kitio.aipgvector vs Helicone
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. pgvector is completely free, while Helicone is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Vector column type
- HNSW and IVFFlat indexes
- Multiple distance metrics
- Plain SQL queries
- Wide cloud support
- Request logging and tracing
- Sessions and user analytics
- HQL query language
- Alerts and rate limits
- Prompt management
- Response caching
| Feature | pgvector | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source vector similarity search extension for Postgres | Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $79/mo |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | Yes |
| Made by | pgvector contributors | Helicone, Inc. |
| Based in | – | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
pgvector is completely free, while Helicone is freemium.
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 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
pgvector
- Uses your existing database
- Free and widely supported
- Full SQL power
- Slower than specialized engines at scale
- Index builds use memory
- Tuning needs Postgres skills
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 pgvector if you want:
- Uses your existing database
- Free and widely supported
- Full SQL power
Watch out: slower than specialized engines at scale.
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.
pgvector vs Helicone FAQ
What is the difference between pgvector and Helicone?
pgvector: Open-source vector similarity search extension for Postgres. Helicone: Open-source AI gateway and LLM observability platform. Both are models & apis tools.
Is pgvector or Helicone cheaper?
pgvector is completely free, while Helicone is freemium.
Do pgvector and Helicone have free plans?
pgvector: Yes, fully free. Helicone: Yes.
Who makes pgvector?
pgvector is made by pgvector contributors.
Who makes Helicone?
Helicone is made by Helicone, Inc., based in United States.
Which should I choose, pgvector or Helicone?
Choose pgvector if you value uses your existing database and free and widely supported. Choose Helicone if you value works with many llm providers and generous free request allowance.