kitio.aiHelicone vs Stacklok
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Helicone starts at $79/mo and Stacklok starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Request logging and tracing
- Sessions and user analytics
- HQL query language
- Alerts and rate limits
- Prompt management
- Response caching
- MCP registry
- MCP gateway
- MCP runtime
- AI gateway
- Kubernetes-native deployment
- Open-source agent harness
| Feature | Helicone | Stacklok |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform | Kubernetes-native MCP and AI gateway platform for enterprise agents |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $79/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Helicone, Inc. | Stacklok |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Helicone starts at $79/mo and Stacklok starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Hobby
Free
- 10,000 requests per month
- 1 seat
- 1 organization
Pro
$79/mo
- Unlimited seats
- Alerts and reports
- HQL query language
- Usage-based pricing applies
Team
$799/mo
- 5 organizations
- SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance
- Dedicated Slack channel
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom MSA
- SAML SSO
- On-prem deployment
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Helicone
- Works with many LLM providers
- Generous free request allowance
- Open-source codebase
- Usage fees on top of paid plans
- Big jump from Pro to Team at $799
- SSO and on-prem limited to Enterprise
Stacklok
- Built by Kubernetes co-creators
- Avoids lock-in to one model vendor
- Fits existing Kubernetes ops
- Requires Kubernetes expertise
- Enterprise pricing not published
- Aimed at platform teams, not end users
Which one should you choose?
Choose Helicone if you want:
- Works with many LLM providers
- Generous free request allowance
- Open-source codebase
Watch out: usage fees on top of paid plans.
Choose Stacklok if you want:
- Built by Kubernetes co-creators
- Avoids lock-in to one model vendor
- Fits existing Kubernetes ops
Watch out: requires kubernetes expertise.
Helicone vs Stacklok FAQ
What is the difference between Helicone and Stacklok?
Helicone: Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform. Stacklok: Kubernetes-native MCP and AI gateway platform for enterprise agents. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Helicone or Stacklok cheaper?
Helicone starts at $79/mo and Stacklok starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Helicone and Stacklok have free plans?
Helicone: Yes. Stacklok: Yes.
Who makes Helicone?
Helicone is made by Helicone, Inc., based in United States.
Who makes Stacklok?
Stacklok is made by Stacklok, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Helicone or Stacklok?
Choose Helicone if you value works with many llm providers and generous free request allowance. Choose Stacklok if you value built by kubernetes co-creators and avoids lock-in to one model vendor.