A head-to-head comparison of Etherscan and Blockscout — pricing, the features that actually differ, and which one fits which use case.
The definitive Ethereum block explorer trusted by 10M+ users
Open-source block explorer self-hostable on any EVM chain
These are the 3 capabilities where the two tools genuinely diverge — the rest of their feature sets overlap.
| Capability | Etherscan | Blockscout |
|---|---|---|
| Multi Chain Support | No | Yes |
| Address Labels | Yes | No |
| Private Notes | Pro plans | No |
| Feature | Etherscan | Blockscout |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contract Verification | ✓ | ✓ |
| Token Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nft Tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Api Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gas Tracker | ✓ | ✓ |
| Source Code Viewer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Address Labels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Notes | Pro plans | ✗ |
Both tools are free to use — costs come from network or usage fees.
Etherscan
Free
Etherscan
$19/mo
$190/yr billed annually
Etherscan
$99/mo
$990/yr billed annually
Blockscout
Free
Blockscout
Custom
Watch out: Ethereum-only explorer — each chain has a separate branded instance.
Watch out: Self-hosting requires infrastructure setup — not instant like Etherscan.
Etherscan edges ahead on our editorial score (4.6/5), but these tools aren’t straight substitutes. Pick Etherscan when the de facto standard — every ethereum tool links to etherscan for verification matters most to your workflow; pick Blockscout when fully open source — any chain can deploy and customize it freely is the priority. The deciding factor is usually the trade-off you can least afford — Etherscan means accepting that ethereum-only explorer — each chain has a separate branded instance, while Blockscout means self-hosting requires infrastructure setup — not instant like etherscan.
Etherscan carries the higher editorial rating (4.6/5 vs 4.3/5), but they solve different problems. Etherscan is the stronger pick when you need the de facto standard — every ethereum tool links to etherscan for verification. Blockscout wins when fully open source — any chain can deploy and customize it freely.
Both tools are free to use, with costs coming from network or usage fees rather than subscriptions.
Etherscan's main limitation is that ethereum-only explorer — each chain has a separate branded instance. For Blockscout, self-hosting requires infrastructure setup — not instant like etherscan. Weigh these against how you actually plan to use the tool.
In most cases yes — many teams run both, using each where it's strongest. Since Etherscan leads on the de facto standard — every ethereum tool links to etherscan for verification and Blockscout on fully open source — any chain can deploy and customize it freely, the two are often complementary rather than mutually exclusive.