What is App Stack Builder?

App Stack Builder is a free AI-powered tool that helps founders and developers choose the right tech stack for their projects based on budget, app type, team size, and skill level.

What is the best tech stack for SaaS in 2026?

The best tech stack for SaaS in 2026 typically includes Next.js 16 for frontend, Supabase for database and auth, Vercel for hosting, Stripe for payments, and PostHog for analytics. App Stack Builder can generate a personalized recommendation based on your specific budget and requirements.

Is App Stack Builder free to use?

Yes, App Stack Builder is completely free to use. You can generate unlimited tech stack recommendations without any cost.

What types of apps can I build with the recommended stacks?

App Stack Builder supports various app types including SaaS applications, web apps, mobile apps, e-commerce stores, internal tools, and AI/ML products.

How much does a SaaS tech stack cost per month?

A modern SaaS tech stack can cost anywhere from $0-50/month for bootstrapped startups using free tiers, $100-300/month for growth-stage startups, to $500+/month for enterprise-ready infrastructure. App Stack Builder helps you find the best tools within your specific budget.

What is the best tech stack for solo founders?

For solo founders, we recommend Next.js + Vercel (free), Supabase (free tier), Supabase Auth (free), Stripe (pay as you go), and Plausible or PostHog for analytics. This stack can run your entire SaaS for under $50/month.

Can I export my tech stack recommendations?

Yes, you can export your tech stack recommendations as a PDF document or copy them to your clipboard. You can also share a link to your stack with others.

AI Gateways & LLM Proxies

The 3 Best Helicone Alternatives in 2026

Name: App Stack Builder
Availability: InStock

Looking for an alternative to Helicone? Below we compare the best ai gateways & llm proxies alternatives by pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for — so you can pick the right fit for your budget and stack.

Why look for a Helicone alternative?

Helicone is a solid ai gateways & llm proxies choice, but it isn't the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons teams evaluate alternatives:

−Pro jumps to $799 for compliance features
−Usage charges on top of the plan fee
−Short retention on the free plan

Helicone vs Alternatives — Quick Comparison

Tool	Pricing	Rating	Best for
HeliconeYou searched	Free · paid from $79/mo	4.5	AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-observability, open-source
1.LiteLLM	Free · paid plans by quote	4.6	AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-proxy, open-source
2.Portkey	Free · paid from $49/mo	4.5	AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-routing, observability
3.Cloudflare AI Gateway	Free · paid from $5/mo	4.4	AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — caching, rate-limiting

Top Helicone Alternatives, Explained

1. LiteLLM

Free tier4.6· Free · paid plans by quote

LiteLLM is an MIT-licensed SDK and proxy server that puts every major model provider behind one OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Requests go straight from your servers to the providers you hold keys for, so no third party sits in your traffic path. The proxy adds virtual keys with budgets and rate limits per key, user or team, plus fallbacks, load balancing and spend tracking (it needs a Postgres database for those). The open-source edition is free; you pay for the server. LiteLLM Enterprise adds SSO, audit logs, role-based access and support at custom pricing.

Free and open source (MIT)
No third party in your request path
Per-team keys and budgets

LiteLLM pricing & review Helicone vs LiteLLM

2. Portkey

Free tier4.5· Free · paid from $49/mo

Portkey combines a gateway and an observability layer. The gateway gives one API across model providers with retries, fallbacks, load balancing, caching and guardrails; the observability side records logs, traces and feedback. The gateway itself is open source and can be self-hosted. The hosted Developer plan is free for 10K recorded logs a month (requests over the limit still go through, they just are not logged). Production is $49/month for 100K logs plus $9 per extra 100K, and adds semantic caching, RBAC and alerts. Enterprise adds private cloud, VPC hosting, SSO and HIPAA.

Gateway and observability in one product
Open-source gateway you can self-host
Guardrails and semantic caching

Portkey pricing & review Helicone vs Portkey

3. Cloudflare AI Gateway

Free tier4.4· Free · paid from $5/mo

Cloudflare AI Gateway sits between your app and model providers on Cloudflare's edge. Analytics, caching and rate limiting are free on every plan; you change the base URL and keep your provider keys. Gateways created after Sep 24 2026 store logs under Workers Logs pricing (older gateways keep 100,000 logs on Workers Free and 10 million per gateway on Workers Paid). Guardrails are billed as Workers AI inference. Unified Billing lets you pay providers through Cloudflare for a 5% fee on credits, with no markup on inference.

Core features are free
Runs on Cloudflare's global edge
Nothing to host

Cloudflare AI Gateway pricing & review Helicone vs Cloudflare 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best alternatives to Helicone in 2026?⌄

The best Helicone alternatives in 2026 are LiteLLM, Portkey, Cloudflare AI Gateway. Each is a ai gateways & llm proxies option you can compare on pricing, free tiers, and features in the table above.

Is there a free alternative to Helicone?⌄

Yes — LiteLLM, Portkey, Cloudflare AI Gateway offer free tiers, making them strong free Helicone alternatives for bootstrapped startups.

Why look for a Helicone alternative?⌄

A common reason teams switch is pro jumps to $799 for compliance features. Beyond that, people compare ai gateways & llm proxies tools on pricing, specific feature gaps, ease of use, and whether an open-source or free-tier option exists — so they can pick the best fit for their stack and budget.

What is the cheapest Helicone alternative?⌄

LiteLLM is among the most affordable Helicone alternatives — free · paid plans by quote. Check the comparison table above for the full pricing breakdown.

Which Helicone alternative is rated highest?⌄

LiteLLM is the highest-rated Helicone alternative in our catalog at 4.6 out of 5, making it a strong pick if you want a well-reviewed option.