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Machine Learning · head to head

LangChain vs New Relic

LangChain logo

LangChain

Machine Learning

Build applications with LLMs through composability

From
Free
Rated
-
New Relic logo

New Relic

Logging

Observability made simple

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LangChain the free Developer plan of LangSmith is limited to 1 seat; New Relic data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • They diverge on capability: LangChain covers Chains and agents, New Relic covers APM.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LangChain and New Relic actually diverge.

Attributes where LangChain and New Relic differ
AttributeLangChainNew Relic
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Mac, WindowsWeb, Api, Mobile
CategoryMachine LearningLogging
Founded20222008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Hugging Face

Only in New Relic

  • APM
  • Infrastructure Monitoring
  • Log Management
  • Browser Monitoring
  • Synthetic Monitoring
  • Mobile Monitoring
  • Kubernetes Monitoring
  • AI Ops

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 New Relic
  • Tracing and debugging LLM chains and agent runsnot New Relic
  • Evaluating prompt and model changes against datasetsnot New Relic

New Relic

  • Application monitoringnot LangChain
  • Infrastructure monitoringnot LangChain
  • Error trackingnot LangChain
  • Performance optimizationnot 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

New Relic

  • Data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • Core user licensing model adds complexity to pricing with distinction between full platform users and basic users
  • Default logs obfuscation may miss some sensitive patterns requiring custom configuration
  • Retention limits even on paid tiers require additional storage for long-term compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

LangChain

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

New Relic

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the New Relic review.

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.

Choose New Relic if

  • You need apm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
  • You also want infrastructure monitoring.

Questions people ask

Is LangChain or New Relic better?
Neither clearly leads. LangChain starts at Free and New Relic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LangChain or New Relic?
LangChain starts at Free and New Relic at Free.
Does LangChain or New Relic run on more platforms?
LangChain runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. New Relic runs on Web, Api, Mobile.
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 New Relic is typically brought in for.
What can LangChain do that New Relic cannot?
LangChain covers Chains and agents, Retrieval-augmented generation, Memory management, Tool integration. New Relic covers APM, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, Browser Monitoring.

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
New Relic: Does New Relic offer a free tier?

Yes, New Relic's free tier is perpetual with no credit card required. It includes 100 GB of free data ingest monthly, one Full Platform User with access to all 50+ capabilities, and unlimited Basic Users for querying and dashboard creation.

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
New Relic: How much does New Relic cost for paid plans?

Paid plans start at $49 per month per core user. New Relic uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for what you use. Annual commitment options are available with volume discounts for larger teams.

Source
New Relic: What data retention is included in New Relic's free tier?

The free tier includes a minimum of 8 days data retention for troubleshooting. Paid plans offer extended retention periods and customizable data retention policies.

Source
New Relic: How many integrations does New Relic support?

New Relic provides access to 780+ integrations and unlimited hosts at no additional cost. These include monitoring integrations for various cloud services, databases, and applications.

Source
New Relic: Can I use New Relic to monitor multiple cloud providers?

Yes, New Relic is cloud-agnostic and supports monitoring across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure in a single platform.

Source
New Relic: What is New Relic's ownership structure today?

New Relic was acquired by TPG and Francisco Partners on July 31, 2023, for $6.5 billion and transitioned from a publicly traded company to a private company in November 2023.

Source
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