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<p>Today, we're announcing changes to how streaming works at Helius. </p><p>All WebSocket streaming is now powered by LaserStream infrastructure, reducing latency for Standard WSS methods by up to 200ms. </p><p>We’re also:</p><ol class="list-number"><li value=1>Expanding access to streaming products across plans</li><li value=2>Lowering prices on data streaming add-ons</li><li value=3>Unifying our credit rate across gRPC and WSS</li></ol><p>These changes take effect for all customers, including legacy plans.</p><h2><strong>State of Data Streaming on Solana</strong></h2><p>Before diving in, let's review the data streaming options on Solana:</p><h3><strong>1. Standard Solana WebSockets</strong></h3><p>Standard WSS are the native Solana RPC WebSocket methods (e.g., <code>logsSubscribe</code>, <code>signatureSubscribe</code>, etc.) exposed through any Solana RPC node. They work, but they inherit filtering limitations from the base Solana RPC node.</p><h3><strong>2. Enhanced WebSockets</strong></h3><p>Enhanced WebSockets are Helius-specific WSS methods (e.g., <code>transactionSubscribe</code>, <code>accountSubscribe</code> with advanced filtering options like <code>accountInclude</code> and <code>accountExclude</code>) that extend what the native Solana RPC offers. </p><p>Enhanced WebSockets provide richer filtering and faster delivery compared to Standard WebSockets.</p><h3><strong>3. LaserStream</strong></h3><p><a href="[object Object]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LaserStream</a> is Helius's next-generation gRPC streaming service, built on shred-level ingestion with multi-region redundancy, 24-hour historical replay, and automatic failover. LaserStream is the fastest and most reliable way to stream Solana data.</p><h2><strong>LaserStream-powered WebSockets</strong></h2><p>Last year, we <a href="https://www.helius.dev/blog/introducing-next-generation-enhanced-websockets" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">upgraded Enhanced WSS</a> to run on LaserStream’s infrastructure. We've now extended those same performance improvements to Solana's Standard WebSocket methods to deliver faster event delivery and more reliable data streams.</p><p>Every WebSocket connection at Helius — Standard and Enhanced — now benefits from LaserStream's multi-node ingestion, automatic failover, and optimized data pipeline. </p><p>The result is faster, more reliable event delivery across the board:</p><ol class="list-number"><li value=1><a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/rpc/websocket">Standard WSS</a> methods are up to 200ms faster</li><li value=2><a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/enhanced-websockets">Enhanced WSS</a> deliver the lowest-latency JSON streams on Solana</li><li value=3><a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/laserstream/historical-replay">24-hour replay</a> and automatic reconnects ensure you never miss a slot or data</li></ol><p>If you're currently using Standard WSS for account or slot subscriptions, you'll see the improvement immediately — no code changes required.</p><img src="/_next/image?url=/api/media/file/wss-latency-chart-black.png&w=3840&q=90" alt="comparing helius's standard solana websockets powered by laserstream vs. competitors" /><h3>Ordering Guarantees</h3><p>One of the subtle problems with Standard Solana WSS is that all methods with <code>confirmed</code> and <code>finalized</code> latency (e.g., <code>accountSubscribe</code>, <code>programSubscribe</code>, etc.) deliver updates in a random order. There's no guarantee that the sequence of events you see in one connection matches what you'd see if you reconnected, or what another node sends. </p><p>If your app processes events in order — an indexer, a trading bot, a risk system — this can cause real challenges.</p><p>LaserStream WebSockets fixes this. </p><p>LaserStream WSS updates arrive at the <code>processed</code> commitment level in the order the validator produced them. </p><p>When a slot is confirmed, LaserStream WSS replays that same sequence of events for <code>confirmed</code> subscribers as a batch. The order is generally consistent between the two commitment levels.</p><p>There is one difference: </p><p>At the <code>processed</code> commitment level you may see multiple updates for the same account within a slot. At <code>confirmed</code> you only get the final state. The relative order between different accounts stays the same.</p><p>So if you want <code>confirmed</code> finality without giving up ordering guarantees, LaserStream WSS gives you both.</p><h2><strong>Streaming Credits Cost 33% Less</strong></h2><p>On April 7th, 2026, we're reducing the credit rate for all streaming traffic to <strong>20 credits per 1 MB</strong>. This is a <strong>33% reduction</strong> from the previous rate (30 credits/MB), bringing the effective base cost of streaming to approximately <strong>$100/TB</strong> — down from $150/TB previously.</p><h2><strong>Unifying Credit Rates for gRPC & WSS </strong></h2><p>The new 20 credits per 1 MB data streaming rate will apply uniformly across both <a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/laserstream/grpc">LaserStream gRPC</a> and WebSockets. This change applies to all customers, including those on grandfathered plans. WSS traffic that was previously unmetered will be metered at the same unified rate. </p><p>We're providing a <strong>30-day grace period</strong> before we activate metering. We'll also be reaching out directly to affected customers to help with the transition and minimize any disruption.</p><p>For more details, read our updated <a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/billing/credits">docs on data streaming credits</a>.</p><h3><strong>Why unified pricing?</strong></h3><p>A single credit rate across gRPC and WSS eliminates confusion, simplifies billing, and lets you choose the right protocol for your use case without worrying about cost differences. </p><p>This pricing change also ensures that our infrastructure investments — like powering WebSockets with LaserStream — are sustainable as we continue optimizing Solana data streaming performance.</p><h2><strong>Expanding Access to Data Streaming</strong></h2><p>We're lowering the barrier to entry for both gRPC and Enhanced WebSocket streaming services.</p><h3><strong>LaserStream gRPC for Business Plans</strong></h3><p>Previously, LaserStream gRPC required a $999/month Professional plan, and only Devnet access was available to Business plan subscribers. </p><p>Starting April 7th, 2026, all customers on the $499/month Business plan will be able to connect to LaserStream with up to 10 concurrent gRPC connections, lowering the cost to access gRPC by 50%.</p><p>For developers evaluating gRPC for <a href="https://www.helius.dev/use-case/trading">trading use cases</a>, MEV strategies, or latency-sensitive applications, this removes the need to commit to a Professional plan before benchmarking. </p><p>Start on Business, validate your setup, and scale when you're ready.</p><h3><strong>Enhanced WSS for Developer Plans</strong></h3><p>Starting April 7th, 2026, Enhanced WSS with <a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/api-reference/enhanced-websockets/transactionsubscribe"><code>transactionSubscribe</code></a> will be available on all Developer plans. </p><p>Developer tier customers will be able to access enhanced transaction streaming with up to 100 subscriptions per connection — opening up low-latency data for early-stage projects and indie devs.</p><h3><strong>Updated Access Matrix</strong></h3><span>unknown node</span><h3><strong>Updated Connection Limits</strong></h3><span>unknown node</span><h2><strong>Data Add-on Prices Reduced</strong></h2><p>Starting April 7th, 2026, we're lowering prices by up to 20% on <a href="https://www.helius.dev/docs/billing/plans#data-add-ons">data streaming add-ons</a>. This applies to both LaserStream gRPC and Enhanced WebSocket usage.</p><span>unknown node</span><p>Combined with the lower credit ra
