Last updated 07-30-2026
Category:
Reviews:
Join thousands of AI enthusiasts in the World of AI!
Helicone
Helicone is an open-source AI gateway and observability platform for production LLM apps. Point the OpenAI SDK at https://ai-gateway.helicone.ai and you can call 100+ models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other providers while Helicone logs latency, token usage, cost, and errors automatically.
Most model routers charge a markup and bolt observability on later. Helicone combines routing with monitoring: automatic provider failover, cross-provider caching, granular rate limits, session tracking, and a unified dashboard for debugging prompts. The credits product advertises 0% markup on model usage, so you pay provider rates plus standard payment processing rather than a platform surcharge.
Helicone's Hobby plan includes 10,000 monitored requests per month with a 7-day retention window, while Pro and Team tiers add longer retention, higher ingestion limits, prompts, datasets, and gateway features like caching and automatic fallbacks. The company is open source with self-host and managed cloud options, and the homepage notes Helicone joined Mintlify in 2026.
OpenAI-compatible gateway endpoint at ai-gateway.helicone.ai for 100+ LLM providers
Automatic provider failover, load balancing, and intelligent cheapest-route selection
Built-in observability with sessions, user analytics, custom properties, and cost tracking
Hobby plan includes 10,000 requests per month with 7-day log retention
Cross-provider caching and granular rate limits by user, team, or cost
0% markup Helicone Credits billing across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other providers
Open-source codebase with self-hosted and managed cloud deployment options
One OpenAI-compatible endpoint covers 100+ models with automatic logging included.
0% markup credits simplify multi-provider billing without juggling separate API invoices.
Open-source gateway supports self-hosting for teams with strict data residency needs.
Failover, caching, and rate limits are built for production traffic rather than demos.
Free Hobby retention lasts only 7 days, which limits long-term incident investigation.
Advanced Team and Enterprise compliance features require paid tiers and sales conversations.
Model registry is still growing, though BYOK covers providers outside the default catalog.
What is Helicone?
Helicone is an AI gateway and LLM observability platform for routing, debugging, and analyzing production AI apps. Helicone logs every request, tracks costs, and exposes 100+ models through one OpenAI-compatible API.
How do I integrate Helicone?
Helicone integrates by pointing the OpenAI SDK base URL to https://ai-gateway.helicone.ai and using your Helicone API key. You can switch models by changing the model name without rewriting provider-specific SDK code.
Does Helicone charge markup on model usage?
Helicone Credits advertise 0% markup on provider pricing, so you pay model rates without a platform surcharge. Standard payment processing fees still apply when topping up credits.
What is included in Helicone's free Hobby plan?
Helicone's Hobby tier includes 10,000 requests per month, one seat, 7-day data retention, and community support. Higher tiers add longer retention, prompts, datasets, gateway caching, and increased ingestion limits.
Can Helicone route between multiple LLM providers?
Yes. Helicone AI Gateway translates OpenAI-format requests to Anthropic, Google, and other providers, then fails over automatically on rate limits, timeouts, or provider outages.
Is Helicone open source?
Yes. Helicone is open source and can be self-hosted on AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, or Docker. Helicone also offers a managed cloud service with the same gateway and observability features.