A head-to-head comparison of Moralis and Covalent (GoldRush) — pricing, the features that actually differ, and which one fits which use case.
Web3 backend platform with pre-built NFT, token, and wallet APIs for rapid dApp development
Unified multi-chain data API with the broadest chain coverage
These are the 5 capabilities where the two tools genuinely diverge — the rest of their feature sets overlap.
| Capability | Moralis | Covalent (GoldRush) |
|---|---|---|
| Decentralized | No | Yes |
| Nft Api | Yes | — |
| Token Api | Yes | — |
| Webhook Streams | Yes | — |
| Auth Service | Yes | — |
| Feature | Moralis | Covalent (GoldRush) |
|---|---|---|
| Query Language | REST API | REST API |
| Decentralized | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nft Api | ✓ | — |
| Token Api | ✓ | — |
| Webhook Streams | ✓ | — |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✗ |
| Streaming Data | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auth Service | ✓ | — |
| Self Hostable | ✗ | ✗ |
| Custom Subgraphs | — | ✗ |
| Real Time Indexing | — | ✗ |
| Historical Data | — | ✓ |
| Governance Token | — | ✓ |
Moralis has the lower entry price of the two.
Moralis
Free
Moralis
$49/mo
$490/yr billed annually
Moralis
$149/mo
$1490/yr billed annually
Covalent (GoldRush)
Free
Covalent (GoldRush)
$50/mo
$500/yr billed annually
Watch out: Not decentralized — Moralis is a single company, not a network.
Watch out: Less flexible than custom indexers.
Moralis edges ahead on our editorial score (4.3/5), but these tools aren’t straight substitutes. Pick Moralis when fastest path from idea to working dapp — no custom indexer needed for standard data matters most to your workflow; pick Covalent (GoldRush) when broadest multi-chain coverage (100+ networks) is the priority. The deciding factor is usually the trade-off you can least afford — Moralis means accepting that not decentralized — moralis is a single company, not a network, while Covalent (GoldRush) means less flexible than custom indexers.
Moralis carries the higher editorial rating (4.3/5 vs 4.2/5), but they solve different problems. Moralis is the stronger pick when you need fastest path from idea to working dapp — no custom indexer needed for standard data. Covalent (GoldRush) wins when broadest multi-chain coverage (100+ networks).
Moralis starts lower, at $49/month versus $50/month. Both also offer a free tier.
Moralis's main limitation is that not decentralized — moralis is a single company, not a network. For Covalent (GoldRush), less flexible than custom indexers. 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 Moralis leads on fastest path from idea to working dapp — no custom indexer needed for standard data and Covalent (GoldRush) on broadest multi-chain coverage (100+ networks), the two are often complementary rather than mutually exclusive.