Helicone
Self-host / Cloud
About
Self-host / Cloud Found in: Yigtwxx/Awesome-RAG-Production
Details
Helicone is an open-source LLM observability platform that provides an AI Gateway for accessing 100+ AI models through a single API key. It enables monitoring, evaluating, and experimenting with LLM applications with one line of code. Key capabilities include intelligent routing and automatic fallbacks, detailed request logging and tracing for agents and chatbots, cost and latency analytics, a playground for prompt testing, version-controlled prompt management, and fine-tuning integration with partners like OpenPipe and Autonomi. It is SOC 2 and GDPR compliant, offers a generous monthly free tier (10k requests/month), and can be self-hosted or used as a cloud service. Helicone is Y Combinator W23.
Key Features
- AI Gateway to access 100+ AI models with one API key and intelligent routing
- Automatic fallbacks between models
- One-line integration for logging from OpenAI, Anthropic, LangChain, Gemini, Vercel AI SDK and more
- Observability and tracing for agents, chatbots, and document processing pipelines
- Cost, latency, and quality analytics with export to PostHog
- Playground for testing prompts, sessions, and traces
- Version-controlled prompt management deployable through the gateway
- Fine-tuning with partner integrations (OpenPipe, Autonomi)
- Self-hosted or cloud deployment options
- SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
Use Cases
- Monitoring and debugging LLM applications
- Optimizing costs and latency across multiple models
- Managing prompt versions and deploying them without code changes
- Building and evaluating AI agents and chatbots
- Fine-tuning models using production data
- Experimenting with different models and prompt configurations
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open source with self-hosting option
- Supports over 100 AI models through a single API
- Quick integration with one line of code
- Generous free tier available
- Enterprise-grade compliance (SOC 2, GDPR)
- Built-in routing and fallback logic
Cons
- Cloud version requires account setup and API key
- Self-hosting may require technical infrastructure management
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Helicone?
Helicone is an open-source LLM observability platform and AI Gateway that lets you access 100+ AI models with a single API key, monitor requests, and manage prompts.
How do I get started?
Sign up at helicone.ai to get your API key, then update your base URL to https://ai-gateway.helicone.ai and add your API key to start logging requests.
Is there a free tier?
Yes, Helicone offers a generous monthly free tier (10k requests/month) with no credit card required.
Can I self-host Helicone?
Yes, Helicone is open source and can be self-hosted.
What models does Helicone support?
Helicone supports 100+ models including OpenAI, Anthropic, LangChain, Gemini, and Vercel AI SDK.
Is Helicone compliant with security standards?
Yes, Helicone is SOC 2 and GDPR compliant.