PolyHistorical vs The Graph for Polymarket Data
How PolyHistorical compares to The Graph protocol for accessing Polymarket data.
Overview
The Graph is a decentralized indexing protocol that lets developers query blockchain data via GraphQL subgraphs. PolyHistorical is a centralized API purpose-built for Polymarket order book snapshots. They index fundamentally different data.
Data Comparison
| Feature | PolyHistorical | The Graph |
|---|---|---|
| Order Book History | ✓ Full depth, 300ms | ✗ Not indexed |
| On-Chain Events | ✗ | ✓ Via subgraphs |
| Query Language | REST API | GraphQL |
| Data Freshness | Sub-second | Block-level (seconds to minutes) |
| Setup Required | API key only | Deploy or find a subgraph |
| Pricing | Free tier + $11/mo Pro | GRT token costs for queries |
When to Use PolyHistorical
- You need order book depth and spread history that doesn't exist on-chain
- You want a simple REST API without deploying subgraphs
- You need sub-second granularity for backtesting or market analysis
When to Use The Graph
- You need on-chain event data (trades, mints, burns, transfers)
- You're building a dApp that queries blockchain state
- You need cross-protocol data from multiple DeFi protocols