Snapshot is an open-source, off-chain governance platform which allows DAOs, DeFi projects and NFT Communities to engage in gasless voting with customizable processes. Snapshot is licensed under the MIT License and emphasizes accessibility, transparency, and collaboration among community members in decentralized decision-making.
It was launched as an off-chain, gasless governance platform for DAOs, DeFi projects, and NFT communities and has been recognized as a fundamental Web3 Infrastructure Tool.
It has become the go-to governance platform for large blockchain-based companies such as Aave DAO and Convex Finance.
Off-chain infrastructure utilizing IPFS for decentralized proposal and vote storage
Based on official documentation and platform descriptions
| Service | Cost | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Platform | $0 | Gasless off-chain voting for DAOs, DeFi protocols, and NFT communities. Fully open-source under MIT license. | Official docs and website |
| Custom Spaces | $0 | Requires ENS domain. Custom branding, voting strategies, and validation rules. | Snapshot docs |
| Enterprise/Custom | Custom | Advanced customization, dedicated support, custom domains. Contact for pricing. | Inferred from open-source model |
| Feature | Snapshot | Tally | Aragon Vote | Snapshot Hub | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Functionality | Off-chain gasless voting | On-chain voting | DAO governance suite | Self-hosted voting | |
| Pricing (starting) | $0 | $0 (basic) | $100s/month | $0 (self-host) | Partial |
| Free Tier | Yes (unlimited) | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Enterprise Features | Custom strategies | SSO, audits | Full DAO tools | Customizable | |
| API Availability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Voting Types | Multiple (quadratic, approval) | Multiple | Multiple | Basic | |
| Customization | High (strategies, validation) | Medium | High | High (self-host) | |
| Support Options | Community/GitHub | Paid support | Enterprise | Self | |
| Security | Signed messages | On-chain verified | Audited contracts | Self-managed |
Snapshot is the superior choice in terms of gasless off-chain voting as compared to Tally’s focus on on-chain voting. Therefore, Snapshot will be the best option when budget is a concern for your DAO; whereas, Tally will be a better fit when there are binding votes that need to be executed.
Voting/Polling discussion using Snapshot; On-Chain Execution using Tally.
The primary difference between Snapshot and Aragon is that Snapshot is a lightweight voting solution versus Aragon’s full suite of tools to run a DAO. As such, Snapshot is more broadly used than Aragon, although Aragon offers much more functionality and therefore may have greater complexity and/or cost associated with it.
Voting Only Requirements? Use Snapshot; Complete Governance? Use Aragon.
Choosing between official Snapshot (hosted), and official self-hosted versions of Snapshot. The hosted version is much easier to use and utilize; however, the self-hosted version gives you full control over how your space functions, and full data privacy.
Most DAOs should use the hosted version of Snapshot; Organizations who prioritize their members’ data privacy should use the self-hosted version.
The main differences between Snapshot and Colony are that Snapshot is strictly a voting platform; whereas, Colony offers a platform based on reputation that provides additional avenues of governance. In other words, Snapshot is much simpler to implement, and has greater widespread usage; whereas, Colony is more complex to implement, and therefore has lower overall adoption.
Token Weighted Voting? Use Snapshot; Contribution Based Voting? Use Colony.
Snapshot provides an off-chain, gasless voting system for DAOs, DeFi protocols, and NFT communities. Snapshot allows for Decentralized Governance through customized voting processes, without needing to pay for blockchain transaction fees.
Snapshot uses off-chain voting strategy calculations to determine each user's voting power based on snapshots of their token and/or NFT balances at certain block heights. Each user signs their vote with their wallet, but the actual vote is executed off-chain, which means they don't incur gas fees for their vote and are still able to verify their vote against their on-chain balance.
Yes, voting and creating proposals is completely free to do. There are no subscription fees for using Snapshot. There may be additional costs if users decide to create a custom ENS domain for their space or choose to execute approved proposals on-chain.
Currently supports Ethereum, Polygon, Binance Smart Chain, Base, Gnosis Chain, and over 50 other blockchain networks. Voting strategies can also include tokens from multiple networks.
Votes created within Snapshot are verified through cryptographic signatures that link back to the on-chain balance associated with the user who created the vote. Results generated by Snapshot use The Graph Subgraphs for easily accessible, decentralized data that is difficult to dispute.
Because Snapshot operates outside of the blockchain, voting is gas-free and enables frequent voting at scale. On-chain voting incurs a fee for every single vote, whereas voting results generated by Snapshot can trigger on-chain execution, if desired.
Yes, Snapshot supports delegation natively. Users can assign voting rights to delegates while retaining ownership of their assets on-chain.
Snapshot includes basic token balance voting, quadratic voting, voting delegation, NFT ownership, and multi-signature voting (via Gnosis Safe) along with over 60 custom voting strategies that can be combined to create complex voting systems for governance.
Snapshot is the most widely used off-chain governance tool which powers thousands of DAOs with gasless, custom voting for 50+ blockchain platforms. It uses The Graph to ensure that results are scalable and verifiable, while maintaining decentralization. Flexibility is its strongest feature, however it also heavily relies on decentralized, community driven infrastructure.
Web3 Governance Infrastructure, Snapshot is ideal for DAO's that prioritize: Accessibility; Customization; Gas Efficiency; and Decentralized Execution of Results.
With gasless voting on 50+ blockchain platforms, and thousands of spaces using Snapshot as an off-chain governance tool, Snapshot has become the leader in off-chain DAO governance. The snapshot core platform is completely free and has a strong focus on decentralization, although the results of votes have to be executed separately on-chain. There is no formal customer service structure for Snapshot; customers are supported through documentation and community channels.
Good - comprehensive technical documentation and widespread adoption evidence. Limited commercial details as fully open-source public good. No pricing model or enterprise features.
Snapshot provides governance for thousands of DAOs including Major DeFi Protocol and NFT project space. Also actively supports governance across multiple web3 networks with demonstrated scalability for large scale voting.
Decentralized data querying built on The Graph to provide 60 + voting mechanisms. Off chain protocol for verification on-chain with wallet signature & balance proof.
Native support for Ethereum, Polygon, Base, BSC, Gnosis Chain, and 50+ additional networks. Cross-Chain voting strategy enables single governance process across ecosystems.
Open Source Protocol with GitHub repository for Core Client, Strategies, & SDK's. Contributions from community create new voting mechanisms & integrations.
Snapshot is operating as a Public Good w/ No Formal Token Economics; relies on Voluntary Contributions & Widespread Adoption of the Protocol for Sustainability.
Select One Option from Available Choices
Distributes Voting Power Across Multiple Options
Square Root Cost Scaling = Whale Dominance Reduced
Ranks Options by Preference Order
Votes Equal for All Selected Options
Voting Power is Determined by the Balance of Tokens in Wallet
Voting power tied to NFT ownership
Combine multiple strategies for flexible voting weight calculation
Delegate voting power to other addresses
Create organization-specific voting weight formulas
Enable voting from multisig wallets with signature coordination
Multi-chain governance support with verification on-chain across major EVM-compatible networks
Integrates with major wallet providers, treasury management tools, and DAO infrastructure for comprehensive governance workflows
