Free / public RPC URLs
Public RPC URLs for Ethereum
These endpoints are free, anonymous, and rate limited. They are useful for development, wallet reads, and one off scripts. For production traffic or indexer workloads, pair them with a paid provider so the public list becomes your fallback rather than your primary.
| RPC URL | Hosted by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| https://eth.llamarpc.com | LlamaNodes | Recommended in official docs. |
| https://ethereum-rpc.publicnode.com | Allnodes (publicnode) | WebSocket: wss://ethereum-rpc.publicnode.com. |
| https://rpc.ankr.com/eth | Ankr | |
| https://1rpc.io/eth | 1RPC (Automata Network) | |
| https://ethereum.drpc.org | dRPC | |
| https://eth.merkle.io | Merkle.io |
Paid RPC providers
Paid RPC providers for Ethereum
Production dapps, indexers, and trading systems should use a managed provider with a private API key, archive history, and an SLA. These providers list Ethereum support on their public pricing pages.
- Alchemy
Supernode RPC plus enhanced APIs across 40+ chains.
Free tier: 30M compute units per month on the Free plan.
- Infura
ConsenSys backed RPC, deeply integrated with MetaMask.
Free tier: 6M credits per day, ~2,000 credits per second throughput.
- QuickNode
Globally distributed RPC across 50+ chains.
Free tier: Seven day free trial with full feature access.
- Ankr
Public RPC for 80+ chains plus a Premium tier.
Free tier: Free public endpoints (rate limited) for 80+ chains, no signup required.
- GetBlock
Shared and dedicated nodes across 50+ chains.
Free tier: Free plan with a daily request cap shared across chains.
- BlockPI
Pay as you go RPC with no monthly minimums.
Free tier: Free public endpoints per chain with shared rate limits.
- Chainstack
Region selectable elastic and dedicated nodes.
Free tier: Free Developer plan with 3M requests per month.
- Tenderly
RPC with first class simulation and debugging.
Free tier: Free plan with simulator access and a small RPC quota.
- dRPC
Decentralised RPC across 100+ chains.
Free tier: Free public endpoints per chain plus a generous metered free tier.
- NodeReal
MegaNode RPC with deep BNB Chain support.
Free tier: Free plan with 3M compute units per day.
Block explorers and docs
Ethereum explorers and documentation
- Etherscan — https://etherscan.ioEIP 3091
- Blockscout — https://eth.blockscout.comEIP 3091
- Otterscan — https://otterscan.io
- Official documentation — https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/
When the answer is real
Caveats and things to verify
- Mainnet ETH is real money. Never paste a private key into any RPC or wallet add prompt.
- Public RPCs may rate limit eth_getLogs and trace methods. Use a paid provider for indexer workloads.
- Holesky was deprecated in September 2025. Sepolia and Hoodi are the current Ethereum testnets.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ethereum mainnet chain ID?
The Ethereum mainnet chain ID is 1. The hex form used by MetaMask and EIP 3085 is 0x1. The chain ID is part of the signed transaction payload, which is how replay protection works across EVM networks.
What is the official Ethereum RPC URL?
Ethereum has no single official RPC URL because the network is permissionless. The Ethereum Foundation lists chainlist.org as the canonical directory. Widely used free endpoints include https://eth.llamarpc.com, https://ethereum-rpc.publicnode.com, and https://rpc.ankr.com/eth. For production traffic prefer a managed provider such as Alchemy, Infura, or QuickNode.
How do I add Ethereum mainnet to MetaMask?
MetaMask ships with Ethereum mainnet preconfigured. If you removed it or you are using a fresh wallet such as Rabby or OKX Wallet, paste chain ID 1, currency symbol ETH, an RPC URL (https://eth.llamarpc.com works well), and the block explorer https://etherscan.io into the Add Network form.
What is the difference between a public RPC and a paid RPC for Ethereum?
Public RPCs are free, anonymous, and rate limited. They are fine for wallet reads, hobby projects, and one off calls. Paid RPCs from providers such as Alchemy, Infura, QuickNode, or dRPC give you a private API key, higher rate limits, archive history, websocket support, and SLA backed availability. Production dapps and indexers should use a paid endpoint and treat the public one as a fallback.
What is the native currency of Ethereum?
Ether, symbol ETH, with 18 decimals. The smallest unit is the wei (10^18 wei equals 1 ether). Gas prices are typically quoted in gwei, which is 10^9 wei. The currency type ETH appears in MetaMask, hardware wallets, and almost every EVM dapp.
Where can I get the canonical chain metadata for Ethereum?
The ethereum-lists/chains GitHub repository (which powers chainlist.org) maintains the canonical eip155-1.json file with chain ID, native currency, RPC URLs, and explorers. Wallet vendors and most providers sync from this list.
Sources
- ethereum.org networks — https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/networks/
- ethereum-lists/chains eip155-1 — https://github.com/ethereum-lists/chains/blob/master/_data/chains/eip155-1.json
- ChainList chain 1 — https://chainlist.org/chain/1
Wallet setup walkthrough
Step by step screenshots and copy paste blocks for adding Ethereum to MetaMask, Rabby, and OKX Wallet.
Open the Ethereum wallet setup guide →