---
title: "LiteLLM vs Portkey: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder"
description: "LiteLLM vs Portkey compared for 2026 — pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which ai gateways & llm proxies tool is the better fit for your startup."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/litellm-vs-portkey
retrieved: 2026-10-14
---

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=litellm.ai&sz=128)

vs

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=portkey.ai&sz=128)

# LiteLLM vs Portkey: Which is Better in 2026?

AI Gateways & LLM Proxies

Choosing between [LiteLLM](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/litellm) and [Portkey](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/portkey)? 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 LiteLLM and Portkey are strong ai gateways & llm proxies choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences.

## LiteLLM vs Portkey — Side by Side

|                | LiteLLM                                            | Portkey                                                |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Category       | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies                          | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies                              |
| Pricing        | Free · paid plans by quote                         | Free · paid from $49/mo                                |
| Starting price | Free tier available                                | Free tier available                                    |
| Free tier      | ✓                                                  | ✓                                                      |
| Rating         | 4.6                                                | 4.5                                                    |
| Best for       | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-proxy, open-source | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-routing, observability |

## Pros & Cons

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=litellm.ai&sz=128)

[LiteLLM](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/litellm)

* ✓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

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=portkey.ai&sz=128)

[Portkey](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/portkey)

* ✓Gateway and observability in one product
* ✓Open-source gateway you can self-host
* ✓Guardrails and semantic caching
* ✗Free plan keeps logs for only 3 days
* ✗Log-based pricing grows with traffic
* ✗Private deployment is Enterprise-only

## Key Features Compared

### LiteLLM

* ✓Proxy server and SDK
* ✓Virtual keys, budgets, rate limits
* ✓Fallbacks and load balancing

### Portkey

* ✓100K recorded logs / month
* ✓Semantic caching
* ✓RBAC and alerts
* ✓30-day log retention

### 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

[LiteLLM review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/litellm)

### Choose Portkey if…

* ✓You want a free tier to validate before paying.
* ✓Gateway and observability in one product
* ✓Open-source gateway you can self-host
* ✓Guardrails and semantic caching

[Portkey review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/portkey)

## Frequently Asked Questions

Is LiteLLM better than Portkey?⌄

Both LiteLLM and Portkey 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 LiteLLM and Portkey?⌄

LiteLLM — Open-source LLM proxy and Python SDK: one OpenAI-style API for 100+ providers, with virtual keys, budgets and fallbacks you host yourself. Portkey — AI gateway with built-in observability: route to any model with fallbacks, caching and guardrails, then trace every request. Both are ai gateways & llm proxies tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.

LiteLLM vs Portkey: which is cheaper?⌄

LiteLLM pricing: Free · paid plans by quote. Portkey pricing: Free · paid from $49/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

Which is rated higher, LiteLLM or Portkey?⌄

In our catalog, LiteLLM rates 4.6 out of 5 and Portkey rates 4.5 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](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/ai-gateway).

[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.](https://appstackbuilder.com/blog/openrouter-vs-litellm-2026)

## Still not sure which to pick?

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[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/build-stack)