solana-proxy/docs/solana-rpc-signup-guide.md
2025-07-15 21:16:36 -04:00

108 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown

# Solana Free RPC Provider Signup Guide
## Quick Comparison Table
| Provider | Signup Required | Credit Card | Email Verification | Time to Start |
|----------|----------------|-------------|-------------------|---------------|
| **PublicNode** | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Instant |
| **Solana Public** | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | Instant |
| **Helius** | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | < 10 seconds |
| **Alchemy** | Yes | No | Yes | ~1 minute |
| **QuickNode** | Yes | No | Yes | ~2-3 minutes |
## Detailed Signup Requirements
### 1. **PublicNode** 🚀
- **Signup Required**: NO
- **Process**: None - just use the endpoints
- **HTTP Endpoint**: `https://solana-rpc.publicnode.com`
- **WebSocket Endpoint**: `wss://solana-rpc.publicnode.com`
- **Key Features**:
- Completely anonymous
- No API keys needed
- No tracking or data collection
- "Fastest, free-est, and privacy first"
### 2. **Solana Public RPC** ⚠️
- **Signup Required**: NO
- **Process**: None - direct access
- **HTTP Endpoint**: `https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com`
- **WebSocket Endpoint**: `wss://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com`
- **Warning**: Not for production use, heavily rate-limited
### 3. **Helius** ⭐
- **Signup Required**: YES (but very quick)
- **Process**:
1. Go to dashboard.helius.dev
2. Click "Start for Free"
3. Enter email and password
4. Verify email
5. API key auto-generated
- **What You Get**:
- 1M credits/month free
- 10 requests/second
- Access to enhanced APIs
- Dashboard with usage metrics
### 4. **Alchemy** ✅
- **Signup Required**: YES
- **Process**:
1. Create account with email/password
2. Verify email
3. Access dashboard
4. Create Solana app
5. Get endpoint URLs
- **What You Get**:
- 300M Compute Units/month (~12M transactions)
- Professional dashboard
- Additional features (Smart Wallets, Webhooks)
- 99.9% uptime SLA
### 5. **QuickNode** 📊
- **Signup Required**: YES (most involved)
- **Process**:
1. Sign up at quicknode.com
2. Verify email ("Check your email to verify")
3. Click "Create an endpoint"
4. Select Solana blockchain
5. Choose network (mainnet)
6. Optional: Add marketplace add-ons
7. Select Free plan
8. Get HTTP and WSS URLs
- **What You Get**:
- 10M credits/month
- Professional infrastructure
- Marketplace add-ons available
- Detailed analytics
## Recommendations by Use Case
### For Immediate Testing/Prototyping
1. **PublicNode** - No signup, start immediately
2. **Solana Public** - No signup but unreliable
### For Development Projects
1. **Helius** - Quick signup, good free tier
2. **Alchemy** - Best free tier allocation
3. **QuickNode** - Most features but complex setup
### For Production (Paid Tiers Recommended)
- All providers offer paid upgrades
- Avoid Solana Public RPC entirely
- Consider multiple providers for redundancy
## Security Notes
- **Helius**: Keep API key secure, don't commit to GitHub
- **Alchemy**: API key in URL, protect in environment variables
- **QuickNode**: Token in URL path, requires careful handling
- **PublicNode**: No auth = no security concerns for credentials
## Getting Started Tips
1. **Fastest Start**: Use PublicNode - no signup needed
2. **Best Free Tier**: Alchemy (300M CUs) but with WebSocket limitations
3. **Most Balanced**: Helius - quick signup, decent limits
4. **Most Professional**: QuickNode - complex but feature-rich
Remember: Free tiers are great for development but consider paid plans for production applications to ensure reliability and support.