# Helicone: how AI models rank it, September 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. Named in 30 judge labels across 1 categories by 12 of 12 models. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/helicone/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLM gateways and observability | 9% | 3 | 13% | 30 |

## What the models said for it

- "LiteLLM (for flexibility and cost control) or Helicone (for observability and ease of use) are the best LLM gateway choices" (Mistral Small, LLM gateways)
- "Portkey and Helicone are the most frequently recommended LLM observability and routing platforms" (Mistral Small, LLM gateways)
- "LiteLLM (self-hosted, free) and Helicone (free tier, low-cost Pro plan) are the top picks" (Mistral Small, LLM gateways)
- "Start with Langfuse or Helicone" (MiniMax M2.5, LLM gateways)

## And against it

- "Avoid depending on Helicone — it's now in maintenance mode" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, LLM gateways)
- "Avoid if you need active development." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, LLM gateways)
- "Some sources note Helicone's roadmap/maintenance has been evolving; if stability matters, bias toward Portkey or Braintrust." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, LLM gateways)
- "Their cloud plan starts around $79/month, which may be too high for very tight budgets, but the OSS version is robust." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, LLM gateways)

## Record

- Method: https://it-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://it-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, it-ai-index.com.