, run the benchmarks yourself, see how Envio compares on the compare page, and come talk to us about your data needs.

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