Dune Analytics vs Nansen: how they compare on open data
Short answer (data of October 19, 2026): Dune scores 8.64/10 (#1 of 11 in NFT & AI tools) and Nansen 8.24/10 (#2). Both are 100% measured. The whole 0.40-point gap comes from one thing: Dune publishes a status page and Nansen does not. Nansen's public site answered our probe faster, which narrows the gap but does not close it.
Neither score says anything about the quality of either tool's data, wallet labels or AI features.
Dune scores higher: 8.64/10 against 8.24/10. It leads on 1 of 4 criteria, Nansen on 1.
Criterion by criterion
Same category, same weights, heaviest criterion first. Open a row for each side’s reasoning and evidence.
Track record34% of the scoreLevelDune10Nansen10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Latency26% of the scoreNansen leadsDune9Nansen10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Status transparency22% of the scoreDune leadsDune5Nansen2Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
Security record18% of the scoreLevelDune10Nansen10Why these marks ↓Hide ↑
What explains the 0.40 gap
- Status transparency: +0.66 for Dune. Dune runs a status page at status.dune.com. It does not publish its history in a format the site's checker reads (Statuspage, incident.io or Instatus), so it scores 5 rather than higher. No public status page was found for Nansen, which scores 2 — the same as 11 other tools in the category.
- Latency: −0.26 for Dune. Nansen's site answered in 113 ms (top band, 10); Dune's in 358 ms (one band lower, 9).
0.66 − 0.26 = 0.40. Track record and security record contribute identically to both.
A status page does not mean fewer outages. It means outages can be checked from outside. Nansen may be just as reliable; the rating cannot verify it from public data.
Where they are level
- Longevity: both have 2,668 days on record from 2019 launches (a launch year without a month is counted from July 1), the second-longest in the category after DappRadar.
- Security record: neither is matched to an incident in DefiLlama's database. That is the absence of a matching entry, not proof that no security issue has ever occurred, and it does not cover account-level incidents.
What each tool is — and why that matters more than the score
The two tools are in the same ranking but describe different jobs. On its homepage, Dune presents itself as an on-chain data platform for institutional users such as funds, banks and exchanges. Nansen's homepage presents an AI-powered platform for trading on-chain assets, built on labeled wallet data; it does not mention NFTs. Both descriptions are the companies' own.
If you need raw on-chain datasets, that points one way; if you want wallet-labeled trading signals, it points the other. The score cannot make that choice for you.
What this comparison does not measure
- Accuracy and coverage of data, dashboards or wallet labels
- AI features, trading execution and any fees on trades
- Pricing, free-tier limits and plan features
- Wallet connection permissions, API key handling and account security
- Speed inside the signed-in product (only the public site was timed, from one location)
- Country availability and support
See the methodology for exactly what each criterion reads.
Which fits which reader, on the evidence
- You want to see outage history before relying on a tool: Dune is the only one of the two (and of the 11 ranked tools) with a public status page.
- You care about how quickly the public site responds: Nansen measured faster (113 ms vs 358 ms) from our location.
- You care about longevity or recorded hacks: no difference — both 7.3 years, no incident on record.
- You are choosing on data quality, features or price: this comparison cannot help; check each tool directly.
Full scorecards: Dune rating · Nansen rating.
The numbers side by side
| Measured | Dune | Nansen |
|---|---|---|
| Track record | 7.3 yr | 7.3 yr |
| Latency (our probe) | 358 ms | 113 ms |
| Hacks on record | 0 | 0 |
| Status feed | unknown | none |
Where each one falls short
Dune
Status transparency: A status page exists but publishes no feed we could parse — readable, not auditable. Part of that may be our blind spot (we read three platforms).
Nansen
Status transparency: No public status page found. Nothing about its reliability can be verified from outside — including by us.
Not for: Anyone who needs to know when it breaks: no status feed, so you find out it is down by discovering it yourself.
Which to choose
Is Dune better than Nansen?+
On the four operational criteria scored here, Dune is 0.40 ahead because it publishes a status page. On data, features and price — which most users choose on — the rating has no view.
Why doesn't Nansen's faster site put it ahead?+
Latency is worth 26%, and Nansen's lead there is one band (10 vs 9), worth 0.26. Dune's status-page lead is worth 0.66.
How current is this?+
Measured October 19, 2026. Scores are recalculated each collection run; check the date on each entry page. Related comparisons: Dune vs NFTGo · Nansen vs NFTGo. No affiliate links; see how this site is funded.