Etherscan is the industry standard for blockchain data. EthIntel makes that data understandable. Here's how they compare.
| Feature | EthIntel | Etherscan |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-English Transaction Explanations | AI-powered, 3 explanation levels (simple, standard, technical) | Raw hex data, calldata, wei values |
| Safety / Risk Scoring | 40 automated safety signals, 0-100 risk score | No built-in safety analysis |
| AI Chat / Ask Feature | Free, ungated, built into every explanation | "Ask Etherscan" requires 2,000+ points to unlock |
| Transaction Classification | 38 action types (swap, bridge, stake, liquidate, etc.) | Shows function name only, no semantic classification |
| Protocol Detection | 118+ protocols, 259+ fingerprints auto-detected | Labels verified contracts but no decode classification |
| Multi-Chain (Single UI) | 5 chains in one interface: ETH, Base, Arbitrum, OP, Polygon | Separate subdomain per chain (basescan.org, arbiscan.io, etc.) |
| API (REST + Streaming) | 26 endpoints, JSON + SSE streaming, OpenAPI spec | Comprehensive REST API (many endpoints) |
| Embeddable Widget | 27KB self-contained widget with Shadow DOM | No embeddable widget |
| Pre-Signing Simulation | POST /api/scan — simulate before signing, MetaMask Snap | No transaction simulation |
| Validator Analytics | Full dashboard: rewards, duties, scoring, tax CSV | Basic via beaconcha.in (separate service) |
| Tax Export | CSV export for validators, 38 action type categorization | No tax features |
| Address Labels | 130K+ labeled addresses from 10 sources | Extensive labels (industry standard) |
| ENS Resolution | Forward + reverse resolution | Full ENS support |
| Source Code Verification | Via Sourcify (11M contracts), not a verifier | Industry standard contract verifier |
| Internal Transactions | Token transfers from logs, no trace data yet | Full trace-based internal transaction view |
| Free Tier | 5 explanations/day + unlimited safety scans | Free browsing, limited API (5 calls/sec) |
| Paid Plans | $10/mo consumer, $49/mo pro, $199/mo API | $49-399/mo API plans, chains behind paywall |
| Mobile Responsive | Full mobile experience | Responsive design |
EthIntel never sends raw hex to AI. Our 10-stage pipeline decodes transactions deterministically, then the AI only narrates the pre-decoded data. This is why we don't hallucinate — the hard work is already done before AI touches it.
Beyond identifying known bad addresses, EthIntel runs 25 deterministic safety checks: address poisoning detection, honeypot analysis, approval risk assessment, sanctions screening, MEV bribe detection, and more. Each signal explains WHY something is risky.
Etherscan requires switching between etherscan.io, basescan.org, arbiscan.io, and more. EthIntel auto-detects the chain from the transaction hash and shows everything in one unified interface.
EthIntel offers a 26-endpoint REST API with SSE streaming, an embeddable widget (27KB), a CLI tool, a GitHub Action, and a MetaMask Snap. It's an intelligence platform, not just a website.
EthIntel can analyze transactions before you sign them. The /api/scan endpoint simulates the transaction and returns safety analysis — so wallets and dapps can show users what's about to happen.
Etherscan's "Ask Etherscan" AI feature requires accumulating 2,000+ points before you can use it. EthIntel's AI explanations are free for everyone, 5 times per day, no points needed.
No — they're complementary. Etherscan is the gold standard for developers who need raw blockchain data, contract verification, and trace-level details. EthIntel is for everyone else: users who want to understand what a transaction actually did, in plain English, with safety scoring. Use Etherscan for debugging, use EthIntel for understanding.
Etherscan has extensive address labels built over years. EthIntel currently has 130K+ labels from 10 sources including open datasets, OFAC sanctions, and curated entity data. We're growing fast but Etherscan's label coverage is broader.
No — the APIs serve different purposes. Etherscan's API provides raw blockchain data (transaction lists, balances, ABI lookups). EthIntel's API provides decoded intelligence (explanations, safety scores, action classification). Many developers use both.
Internal transactions require trace data from archive nodes, which is expensive to query at scale. We currently extract token transfers from event logs, which covers most user-visible activity. Full trace support is on our roadmap.
Our decode-first architecture means the AI only narrates pre-decoded structured data — it never interprets raw hex. We maintain a 132-transaction benchmark suite with 100% action classification accuracy. The AI can still make minor phrasing errors, which is why we show confidence scores and always offer a "View Raw Data" toggle.
Try EthIntel free — 5 explanations per day, unlimited safety scans, all 5 chains.