Sui has emerged as the fastest Layer 1 blockchain, achieving 130,000 transactions per second with 400-millisecond finality through its Mysticeti consensus mechanism. Built by former Meta engineers using the Move programming language, Sui's parallel execution architecture delivers performance that traditional blockchains cannot match. While Sui's gRPC protocol support is now generally available from the blockchain itself, only two infrastructure providers on this list have actually implemented this modern high-performance protocol—Dwellir and QuickNode—creating a significant competitive divide in the provider landscape.

Whether you're building on-chain games requiring instant asset transfers, deploying perpetual DEXs demanding microsecond latency, creating NFT marketplaces, or operating trading bots, selecting the right RPC provider directly impacts your application's speed, reliability, and costs. This guide examines leading Sui providers based on pricing transparency, gRPC availability (a critical differentiator where only two providers qualify), and production-grade performance.

A critical note on pricing: Most providers use "compute units" or "credits" rather than straightforward request counts, and implementations vary dramatically. A single Sui query might consume anywhere from 1 to 200 compute units depending on the provider's multiplier. This means a provider advertising $0.10 per million compute units could actually cost $20.00 per million real requests, while another charging $1.96 per million requests delivers transparent 1:1 pricing. When evaluating providers, always calculate costs based on actual request volumes—the metric that determines your real infrastructure budget.

1. Dwellir – Best for Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure with Transparent Pricing

Dwellir delivers production-ready blockchain infrastructure with industry-leading pricing transparency, comprehensive Sui integration including full gRPC protocol support, and enterprise-grade reliability across 150+ blockchain networks.

Why Dwellir Stands Out:

Unlike providers hiding costs behind compute unit multipliers, Dwellir employs straightforward "1 Response = 1 Credit" pricing across all operations. This transparency extends to all API methods—including gRPC calls and computationally intensive operations that typically cost 2-10x more with competitors. Critically, Dwellir is one of only two providers on this list offering full gRPC protocol support for Sui, giving developers access to Protocol Buffers' binary serialization and real-time streaming capabilities that legacy JSON-RPC cannot match.

Dwellir's global infrastructure spans four continents with anycast routing and advanced load balancing, delivering consistently low latency whether your users connect from Tokyo, New York, or Frankfurt. With over 2,000 RPS capacity and 10x burst protection, the infrastructure handles sudden traffic spikes without throttling—critical for gaming platforms experiencing viral growth or trading systems during market volatility. For institutional trading operations requiring absolute minimum latency, Dwellir offers colocation options to place compute directly adjacent to blockchain nodes.

Key Features:

• Enterprise-grade infrastructure with global presence across four continents
• True 1:1 transparent pricing eliminating compute unit complexity entirely
• Full gRPC and JSON-RPC protocol support for Sui mainnet with Protocol Buffers
• 150+ blockchain networks enabling seamless multi-chain development
• Over 2,000 RPS capacity with 10x burst protection for traffic spikes
• Direct technical support from infrastructure experts who understand blockchain architecture
• Colocation options for ultra-low-latency institutional trading applications
• Proven at scale with production infrastructure serving millions of daily requests

Pricing Structure:

Dwellir's Developer plan at $49/month provides 25 million requests at $1.96 per million calls—among the most competitive rates available with transparent pricing. The Growth plan ($299/month for 150 million requests) and Scale plan ($999/month for 500 million requests) maintain consistent per-request pricing around $2.00 per million calls.

This predictable cost structure eliminates budget uncertainty. For gaming studios scaling from beta to launch with millions of daily player interactions, DeFi protocols expanding TVL and transaction volumes, or institutional trading operations processing high-frequency queries, knowing each request costs exactly what you expect provides invaluable financial clarity. A 100 million request application costs $200/month—not $1,200 or more with compute unit multipliers.

Best For: Enterprise gaming platforms requiring production-grade infrastructure across multiple networks, institutional DeFi protocols demanding transparent cost forecasting at scale, high-frequency trading operations where predictable pricing and ultra-low latency are non-negotiable, and multi-chain applications needing consistent infrastructure across 150+ networks. Particularly suited for teams building cross-chain analytics, institutional portfolio trackers, or any application where infrastructure reliability directly impacts revenue.

2. QuickNode – Best for Comprehensive Developer Ecosystem and Tooling

QuickNode has built an extensive developer platform delivering sophisticated monitoring, analytics, and a comprehensive add-on marketplace—particularly attractive for teams prioritizing rich tooling and extended functionality over pricing simplicity.

Why QuickNode Delivers Value:

QuickNode's infrastructure emphasizes developer experience through extensive tooling rather than just raw RPC access. Their multi-region network automatically routes requests to optimal endpoints, while comprehensive monitoring dashboards provide granular visibility into performance metrics, error rates, and usage patterns. QuickNode is one of only two providers on this list offering Sui gRPC support on dedicated port 9000, enabling applications to leverage Protocol Buffers' binary serialization for maximum efficiency—critical for high-frequency trading and real-time gaming applications.

The platform's differentiator is its extensive add-on marketplace. Beyond basic RPC access, QuickNode provides Webhooks for real-time event notifications, Streams for continuous data pipelines, NFT APIs for token metadata, and various specialized services. For teams building complex applications requiring multiple infrastructure components, this consolidated ecosystem reduces integration complexity versus assembling services from multiple vendors.

Key Features:

• Full Sui gRPC implementation on port 9000 for high-performance applications
• Comprehensive add-on marketplace including Webhooks, Streams, and specialized APIs
• Advanced monitoring and analytics dashboards with real-time metrics and error tracking
• Global infrastructure with intelligent request routing and multi-region redundancy
• Extensive developer tooling for debugging, testing, and optimization
• Security certifications including SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 for regulated applications
• Dedicated support channels with guaranteed response SLAs for critical issues

Pricing Structure:

QuickNode operates on API Credit-based pricing where different methods consume varying credits. The Build plan starts at $49/month for 80 million API Credits with 50 RPS. With Sui's typical 20-credit multiplier per standard call, this translates to roughly 4 million actual requests, or $12.25 per million real calls. The Scale plan ($499/month for 950 million credits) and Business plan ($999/month for 2 billion credits) maintain similar economics around $10-11 per million actual requests.

While this compute unit approach creates pricing complexity, QuickNode's value proposition centers on the comprehensive tooling ecosystem rather than cost optimization. Teams leveraging multiple add-ons, advanced monitoring, and specialized APIs may find the consolidated platform architecture reduces overall development costs despite higher per-request pricing.

Best For: Development teams prioritizing comprehensive tooling and monitoring over pricing simplicity, applications requiring multiple specialized services from QuickNode's add-on marketplace, projects where advanced analytics and debugging capabilities accelerate development, and teams building complex applications benefiting from consolidated infrastructure. The platform approach suits developers valuing rich ecosystem features over transparent pricing structures.

3. Chainstack – Best for Rapid Deployment and Elastic Scaling

Chainstack combines instant provisioning, transparent 1:1 pricing, and elastic infrastructure—particularly valuable for teams transitioning from development to production or experiencing rapid growth phases.

Chainstack's Advantages:

Chainstack's deployment technology enables near-instant provisioning of fully synchronized Sui nodes, eliminating typical multi-hour waiting periods that delay development. Their transparent 1:1 request pricing removes compute unit confusion, delivering straightforward cost calculations. Elastic node clusters automatically scale with demand spikes—critical for gaming applications experiencing viral growth or DeFi protocols during market volatility. However, Chainstack currently offers JSON-RPC only for Sui—gRPC protocol is not yet activated, limiting access to modern streaming capabilities and Protocol Buffers efficiency gains.

The platform's elastic infrastructure automatically adjusts capacity based on traffic patterns without manual intervention. When a gaming platform launches and player counts surge 10x overnight, or a DeFi protocol experiences sudden trading volume during market movements, Chainstack's infrastructure scales transparently rather than throttling at rigid limits.

Key Features:

• Instant node deployment eliminating provisioning delays and wait times
• Transparent 1:1 request pricing with no compute unit confusion
• Elastic infrastructure that automatically scales with demand patterns
• JSON-RPC protocol only—gRPC not yet activated for Sui
• Multi-cloud deployment options across AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure
• Free tier providing 3 million monthly requests for development and testing
• Comprehensive documentation with clear examples and integration guides

Pricing Structure:

Chainstack's Growth plan begins at $49/month for 20 million requests with 250 RPS, delivering straightforward $2.45 per million request pricing. The Pro plan ($199/month for 80 million requests) and Business plan ($349/month for 140 million requests) maintain consistent $2.48-2.49 per million pricing. Enterprise tiers offer unlimited request plans starting around $990/month—ideal for applications with unpredictable or extremely high traffic patterns.

This transparency combined with elastic scaling makes financial planning straightforward. Unlike compute unit systems requiring conversion calculations, you know exactly what 50 million requests will cost. The unlimited tiers eliminate usage anxiety entirely for applications with variable but potentially massive throughput.

Best For: Gaming studios requiring elastic infrastructure for unpredictable player count variations, DeFi protocols experiencing transaction volume spikes during market events, development teams prioritizing rapid deployment and infrastructure flexibility over absolute minimum costs, and applications transitioning from predictable development loads to variable production traffic. Unlimited node offerings particularly suit applications with massive but fluctuating throughput requirements where usage-based pricing becomes unpredictable.

4. Ankr – Best for Decentralized Infrastructure and Geographic Distribution

Ankr operates a globally distributed network spanning 75+ chains with emphasis on decentralization and geographic diversity, though their compute unit economics require careful cost evaluation.

Ankr's Approach:

Ankr's decentralized infrastructure routes requests across 30+ global regions, reducing single-point-of-failure risks inherent in centralized providers. Their pay-as-you-go model eliminates long-term commitments, allowing precise scaling as needs evolve. Extensive multi-chain support spanning 75+ networks simplifies infrastructure management for applications operating across multiple blockchain ecosystems—gaming platforms supporting diverse NFT standards, cross-chain DeFi protocols, or portfolio trackers monitoring varied assets.

The geographic distribution provides natural redundancy. If regional infrastructure experiences issues, requests automatically route to alternative regions without application-level intervention. For teams prioritizing infrastructure resilience and decentralization philosophy over cost optimization, Ankr's distributed architecture delivers architectural benefits beyond raw performance metrics.

Key Features:

• Decentralized infrastructure across 30+ geographic regions for redundancy
• Pay-as-you-go pricing with no long-term commitments or contracts
• Support for 75+ blockchain networks with unified access patterns
• WebSocket and HTTPS connectivity for Sui mainnet and testnet
• JSON-RPC only—gRPC protocol not yet implemented for Sui
• Free tier for development and testing phases
• Geographic routing optimization automatically selecting nearest endpoints

Pricing Structure:

Ankr implements pay-as-you-go pricing at $0.10 per million API credits. However, their Sui implementation uses approximately 200 credits per standard request, meaning actual costs approach $20.00 per million real requests—substantially higher than transparent 1:1 providers like Dwellir ($1.96/million) or Chainstack ($2.45/million). This 200:1 multiplier ratio persists across all tiers and request types.

While Ankr's decentralized infrastructure provides architectural value, the substantial compute unit multiplier makes effective pricing approximately 10x higher than advertised rates suggest. A 100 million request application costs roughly $2,000/month with Ankr versus $200/month with 1:1 providers—a $21,600 annual difference. Teams prioritizing decentralization philosophy and geographic distribution may find this premium acceptable, but cost-sensitive applications should carefully evaluate total ownership costs.

Best For: Applications prioritizing decentralized infrastructure philosophy and architectural resilience over cost optimization, multi-chain platforms requiring comprehensive blockchain coverage across 75+ networks, and teams valuing geographic distribution and redundancy over pricing efficiency. Less suitable for cost-sensitive applications where 10x compute unit multipliers significantly impact budget planning and scaling economics.

5. GetBlock – Best for Multi-Chain Access and Development Flexibility

GetBlock provides straightforward blockchain infrastructure across 50+ networks with flexible pricing and comprehensive development support, offering balanced trade-offs between multi-chain coverage and costs.

GetBlock's Value:

GetBlock emphasizes developer accessibility through clear documentation, straightforward pricing tiers, and unified API architecture across diverse blockchain networks. Their infrastructure provides reliable access to Sui alongside 50+ other chains, enabling developers to build multi-chain applications with consistent patterns and tooling. However, GetBlock currently offers JSON-RPC protocol support only—gRPC is not yet activated for Sui, limiting access to modern streaming capabilities and binary serialization efficiency.

The platform's strength lies in reducing friction for teams building across multiple ecosystems. Rather than managing chain-specific providers with varying API patterns, authentication methods, and billing systems, GetBlock provides consolidated access with unified interfaces. For gaming platforms supporting NFTs across multiple chains, cross-chain DeFi protocols, or analytics tools monitoring diverse networks, this architectural simplification accelerates development.

Key Features:

• Support for 50+ blockchain networks with unified API architecture
• Pay-as-you-go pricing providing spending flexibility without contracts
• JSON-RPC protocol support only—gRPC not yet activated for Sui
• Comprehensive documentation with clear examples and integration patterns
• Free tier providing development and testing access before commitment
• Flexible rate limits scaling progressively with plan tiers
• Multi-network dashboards for monitoring usage across chains

Pricing Structure:

GetBlock operates pay-as-you-go with the Starter tier at $49/month for 50 million compute units. With Sui's typical 10-credit multiplier per request, this translates to 5 million actual requests, or approximately $9.80 per million real calls. The Advanced plan ($199/month) and Pro plan ($499/month) maintain similar economics around $8-9 per million actual requests.

GetBlock's compute unit multiplier creates pricing complexity requiring conversion calculations, but their effective per-request costs fall between premium tooling platforms (QuickNode at ~$10-12/million) and transparent 1:1 providers (Dwellir at $1.96/million, Chainstack at $2.45/million). This mid-tier positioning suits teams where multi-chain infrastructure consolidation justifies moderate pricing premiums over single-chain optimization.

Best For: Development teams requiring unified multi-chain infrastructure across 50+ networks, applications in growth phases needing flexible pricing without long-term commitments, teams prioritizing comprehensive documentation and development resources, and projects where multi-chain architectural simplification justifies moderate compute unit multipliers. Suitable for applications where consolidated infrastructure management provides operational value beyond pure cost optimization.

Sui's gRPC Revolution: A Critical Provider Differentiator

While Sui's blockchain protocol now offers general availability of gRPC (gRPC Remote Procedure Call) support, only two RPC providers on this list—Dwellir and QuickNode—have actually implemented this modern protocol for their Sui infrastructure. This creates a significant performance divide in the provider landscape, as Chainstack, Ankr, and GetBlock still rely exclusively on legacy JSON-RPC despite Sui's protocol capabilities.

Understanding gRPC's Technical Edge:

gRPC operates over HTTP/2 and utilizes Protocol Buffers for data serialization, delivering substantial performance improvements over JSON-based communication. Protocol Buffers provide strongly typed, compact binary serialization approximately six times faster than JSON parsing, while HTTP/2's multiplexing enables multiple data streams over single connections without establishing new connections for each request.

For Sui developers, gRPC introduces game-changing capabilities. The SubscriptionService enables server-side streaming for real-time blockchain data, allowing applications to receive continuous updates without polling—critical for gaming platforms tracking asset transfers, trading bots monitoring markets, or DeFi interfaces displaying live data. Field masks enable requesting only specific fields needed rather than entire objects, dramatically reducing bandwidth and improving response times.

Production Impact:

High-frequency trading operations benefit enormously from gRPC's binary serialization and streaming, achieving latencies impossible with traditional JSON-RPC polling. Gaming platforms leverage real-time streaming for instant feedback on asset transfers, eliminating lag that makes blockchain games feel unresponsive. DeFi protocols use gRPC streaming to maintain synchronized state across contracts without overwhelming infrastructure with constant polling.

The LedgerService provides efficient access to objects, transactions, and checkpoints, while LiveDataService enables balance queries and transaction simulation. Together with MovePackageService, SignatureVerificationService, and TransactionExecutionService, these form a comprehensive, strongly-typed API surface eliminating ambiguities common in loosely-typed JSON-RPC implementations.

The Competitive Advantage of Early gRPC Adoption:

Sui's gRPC implementation represents the protocol's future direction, with JSON-RPC entering deprecation scheduled for April 2026. Applications should begin evaluating gRPC migration now to avoid rushed transitions during critical growth phases. However, this migration is only possible if your RPC provider has actually implemented gRPC support—currently limited to just Dwellir and QuickNode on this list. Comprehensive client generation support exists for Rust, Go, TypeScript, and Python, making migration straightforward once your provider supports the protocol.

Applications using Chainstack, Ankr, or GetBlock will be locked into legacy JSON-RPC until these providers activate gRPC support, potentially requiring infrastructure provider migrations in 2026 as the deprecation deadline approaches. For teams planning long-term on Sui, choosing a gRPC-enabled provider now (Dwellir or QuickNode) avoids forced migrations during critical growth phases when infrastructure changes carry maximum risk.

Choosing Your Sui RPC Provider: Key Decision Factors

Selecting the optimal provider requires evaluating multiple dimensions beyond simple per-request costs based on your specific application requirements and growth trajectory.

Cost Forecasting Accuracy: If your application's request volume will scale significantly—typical for gaming platforms expanding player bases or DeFi protocols attracting TVL growth—transparent 1:1 pricing from Dwellir and Chainstack dramatically simplifies financial planning versus compute unit systems. The difference between $2/million and $12/million becomes substantial at scale: a 100 million request application costs $200/month versus $1,200/month—a $12,000 annual difference that compounds as you grow.

Performance Requirements: For latency-critical applications—high-frequency trading requiring sub-100ms responses, real-time gaming where lag disrupts player experience, or DeFi interfaces where delayed data causes poor UX—prioritize providers with comprehensive gRPC implementations (currently Dwellir and QuickNode) and geographic infrastructure near user concentrations. The performance difference between properly implemented gRPC and legacy JSON-RPC can determine competitive advantage versus unacceptable user experiences.

Multi-Chain Strategy: If building across multiple ecosystems—gaming platforms supporting NFT marketplaces on various chains, cross-chain DeFi protocols aggregating liquidity, or institutional trading spanning diverse assets—providers like Dwellir (150+ chains), Ankr (75+ chains), or GetBlock (50+ chains) offer consolidated infrastructure. This reduces vendor complexity, simplifies operations, and enables consistent patterns across networks versus managing chain-specific providers with varying interfaces.

Infrastructure Reliability: Production applications require proven infrastructure with demonstrated uptime and performance under load. Both Dwellir and QuickNode operate enterprise-grade infrastructure with multi-region redundancy and advanced load balancing. Evaluate providers' operational history, uptime commitments, and incident transparency. For revenue-critical applications, infrastructure costs pale compared to downtime losses during traffic spikes or system failures.

Support Requirements: Consider whether you need direct technical support from infrastructure experts who understand blockchain architecture (Dwellir's direct access model) versus comprehensive self-service documentation and tooling (QuickNode's platform approach). Startups often benefit from rapid access to knowledgeable support during critical debugging, while larger teams with internal expertise may prioritize sophisticated monitoring tools over support responsiveness.

Protocol Modernization: With JSON-RPC deprecation scheduled for April 2026, providers with mature gRPC implementations position your application better for Sui's long-term technical direction. Early gRPC adoption also delivers immediate performance benefits for streaming use cases, real-time applications, and high-throughput systems. Verify providers' roadmap alignment with Sui Foundation's protocol evolution to avoid infrastructure migrations during critical growth phases.

Pricing Philosophy Alignment: Determine whether transparent 1:1 pricing (Dwellir, Chainstack) or comprehensive tooling ecosystems (QuickNode) better matches your team's priorities. Cost-sensitive applications benefit from pricing predictability, while teams building complex applications may find value in consolidated tooling despite compute unit complexity. Mid-tier options (GetBlock, Ankr) offer moderate pricing with specific advantages around multi-chain coverage or decentralization philosophy.

Takeaways for Sui Development Success

Sui represents cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure designed for applications demanding institutional-grade speed and sub-second finality. However, realizing this potential requires partnering with RPC providers aligned with your application requirements, growth trajectory, and infrastructure philosophy.

Production applications must avoid public RPC endpoints, which impose severe rate limits and provide no reliability guarantees or SLA commitments. Invest in dedicated infrastructure matching your performance, budget, and support requirements—migration costs during growth exceed early infrastructure investment substantially. Test multiple providers during development using free tiers to identify optimal latency for your target markets and verify performance under realistic load patterns.

Understand Real Costs Before Committing: A provider advertising $0.10 per million compute units with 200:1 multipliers actually costs $20 per million real requests, while one charging $2.00 per million with 1:1 pricing delivers exactly what you expect. For high-volume applications, this difference represents thousands in monthly variance—up to $18,000 annually on 100 million monthly requests. Always calculate costs based on actual request volumes rather than advertised compute unit rates.

Prioritize gRPC Support for Future-Proofing: With JSON-RPC deprecation approaching in April 2026, choosing providers with active gRPC implementations (currently Dwellir and QuickNode) positions your application optimally for Sui's technical evolution. Early gRPC adoption delivers immediate performance benefits while avoiding forced migrations during critical phases when infrastructure changes carry maximum risk and opportunity cost.

For Most High-Performance Sui Applications: The combination of transparent pricing, enterprise-grade reliability, comprehensive gRPC support, and proven infrastructure makes Dwellir ($1.96/million with 1:1 pricing, 150+ networks, colocation options) an excellent choice for gaming platforms, DeFi protocols, institutional trading systems, and multi-chain applications requiring production-ready infrastructure. Teams prioritizing comprehensive developer tooling and add-on marketplace ecosystems over pricing simplicity should consider QuickNode's platform approach despite compute unit complexity.

Alternative providers serve specific use cases: Chainstack excels for teams needing elastic scaling with transparent pricing, Ankr provides decentralized infrastructure for teams prioritizing geographic distribution philosophy, and GetBlock offers balanced multi-chain access for development flexibility. Evaluate your specific requirements—cost sensitivity, multi-chain needs, tooling preferences, support models—against each provider's strengths.

The Sui ecosystem continues rapid evolution with expanding gaming adoption, growing DeFi TVL, and increasing institutional interest. Choose providers demonstrating sustained commitment through active ecosystem participation, regular protocol updates, and deep understanding of Sui's object-centric architecture and Move language requirements. Your infrastructure partner should scale alongside your application's growth, maintaining performance and reliability as you move from thousands to millions of daily requests.

By carefully evaluating requirements against these leading Sui RPC providers—understanding real costs hidden behind compute unit multipliers, verifying gRPC protocol support for future-proofing, and assessing enterprise infrastructure capabilities—you establish the reliable, high-performance foundation necessary for building successful applications that capitalize on Sui's revolutionary speed and parallel execution capabilities.

Get Started

Ready to Build on Sui?

Dwellir provides enterprise-grade Sui infrastructure optimized for gaming, DeFi, and institutional trading applications:

• 1:1 Transparent Pricing: No confusing compute units—$1.96 per million requests
• Full gRPC Support: Leverage Protocol Buffers for maximum performance and streaming
• Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure: Global presence across four continents with anycast routing
• Multi-Chain Coverage: Seamlessly integrate 150+ blockchain networks
• Expert Support: Direct access to infrastructure specialists who understand Sui architecture
• Burst Protection: 10x capacity headroom for handling viral growth and traffic spikes
• Colocation Options: Ultra-low-latency deployment for institutional trading operations

Contact: Get in touch
Documentation: Dwellir Docs
Access Sui Network from Dwellir: Learn more

References

• Sui Documentation
• Sui gRPC Overview
• Sui Explorer
• Move Language Documentation

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