LLM vs BurnRate
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. LLM is completely free, while BurnRate is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Prompts from the terminal
- SQLite logging
- Embeddings
- Tool calling
- Plugin system
- Structured extraction
- Unified AI spend dashboard
- Budgets and spend alerts
- Local Relay for provider keys
- CLI for coding agent costs
- Provider and model comparisons
- Savings recommendations
| Feature | LLM | BurnRate |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Command-line tool and Python library for working with any LLM | Track OpenAI and Anthropic spend and AI coding tool costs in one place |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | Simon Willison | BurnRate |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
LLM is completely free, while BurnRate is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Free
Free
- Up to 3 usage sources
- 1 workspace budget
- 30-day history
Pro
$12/mo
- Unlimited sources
- Model comparisons
- Slack and email alerts
- JSON export
Team
$29/mo
- Per user
- Shared team workspace
- Roles and invitations
- Priority support
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
LLM
- Works with hosted and local models
- Keeps a searchable log of every prompt
- Large plugin ecosystem
- Command line only, no GUI
- Hosted models need your own API keys
- Some features depend on plugins
BurnRate
- Does not ask for prompts or source code
- Covers many AI coding tools via CLI
- Useful free tier
- Direct reporting covers only OpenAI and Anthropic
- Free plan keeps 30 days of history
- Agent-level detail needs the local CLI
Which one should you choose?
Choose LLM if you want:
- Works with hosted and local models
- Keeps a searchable log of every prompt
- Large plugin ecosystem
Watch out: command line only, no gui.
Choose BurnRate if you want:
- Does not ask for prompts or source code
- Covers many AI coding tools via CLI
- Useful free tier
Watch out: direct reporting covers only openai and anthropic.
LLM vs BurnRate FAQ
What is the difference between LLM and BurnRate?
LLM: Command-line tool and Python library for working with any LLM. BurnRate: Track OpenAI and Anthropic spend and AI coding tool costs in one place. Both are models & apis tools.
Is LLM or BurnRate cheaper?
LLM is completely free, while BurnRate is freemium.
Do LLM and BurnRate have free plans?
LLM: Yes, fully free. BurnRate: Yes.
Who makes LLM?
LLM is made by Simon Willison, based in United States.
Who makes BurnRate?
BurnRate is made by BurnRate.
Which should I choose, LLM or BurnRate?
Choose LLM if you value works with hosted and local models and keeps a searchable log of every prompt. Choose BurnRate if you value does not ask for prompts or source code and covers many ai coding tools via cli.