--- title: "3 Best LiteLLM Alternatives in 2026 (Compared)" description: "Looking for a LiteLLM alternative? Compare the best AI Gateways & LLM Proxies alternatives to LiteLLM by pricing, free tiers, and features — find the right fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/litellm retrieved: 2026-10-14 --- AI Gateways & LLM Proxies # The 3 Best LiteLLM Alternatives in 2026 Looking for an alternative to [LiteLLM](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/litellm)? 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. Category AI Gateways & LLM Proxies LiteLLM pricing Free tier available Free tier Yes Alternatives 3 compared ## Why look for a LiteLLM alternative? LiteLLM is a solid ai gateways & llm proxies choice, but it isn't the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons teams evaluate alternatives: * −You run, secure and upgrade it * −Needs Postgres for keys and spend tracking * −SSO and audit logs are Enterprise-only ## LiteLLM vs Alternatives — Quick Comparison | Tool | Pricing | Free tier | Rating | Best for | | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | --------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | [LiteLLM](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/litellm)You searched | Free · paid plans by quote | ✓ | 4.6 | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-proxy, open-source | | 1.[Helicone](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/helicone) | Free · paid from $79/mo | ✓ | 4.5 | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-observability, open-source | | 2.[Portkey](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/portkey) | Free · paid from $49/mo | ✓ | 4.5 | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — llm-routing, observability | | 3.[Cloudflare AI Gateway](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/cloudflare-ai-gateway) | Free · paid from $5/mo | ✓ | 4.4 | AI Gateways & LLM Proxies — caching, rate-limiting | ## Top LiteLLM Alternatives, Explained ![Helicone](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=helicone.ai&sz=128) ### 1. Helicone Free tier4.5· Free · paid from $79/mo Helicone started as LLM request logging and now ships an open-source AI gateway alongside it, with caching, rate limits and automatic fallbacks across providers. Every request is logged with cost, latency and the full prompt, and can be queried with its HQL query language. The Hobby plan is free for 10,000 requests a month with 7-day retention. Pro is $79/month (unlimited seats, alerts, one-month retention) and Team is $799/month (SOC 2, HIPAA, three-month retention), both usage-based after the first 10K requests. You can also self-host it. * ✓Open source and self-hostable * ✓Cost and latency logging on every request * ✓Generous free tier [Helicone pricing & review ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/helicone)[LiteLLM vs Helicone ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/helicone-vs-litellm) ![Portkey](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=portkey.ai&sz=128) ### 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 ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/portkey)[LiteLLM vs Portkey ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/litellm-vs-portkey) ![Cloudflare AI Gateway](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=cloudflare.com&sz=128) ### 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 ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/cloudflare-ai-gateway)[LiteLLM vs Cloudflare AI Gateway ](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/cloudflare-ai-gateway-vs-litellm) [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) ## Frequently Asked Questions What are the best alternatives to LiteLLM in 2026?⌄ The best LiteLLM alternatives in 2026 are Helicone, 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 LiteLLM?⌄ Yes — Helicone, Portkey, Cloudflare AI Gateway offer free tiers, making them strong free LiteLLM alternatives for bootstrapped startups. Why look for a LiteLLM alternative?⌄ A common reason teams switch is you run, secure and upgrade it. 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 LiteLLM alternative?⌄ Helicone is among the most affordable LiteLLM alternatives — free · paid from $79/mo. Check the comparison table above for the full pricing breakdown. Which LiteLLM alternative is rated highest?⌄ Helicone is the highest-rated LiteLLM alternative in our catalog at 4.5 out of 5, making it a strong pick if you want a well-reviewed option. ## Find your perfect ai gateways & llm proxies tool Skip the research. Get a free AI-powered tech stack matched to your budget, app type, and team size in seconds. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)