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Otterscan Review (2026)

Fast, self-hosted open-source explorer that runs on your own Erigon node

4.4(76)
Block ExplorersFree plan

Last updated: July 2026

What is Otterscan?

Otterscan is a free, open-source, self-hosted block explorer designed to run directly on top of your own Erigon (or compatible) Ethereum node, giving you an Etherscan-like experience with complete privacy and no reliance on a third party. Its philosophy is that if you're already running a full archive node, you shouldn't have to leak your queries to a hosted explorer to inspect the chain — Otterscan serves a fast, local web interface straight from your node's data. Despite being lightweight and self-hosted, it offers a surprisingly rich feature set: transaction and address lookup, internal-transaction tracing, token transfers, contract source viewing, and some analysis features (like address 'ntire' history and approval tracking) that even hosted explorers lack. Because it queries your local node directly, lookups are extremely fast and fully private. It's completely free and open-source. The considerations are inherent to its design: you must run your own Erigon archive node, which requires significant disk space and technical setup, so it's aimed at node operators, developers, and privacy maximalists rather than casual users, and it's Ethereum/EVM-focused. It also lacks the hosted conveniences (public URLs, mobile-friendly hosted access, API-as-a-service) of Etherscan. But for anyone running their own node who wants a private, fast, open-source window into the chain, Otterscan is an excellent and principled choice.

Otterscan Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Runs on your own node — fully private, no third-party queries
  • Extremely fast local lookups
  • Open-source and free
  • Some analysis features even hosted explorers lack
  • Principled choice for node operators and privacy maximalists

Cons

  • Requires running your own Erigon archive node
  • Significant disk and technical setup
  • Aimed at operators/developers, not casual users
  • Ethereum/EVM-focused
  • No hosted convenience or API-as-a-service

Otterscan Pricing (2026)

Otterscan offers a free plan.

Otterscan

Free

Free

  • Fully open-source
  • Self-hosted on your Erigon node
  • Private, fast local lookups
  • Internal-tx tracing
  • Approval + history analysis
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Otterscan Features

FeatureOtterscan
Transaction History
Contract Verification
Token Tracking
Nft Tracking
Api Access
Multi Chain Support
Gas Tracker
Source Code Viewer
Address Labels
Private Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Otterscan free?

Yes, Otterscan has a free plan.

What is Otterscan used for?

Otterscan is used for fast, self-hosted open-source explorer that runs on your own erigon node. It's primarily used by Web3 teams in the Block Explorers category.

What are the best alternatives to Otterscan?

See our full alternatives comparison at https://chainpick.io/alternatives/otterscan.

How does Otterscan compare to other block explorers tools?

Otterscan has a rating of 4.4/5 based on 76 reviews. Key strength: Runs on your own node — fully private, no third-party queries. Main limitation: Requires running your own Erigon archive node.

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