Dune: The Community Dashboard Platform for On-Chain Data, Reviewed
Dune reviewed: the SQL-powered platform where anyone builds and shares on-chain data dashboards. What it does, the free vs paid split, and who it's for.
Table of contents
Almost every on-chain metric you have seen in a thread was probably built on Dune. It is the platform where anyone can query blockchain data with SQL and publish a dashboard, and where most of those dashboards are free to view. Want protocol revenue, token flows, or a bespoke metric no product ships? Someone has likely built it on Dune, or you can. Here is how it works, the free versus paid split, and how to get value without writing a line of SQL.
What is Dune?
Dune is a platform for querying and visualizing on-chain data using SQL. It indexes blockchain data into queryable tables, lets anyone write queries and build dashboards, and makes most public dashboards free to view. The result is the deepest library of community-built crypto analytics anywhere, covering protocols, tokens, NFTs, chains, and narratives that no packaged product tracks.
Its power is openness. If a metric can be derived from on-chain data, it can be built on Dune, and if someone already built it, you can read it for free.
How to use Dune
- Browse dashboards. Search for a protocol, token, or topic; thousands of ready-made dashboards need no SQL to read.
- Read the numbers and the charts, checking what the underlying query actually measures.
- Fork or build. Duplicate a dashboard and tweak it, or write your own SQL against Dune's tables.
- Save and share your dashboards; the ecosystem grows from community work.
Why users choose Dune
- The biggest dashboard library. Community-built metrics for almost anything on-chain, free to view.
- Full customization. Build any metric you can express in SQL, not just what a product ships.
- Open and shareable. Fork others' work and publish your own.
- Lower barrier over time. Query libraries and AI features help non-experts build.
When to reach for something else: for curated smart-money labels, Nansen; for a quick personal portfolio view, DeBank. Dune is the pick for custom or community metrics.
Limits and honest caveats
A Dune dashboard is only as good as the query behind it. Community dashboards can contain mistakes, use stale logic, or measure something subtly different from what the title implies, so check the methodology before trusting a number, especially one you will act on. Viewing is free; heavy building and querying are paid. And as with any site you log into, verify the official URL. Treat Dune as a powerful lens on public data, not an oracle of truth.
How to get started
- Open Dune and search for a protocol, token, or metric you care about.
- Read existing dashboards for free, checking what each query measures.
- Fork one to tweak it, or learn basic SQL to build your own.
- Verify methodology before acting on any number.
Final verdict
Dune is the open backbone of crypto analytics. A vast library of community dashboards, full SQL customization, and free viewing make it the default for any on-chain metric you cannot find elsewhere. The caveat is discipline: a dashboard is only as reliable as its query, so read the methodology before you trust a number. Browse for free, build when you need something bespoke, and verify the logic. For understanding what is actually happening on-chain, nothing else is this flexible.
For more, see our best crypto portfolio trackers guide.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Dune?
Dune is a platform for querying and visualizing on-chain data with SQL. Anyone can write queries against indexed blockchain data and publish dashboards, and most existing dashboards are free to view. It is the go-to place for custom crypto analytics and community-built metrics.
Is Dune free?
Viewing public dashboards on Dune is free, which covers most people's needs. Creating and running your own queries at scale, private work, and higher usage sit on paid plans. So you can consume the ecosystem's dashboards for nothing and only pay if you build heavily.
Do I need to know SQL to use Dune?
Not to view dashboards, thousands of community dashboards are ready to read. To build your own metrics you write SQL against Dune's indexed tables, and its libraries and AI features lower the barrier. For most users, browsing existing dashboards is enough.
Dune vs Nansen, which should I use?
They solve different problems. Dune is open, customizable dashboards you or the community build, mostly free to view. Nansen is curated, labeled smart-money analytics behind a subscription. Many analysts use both, Dune for custom metrics and Nansen for labeled wallet flows.