Helicone vs LiteLLM: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Helicone and LiteLLM? 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 Helicone and LiteLLM are strong ai gateways & llm proxies choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
Helicone vs LiteLLM — Side by Side
| Helicone | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $79/mo | Free · paid plans by quote |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Best for | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-observability, open-source | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-proxy, open-source |
Pros & Cons
- 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
- Free and open source (MIT)
- No third party in your request path
- Per-team keys and budgets
- You run, secure and upgrade it
- Needs Postgres for keys and spend tracking
- SSO and audit logs are Enterprise-only
Key Features Compared
Helicone
- Unlimited seats
- Alerts and reports
- HQL queries
- 1-month retention
LiteLLM
- Proxy server and SDK
- Virtual keys, budgets, rate limits
- Fallbacks and load balancing
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
Choose LiteLLM if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Free and open source (MIT)
- No third party in your request path
- Per-team keys and budgets
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Helicone better than LiteLLM?⌄
Both Helicone and LiteLLM are strong ai gateways & llm proxies choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.
What is the difference between Helicone and LiteLLM?⌄
Helicone — Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability: route requests across providers with caching and fallbacks, and log every call. LiteLLM — Open-source LLM proxy and Python SDK: one OpenAI-style API for 100+ providers, with virtual keys, budgets and fallbacks you host yourself. Both are ai gateways & llm proxies tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Helicone vs LiteLLM: which is cheaper?⌄
Helicone pricing: Free · paid from $79/mo. LiteLLM pricing: Free · paid plans by quote. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Helicone or LiteLLM?⌄
In our catalog, Helicone rates 4.5 out of 5 and LiteLLM rates 4.6 out of 5, so LiteLLM 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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