LaserStream vs Dedicated Nodes: Choosing the Right gRPC Solution

Compare LaserStream and Dedicated Nodes to choose the best gRPC streaming solution for your needs

LaserStream is the recommended choice for virtually all streaming use cases due to its superior performance, enhanced reliability, managed infrastructure, and advanced features like 48-hour historical replay and auto-reconnection.

Quick Decision Guide

Choose LaserStream

Best for 99% of use cases

• Superior performance & reliability
• Historical replay & auto-reconnection
• Managed infrastructure
• Multi-region support

Choose Dedicated Nodes

Only if you specifically need

• No rate limits
• No credits usage
• Custom node configurations

Get started with LaserStream from your Helius Dashboard. Mainnet requires a Business or Professional plan; Devnet is available on Developer and above. See Plans & Pricing for details.

Feature Comparison

Performance & Reliability

Feature	LaserStream	Dedicated Nodes
Streaming Performance	✅ Superior optimized performance	⚠️ Can fail under high load
Reliability	✅ Multi-node redundancy	❌ Single point of failure
Uptime Guarantee	✅ Zero downtime risk	❌ Node failure risk
Geographic Distribution	✅ Multiple regions worldwide	⚠️ Single location
Network Support	✅ Mainnet + Devnet	⚠️ Single network only

Advanced Features

Feature	LaserStream	Dedicated Nodes
Historical Replay	✅ Up to 48 hours	❌ Not available
Auto-Reconnection	✅ Built-in with SDK	❌ Manual implementation required
Enhanced SDK	✅ Professional connection management	❌ Basic client only
Archival Data Access	✅ Available via shared plan	❌ Not available

Platform Integration

Feature	LaserStream	Dedicated Nodes
Rate Limits	⚠️ Has rate limits	✅ No rate limits
Credit Usage	⚠️ Has credits	✅ No credits
sendTransaction	✅ Optimized landing rates	❌ Poor landing rates
Platform Features	✅ APIs, webhooks included	❌ Requires separate shared plan

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Use Cases

LaserStream Ideal For

High-Performance Trading

Real-time data feeds with superior performance and reliability

Production Applications

Mission-critical systems that need guaranteed uptime

Portfolio Tracking

Account monitoring, balance updates, transaction history

DeFi Analytics

Protocol monitoring, yield farming data, liquidity tracking

NFT Applications

Collection monitoring, marketplace data, trait analysis

Enterprise Solutions

Professional applications requiring managed infrastructure

Dedicated Nodes Limited Cases

Very limited use cases - only suitable for specific requirements

No Credits

When you don’t want to deal with credits

No Rate Limits

When you need unlimited request rates

Important: Dedicated nodes have significant limitations including performance risks, single points of failure, and higher costs.

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Pricing Comparison

LaserStream

Business Plan: $499/month  |  Professional Plan: $999/month

• 100M–200M monthly credits included
• 2 credits per 0.1 MB of uncompressed data
• Transparent pay-per-use pricing
• All platform features included

Dedicated Nodes

Starting at $2,900+/month

• Node cost varies by specifications
• Shared plan required for full features
• Higher total cost for most use cases

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Technical Implementation

LaserStream

Simple integration with enhanced features

import { subscribe, LaserstreamConfig } from 'helius-laserstream';

const config: LaserstreamConfig = {
  apiKey: 'your-api-key',
  endpoint: 'https://laserstream-mainnet-ewr.helius-rpc.com'
};

// Automatic reconnection and historical replay
await subscribe(config, subscriptionRequest, handleData, handleError);

Key Benefits: Built-in reconnects, 48-hour historical replay, and professional error handling

Dedicated Nodes

Manual connection management required

import { Client } from '@yellowstone-grpc/client';

const client = new Client(endpoint, undefined, {
  'grpc.keepalive_time_ms': 30000,
  // Custom connection settings...
});

// Manual reconnection logic needed
client.on('error', (error) => {
  // Implement your own reconnection strategy
});

Additional Work Required: You need to implement your own reconnection logic, error handling, and connection management

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Decision Framework

1. Assess Your Needs

   Do you need the best streaming performance and reliability?

   • Yes → LaserStream
   • No → Continue to next step
2. Infrastructure Preference

   Do you want to focus on your application, not infrastructure management?

   • Yes → LaserStream
   • No → Continue to next step
3. Advanced Features

   Do you need 48-hour historical replay or auto-reconnection?

   • Yes → LaserStream
   • No → Continue to next step
4. Rate Limits & Credits

   Do you specifically need no rate limits and no credits usage?

   • Yes → Consider Dedicated Nodes (but weigh the significant downsides)
   • No → LaserStream

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Getting Started

Start with LaserStream

Get started with LaserStream’s enhanced gRPC streaming

Explore Dedicated Nodes

Learn about dedicated node options and specifications

Need help deciding?

Most users find LaserStream meets their needs perfectly. Start there unless you specifically need no rate limits or credits.

Get Started

Enable LaserStream from your Helius Dashboard and start streaming.

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