Cloudflare AI Gateway vs Helicone: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Cloudflare AI Gateway and Helicone? Both are popular ai gateways & llm proxies tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both are solid ai gateways & llm proxies options. Cloudflare AI Gateway is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.
Cloudflare AI Gateway vs Helicone — Side by Side
| Cloudflare AI Gateway | Helicone | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $5/mo | Free · paid from $79/mo |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| Best for | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — caching, rate-limiting | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-observability, open-source |
Pros & Cons
- Core features are free
- Runs on Cloudflare's global edge
- Nothing to host
- No per-team virtual keys or budgets like LiteLLM
- Log pricing changed for gateways made after Sep 24 2026
- Guardrails billed as extra inference
- Open source and self-hostable
- Cost and latency logging on every request
- Generous free tier
- Pro jumps to $799 for compliance features
- Usage charges on top of the plan fee
- Short retention on the free plan
Key Features Compared
Cloudflare AI Gateway
- Analytics, caching and rate limiting
- Works with your own provider keys
- DLP scanning
Helicone
- Unlimited seats
- Alerts and reports
- HQL queries
- 1-month retention
Choose Cloudflare AI Gateway if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Budget is tight — paid plans start lower ($5/mo vs $79/mo).
- Core features are free
- Runs on Cloudflare's global edge
Choose Helicone if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Open source and self-hostable
- Cost and latency logging on every request
- Generous free tier
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cloudflare AI Gateway better than Helicone?⌄
Both are solid ai gateways & llm proxies options. Cloudflare AI Gateway is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.
What is the difference between Cloudflare AI Gateway and Helicone?⌄
Cloudflare AI Gateway — Free AI gateway on Cloudflare's network: analytics, caching, rate limiting and fallbacks in front of any model provider. Helicone — Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability: route requests across providers with caching and fallbacks, and log every call. Both are ai gateways & llm proxies tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Cloudflare AI Gateway vs Helicone: which is cheaper?⌄
Cloudflare AI Gateway pricing: Free · paid from $5/mo. Helicone pricing: Free · paid from $79/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Cloudflare AI Gateway or Helicone?⌄
In our catalog, Cloudflare AI Gateway rates 4.4 out of 5 and Helicone rates 4.5 out of 5, so Helicone has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best ai gateways & llm proxies tools for startups.
In-depth guideOpenRouter vs LiteLLM (2026): Hosted AI Gateway vs Open-Source LLM ProxyOpenRouter is a hosted service: one key, 500+ models, a 5.5% fee on credits. LiteLLM is MIT-licensed software you run yourself, with virtual keys and budgets per team. How each works, what the gateway costs at three spend levels, and why this site runs on OpenRouter.Still not sure which to pick?
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