Dune updates free plan to view-only access, cites high costs

Dune Analytics, the go-to platform for querying onchain data, is pulling back its free tier in a meaningful way. Starting September 10, 2026, users who created accounts before July 21, 2026, will lose the ability to run queries unless they upgrade to a paid plan. The change converts legacy free accounts to view-only access, meaning users can still browse existing dashboards and charts but can’t execute any credit-consuming actions. Dune is pointing to rising compute costs as the driving force behind the decision. What’s actually changing The mechanics are straightforward but worth unpacking. If your Dune account predates July 21, 2026, you previously had access to 2,500 free credits per month. Those credits let you write and run SQL queries against massive blockchain datasets, a capability that made Dune a favorite among researchers, developers, and crypto-native analysts who didn’t want to pay for Bloomberg-grade tooling. That free credit allotment is going away for older accounts. When the restriction kicks in on September 10, affected users will automatically receive a 14-day trial of the Plus plan, Dune’s higher-end offering. After that trial expires, it’s either pay up or sett...