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Machine Learning · head to head

LangChain vs LlamaIndex

LangChain logo

LangChain

Machine Learning

Build applications with LLMs through composability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Machine Learning

Data framework for LLM applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LangChain the free Developer plan of LangSmith is limited to 1 seat; LlamaIndex the free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out
  • They diverge on capability: LangChain covers Chains and agents, LlamaIndex covers Data connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LangChain and LlamaIndex actually diverge.

Attributes where LangChain and LlamaIndex differ
AttributeLangChainLlamaIndex
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning), founded (2022).

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 LangChain

  • Chains and agents
  • Retrieval-augmented generation
  • Memory management
  • Tool integration
  • Prompt templates
  • Hugging Face

Only in LlamaIndex

  • Data connectors
  • Indexing
  • Query engine
  • RAG pipelines
  • Agents
  • Weaviate

Both cover

  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Pinecone
  • Chroma
  • Linux support
  • Mac support
  • Windows support

What people use each for

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

LangChain

  • Building LLM applications and agents in Python or JavaScriptnot LlamaIndex
  • Tracing and debugging LLM chains and agent runsnot LlamaIndex
  • Evaluating prompt and model changes against datasetsnot LlamaIndex

LlamaIndex

  • Parsing PDFs and complex documents into structured text for RAGnot LangChain
  • Building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private datanot LangChain
  • Indexing and querying enterprise documents from an LLM applicationnot LangChain

Where each one falls short

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

LangChain

  • The free Developer plan of LangSmith is limited to 1 seat
  • Base traces are retained for 14 days only; 400 day retention costs extra
  • Included traces are capped at 5,000 per month on Developer and 10,000 per month on Plus, with everything beyond billed pay as you go
  • Self hosted and hybrid deployment of LangSmith is Enterprise only
  • Custom SSO, RBAC and ABAC are Enterprise only
  • A support SLA is Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

LlamaIndex

  • The free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out
  • Concurrent parse jobs are capped at 5 on Free and Starter, 20 on Pro and 100 on Enterprise
  • Pay as you go spend is capped at $500 per month on Starter and $5,000 per month on Pro
  • Enterprise SSO is Enterprise plan only
  • Volume discounts on credits and 5x higher rate limits are Enterprise only
  • SaaS or hybrid cloud deployment choice and a dedicated account manager are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

LangChain

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • Community support
  • LangSmith$39/month
    • Debugging
    • Monitoring
    • Testing

LlamaIndex

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10K monthly credits
    • Basic parsing
    • 5 concurrent jobs
  • Starter$50/month
    • 40K credits + pay-as-you-go
    • Up to 400K credits
    • 5 concurrent jobs
  • Pro$500/month
    • 400K credits + limited-time bonus
    • 20 concurrent jobs
    • Priority Slack support
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom volume discounts
    • 5x higher rate limits
    • SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose LangChain if

  • You need chains and agents.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want retrieval-augmented generation.
LangChain review

Choose LlamaIndex if

  • You need data connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want indexing.
LlamaIndex review

Questions people ask

Is LangChain or LlamaIndex better?
Neither clearly leads. LangChain starts at Free and LlamaIndex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LangChain or LlamaIndex?
LangChain starts at Free and LlamaIndex at Free.
Does LangChain or LlamaIndex run on more platforms?
Both run on Linux, Mac, Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use LangChain for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LangChain best used for?
LangChain is most often used for building llm applications and agents in python or javascript, tracing and debugging llm chains and agent runs, evaluating prompt and model changes against datasets. Of those, building llm applications and agents in python or javascript and tracing and debugging llm chains and agent runs are not what LlamaIndex is typically brought in for.
What can LangChain do that LlamaIndex cannot?
LangChain covers Chains and agents, Retrieval-augmented generation, Memory management, Tool integration. LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Indexing, Query engine, RAG pipelines. Both handle OpenAI, Anthropic, Pinecone, Chroma.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LangChain: Does LangChain charge for its services?

LangChain's main website does not display pricing. However, LangSmith (a related platform) offers both free and paid plans. Visit the dedicated pricing page or contact LangChain for details.

Source
LlamaIndex: How much does LlamaIndex (LlamaParse) cost?

LlamaIndex offers a Free plan with 10K monthly credits at $0/month. The Starter plan is $50/month for 40K credits plus pay-as-you-go overage up to 400K total. The Pro plan is $500/month for 400K credits. Credits are priced at 1,000 credits for $1.25.

Source
LangChain: How can I learn about LangChain pricing?

Click on the Pricing link in navigation or use the Try LangSmith or Get a demo options to explore pricing for LangChain's commercial offerings.

Source
LlamaIndex: Is LlamaIndex free?

Yes, LlamaIndex offers a free plan with 10K monthly credits, basic parsing, 5 concurrent jobs, and support for up to 100 users with no upfront payment required.

Source
LlamaIndex: What are LlamaIndex's concurrent job limits?

The Free and Starter plans allow 5 concurrent jobs. The Pro plan increases this to 20 concurrent jobs. Enterprise plans offer custom configurations with 5x higher rate limits.

Source
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