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Machine Learning · head to head

LlamaIndex vs Ory Kratos

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Machine Learning

Data framework for LLM applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LlamaIndex the free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LlamaIndex and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where LlamaIndex and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeLlamaIndexOry Kratos
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
PlatformsLinux, Mac, WindowsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryMachine LearningCybersecurity
Founded2022Unknown

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 LlamaIndex

  • Data connectors
  • Indexing
  • Query engine
  • RAG pipelines
  • Agents
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Pinecone

Only in Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

What people use each for

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

LlamaIndex

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

Ory Kratos

  • Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot LlamaIndex
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot LlamaIndex
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot LlamaIndex

Where each one falls short

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

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

Ory Kratos

  • Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
  • Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
  • Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Ory Kratos

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full identity server
    • All flows
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Ory Kratos if

  • You need headless api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want self-service flows.
Ory Kratos review

Questions people ask

Is LlamaIndex or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. LlamaIndex starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LlamaIndex or Ory Kratos?
LlamaIndex starts at Free and Ory Kratos at Free.
Does LlamaIndex or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
LlamaIndex runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use LlamaIndex for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LlamaIndex best used for?
LlamaIndex is most often used for parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag, building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data, indexing and querying enterprise documents from an llm application. Of those, parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag and building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can LlamaIndex do that Ory Kratos cannot?
LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Indexing, Query engine, RAG pipelines. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.

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
Ory Kratos: What does headless mean here?

Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.

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
Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.

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