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Software · head to head

Helicone vs Krea

Helicone logo

Helicone

Software

Open-source LLM observability and gateway platform for AI applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
K

Krea

Software

Generate, enhance, and edit images, videos, or 3D meshes with AI

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Helicone has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Helicone the free Hobby plan is capped at 10,000 requests per month, which teams with production traffic can exceed quickly.; Krea usage is metered in compute units that vary by operation; the free tier grants only 100 units per day, and the $9 per month Basic tier steps up to 5,000 units, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helicone and Krea actually diverge.

Attributes where Helicone and Krea differ
AttributeHeliconeKrea
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Helicone

  • Request dashboard and tracking
  • Sessions and segments
  • Helicone Query Language (HQL)
  • Prompt datasets and improvement
  • Playground
  • Rate limits and alerts

Only in Krea

Nothing recorded that Helicone does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Helicone

  • Monitoring cost and latency of production LLM applicationsnot Krea
  • Debugging multi-step agent sessionsnot Krea
  • Managing and iterating on prompts across a teamnot Krea
  • Routing requests across multiple LLM providersnot Krea

Krea

No use cases recorded yet. See the Krea review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Helicone

  • The free Hobby plan is capped at 10,000 requests per month, which teams with production traffic can exceed quickly.
  • Advanced compliance features like SOC 2 and HIPAA are only available starting at the $799/month Team plan.
  • Usage beyond the free tier is billed on top of the base subscription, adding cost unpredictability at scale.
  • On-premises deployment is restricted to the custom Enterprise tier.

Krea

  • Usage is metered in compute units that vary by operation; the free tier grants only 100 units per day, and the $9 per month Basic tier steps up to 5,000 units, as of August 2026.

Pricing, plan by plan

Helicone

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 10,000 free requests
    • 1 GB storage
    • 1 seat
  • Pro$79/month
    • 10K free requests included, usage-based beyond
    • 7-day free trial
    • Unlimited playgrounds and workspaces
  • Team$799/month
    • 5 organizations
    • SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance
    • Dedicated Slack channel access
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom MSAs and SAML SSO
    • On-premises deployment
    • Bulk cloud discounts

Krea

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Krea review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Helicone if

  • You need request dashboard and tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want sessions and segments.
Helicone review

Choose Krea if

Nothing in the data separates Krea from Helicone on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Krea review

Questions people ask

Is Helicone or Krea better?
Neither clearly leads. Helicone starts at Free and Krea at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helicone or Krea?
Helicone has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helicone and On request for Krea.
Does Helicone or Krea run on more platforms?
Helicone runs on web, api. Krea runs on Web.
Can I use Helicone for free?
Yes. Helicone has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Krea starts at On request.
What is Helicone best used for?
Helicone is most often used for monitoring cost and latency of production llm applications, debugging multi-step agent sessions, managing and iterating on prompts across a team, routing requests across multiple llm providers. Of those, monitoring cost and latency of production llm applications and debugging multi-step agent sessions are not what Krea is typically brought in for.
What can Helicone do that Krea cannot?
Helicone covers Request dashboard and tracking, Sessions and segments, Helicone Query Language (HQL), Prompt datasets and improvement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helicone: What does Helicone cost?

Helicone offers a free Hobby plan, a Pro plan at $79/month, a Team plan at $799/month, and custom Enterprise pricing, with usage-based charges applying beyond included request limits.

Source
Helicone: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The free Hobby plan includes 10,000 requests per month, 1 GB of storage, 1 seat, and 1 organization, aimed at kickstarting AI projects.

Source
Helicone: Are there discounts available?

Helicone offers 50% off the first year for qualifying startups, discounts for non-profits, a $100 annual credit for open-source projects, and free access for students.

Source
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