Question 1

What is an RPC endpoint for Optimism?

Accepted Answer

An RPC (Remote Procedure Call) endpoint is a URL that allows your application to communicate with the Optimism blockchain. Through RPC endpoints, you can read blockchain data, submit transactions, query account balances, and interact with smart contracts without running your own Optimism node.

Question 2

What are the best free Optimism RPC endpoints?

Accepted Answer

RPC Directory lists multiple free public Optimism endpoints you can use for development and low-traffic applications. Public endpoints are rate-limited and may experience downtime during high traffic. For production applications, consider using a paid RPC provider for better reliability and higher rate limits.

Question 3

What is the Optimism chain ID?

Accepted Answer

The Optimism Mainnet chain ID is 10. This unique identifier is used by wallets like MetaMask to connect to the correct network and prevent transaction replay attacks between different EVM chains.

Question 4

How do I add Optimism to MetaMask or other wallets?

Accepted Answer

To add Optimism Mainnet to your wallet, use our one-click wallet integration at /add - it works with MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet, and other popular wallets. Or manually: 1) Open your wallet and find the network settings. 2) Click "Add Network". 3) Enter the network name "Optimism Mainnet", RPC URL (copy one from this page), Chain ID "10", and currency symbol "ETH". 4) Save.

Question 5

How do I connect to Optimism with ethers.js or web3.js?

Accepted Answer

To connect with ethers.js: `const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider("YOUR_RPC_URL")`. For web3.js: `const web3 = new Web3("YOUR_RPC_URL")`. Replace YOUR_RPC_URL with any endpoint from this page. For production, use a provider with an API key for better rate limits.

Question 6

Is it safe to use public Optimism RPC endpoints?

Accepted Answer

Public RPC endpoints are generally safe for reading blockchain data and submitting transactions. However, they may have rate limits, occasional downtime, and some providers might log requests. For applications handling sensitive operations or requiring high availability, use a dedicated RPC provider with proper SLAs and security guarantees.

Question 7

What's the difference between free and paid Optimism RPC providers?

Accepted Answer

Free public endpoints have rate limits (typically 10-100 requests/second), may experience downtime during high traffic, and offer limited features. Paid providers offer higher rate limits (1000+ RPS), better reliability with SLAs, additional features like archive data access, WebSocket connections, and dedicated support. Use the pricing calculator above to compare costs.

Question 8

What is an archive node for Optimism?

Accepted Answer

An archive node stores the complete history of all blockchain states since genesis, allowing you to query historical data at any block height. Regular full nodes only keep recent state. Archive access is useful for analytics, debugging old transactions, or applications that need historical data. It's typically available as a premium feature from paid providers.

Question 9

Does Optimism support WebSocket connections?

Accepted Answer

Many Optimism RPC providers offer WebSocket (WSS) endpoints for real-time subscriptions to new blocks, pending transactions, and contract events. WebSocket connections are ideal for applications that need instant updates without polling. Check the endpoints list above for available WSS URLs.

PROVIDER--	TYPE/\	FREE TIER--	STARTING--	NETWORKS--	ACTIONS
Dwellir	flat(?)	5,000,000/mo	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
Chainstack	flat(?)	3,000,000/mo	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
Alchemy	compute(?)	30,000,000 CU	$5/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
QuickNode	compute(?)	10,000,000 CU	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
Infura	compute(?)	180,000,000 CU	$50/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
DRPC	compute(?)	210,000,000 CU	--	1	[signup][pricing][web]
Ankr	compute(?)	200,000,000 CU	$500/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
InfStones	compute(?)	50,000,000 CU	$19/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
GetBlock	compute(?)	5,000,000 CU	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
Tatum	compute(?)	100,000 CU	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
BlockPI	compute(?)	100,000,000 CU	$49/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]
NodeReal	compute(?)	50,000,000 CU	$39/mo	1	[signup][pricing][web]

Optimism Mainnet RPC Endpoints

Public Endpoints

Resources

Pricing Calculator

Estimated Monthly Cost for 1,000,000 requests:

Paid Providers

FAQ

Public Endpoints

Resources

Pricing Calculator

Estimated Monthly Cost for 1,000,000 requests:

Paid Providers

FAQ

Q1What is an RPC endpoint for Optimism?

Q2What are the best free Optimism RPC endpoints?

Q3What is the Optimism chain ID?

Q4How do I add Optimism to MetaMask or other wallets?

Q5How do I connect to Optimism with ethers.js or web3.js?

Q6Is it safe to use public Optimism RPC endpoints?

Q7What's the difference between free and paid Optimism RPC providers?

Q8What is an archive node for Optimism?

Q9Does Optimism support WebSocket connections?

Related EVM Chains