// Decision guide
Dedicated vs shared Solana RPC — which do you actually need?
A dedicated node sounds like the "pro" choice, but for most workloads a flat-rate shared plan is faster to start, far cheaper, and just as fast. Dedicated hardware earns its keep only under specific conditions. Here's how to tell which side you're on — without overpaying.
- ✓Sniping and copy-trading at retail-to-mid volume
- ✓Analytics, indexing, and dashboards
- ✓Teams that want zero ops and a flat bill
- ✓Anyone validating a strategy before scaling spend
- ◆Single-millisecond latency budgets (HFT, MEV)
- ◆Compliance requirements that forbid shared infra
- ◆Sustained volume a shared endpoint would rate-limit
- ◆Workloads that need guaranteed, isolated capacity
Latency: it's about location, not dedication
The most common mistake is assuming a dedicated node is automatically faster. It isn't. Network distance dominates: a shared endpoint colocated in the same region as your bot will beat a dedicated node hundreds of miles away. Dedicated hardware removes variance — noisy-neighbour jitter on your tail latency — but it only adds raw speed when you also colocate it next to your execution infra.
Before paying for dedicated, measure your real slot-to-process latency on a shared plan. Our latency benchmark and latency calculator show where milliseconds actually come from.
Rate limits and sustained volume
Shared plans are sized for typical bursty workloads. If you run sustained high-QPS RPC (heavy getProgramAccounts, archival queries, or hundreds of concurrent gRPC subscriptions) you can bump shared rate limits. A dedicated node gives you the whole machine's capacity with no shared ceiling — useful when your volume is both high and constant.
Isolation and compliance
Some teams simply can't run on shared infrastructure — whether for regulatory reasons or internal policy. A single-tenant node gives you a private endpoint where no other tenant touches your CPU, RAM, or bandwidth. That's the clearest-cut reason to go dedicated regardless of latency math. See the full spec and pricing on the dedicated node page and the cost detail in our cost breakdown.
Dedicated vs shared — FAQ
Do I need a dedicated Solana node?
Most traders and bot builders don't. A flat-rate shared gRPC + RPC plan handles sniping, copy-trading, and analytics for the vast majority of workloads. You need a dedicated node when you have a strict single-millisecond latency budget, compliance rules that forbid shared infrastructure, or sustained request volume that a shared endpoint rate-limits. If none of those apply, shared is the cheaper, faster-to-start choice.
Is a dedicated node faster than a shared endpoint?
Not automatically. A well-colocated shared endpoint in the right region routinely beats a dedicated node in the wrong one. Dedicated hardware wins on latency only when you remove noisy-neighbour variance AND colocate near your bot. The biggest latency gains for most teams come from picking a provider close to their execution infra and from server-side filtering — not from dedicating hardware.
What does 'noisy neighbour' mean for shared RPC?
On shared infrastructure your requests share CPU, memory bandwidth, and network with other tenants. Under heavy cluster load a spike in someone else's traffic can add jitter to your tail latency. A reputable provider isolates and over-provisions to minimize this, but a single-tenant dedicated node removes the variance entirely — every cycle is yours.
How much does each option cost?
Shared flat-rate plans start at $99/mo (Subglow) and scale to a few hundred per month for full-speed, zero-rate-limit tiers. A dedicated single-tenant AMD EPYC node is $2,900/mo flat (first month 50% off — $1,450 to start). The jump is large, so dedicated should be a deliberate choice driven by latency, isolation, or volume needs — not a default.
Can I start shared and upgrade to dedicated later?
Yes. Because Subglow uses standard Yellowstone gRPC across both shared and dedicated, moving up is an endpoint + key change — your subscription and filter logic stay the same. Start shared, benchmark your real latency and volume, and only move to a dedicated node when the data says you need it.
Not sure? Start shared, scale to dedicated.
Same Yellowstone gRPC across both — upgrading is an endpoint change. Shared from $99/mo, dedicated from $2,900/mo (first month 50% off).