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

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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

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Feature Comparison

FeatureLaserStreamDedicated 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

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Use Cases

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

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Pricing Comparison

LaserStream

Professional Plan: $999/month
  • 200M monthly credits included
  • 3 credits per 0.1 MB of 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

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 reconnection, historical replay, and professional error handling

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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 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

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Need Help Deciding?

Join Discord Community

Get real-time help from our community and team
Pro Tip: Most users find LaserStream meets their needs perfectly. Start there unless you specifically need no rate limits or credits.