Software Development · head to head
LangSmith vs Braintrust
LangSmith
Software Development
Know what your agents are really doing
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Braintrust
Software Development
The active observability platform for agents
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: LangSmith usage beyond the included trace allotment is billed in LangChain Compute Units at $1.50 per LCU and Storage Units at $1.00 per LSU, an unfamiliar metering unit compared to flat per-seat pricing, as of August 2026.; Braintrust the free Starter tier includes only $10 of monthly model credits, 1 GB of processed data, and 10,000 scores before overage charges of $4 per GB and $2.50 per 1,000 scores apply, as of August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which LangSmith and Braintrust actually diverge.
| Attribute | LangSmith | Braintrust |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Software Development).
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
LangSmith
- Usage beyond the included trace allotment is billed in LangChain Compute Units at $1.50 per LCU and Storage Units at $1.00 per LSU, an unfamiliar metering unit compared to flat per-seat pricing, as of August 2026.
Braintrust
- The free Starter tier includes only $10 of monthly model credits, 1 GB of processed data, and 10,000 scores before overage charges of $4 per GB and $2.50 per 1,000 scores apply, as of August 2026.
Pricing, plan by plan
LangSmith
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the LangSmith review.
Braintrust
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Braintrust review.
Which should you pick?
Choose LangSmith if
Nothing in the data separates LangSmith from Braintrust on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Braintrust if
Nothing in the data separates Braintrust from LangSmith on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is LangSmith or Braintrust better?
- Neither clearly leads. LangSmith starts at On request and Braintrust at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, LangSmith or Braintrust?
- LangSmith starts at On request and Braintrust at On request.
- Does LangSmith or Braintrust run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Related pages
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- Braintrust vs Windsurf
- Braintrust vs Zed
- Braintrust vs Cursor
- Braintrust vs Amp
- Braintrust vs Augment Code
- Braintrust vs Baseten
- Braintrust vs Bun
- Braintrust vs Cline
- Braintrust vs Devin
- Braintrust vs Factory
- Braintrust vs Humanloop
- Braintrust vs Langfuse
- Braintrust vs Qodo
- Braintrust vs Val Town
