kitio.aiLiteLLM vs Helicone
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. LiteLLM starts at See pricing page and Helicone starts at $79/mo. 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
- OpenAI-format SDK
- Proxy gateway
- Budgets and rate limits
- Provider fallbacks
- Spend tracking
- Request logging and tracing
- Sessions and user analytics
- HQL query language
- Alerts and rate limits
- Prompt management
- Response caching
| Feature | LiteLLM | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source gateway to call 100+ LLM providers in OpenAI format | Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $79/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | BerriAI | Helicone, Inc. |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
LiteLLM starts at See pricing page and Helicone starts at $79/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Open Source
Free
- Self-hosted
- 100+ providers, one OpenAI API
- Virtual keys, budgets, rate limits
- Spend tracking and fallbacks
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Annual contract
- Air-gapped deployment
- 30-day trial key
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 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
LiteLLM
- Supports a huge provider list
- Free to self-host
- Good cost controls
- Fast releases can bring bugs
- Config gets complex at scale
- Enterprise features are paid
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
Which one should you choose?
Choose LiteLLM if you want:
- Supports a huge provider list
- Free to self-host
- Good cost controls
Watch out: fast releases can bring bugs.
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.
LiteLLM vs Helicone FAQ
What is the difference between LiteLLM and Helicone?
LiteLLM: Open-source gateway to call 100+ LLM providers in OpenAI format. Helicone: Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform. Both are models & apis tools.
Is LiteLLM or Helicone cheaper?
LiteLLM starts at See pricing page and Helicone starts at $79/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do LiteLLM and Helicone have free plans?
LiteLLM: Yes. Helicone: Yes.
Who makes LiteLLM?
LiteLLM is made by BerriAI, based in United States.
Who makes Helicone?
Helicone is made by Helicone, Inc., based in United States.
Which should I choose, LiteLLM or Helicone?
Choose LiteLLM if you value supports a huge provider list and free to self-host. Choose Helicone if you value works with many llm providers and generous free request allowance.