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Helicone’s broad LLM observability and routing make it a fit for teams that want gateway and tracing together. But one Reddit thread says Helicone was acquired by Mintlify and may be moving into maintenance mode: security updates are expected to continue, while active feature development may stop. That report is a reason to review your options, not proof of a shutdown. The alternatives here serve different needs, from self-hosted observability to agent evaluation and voice AI testing.
01Why people leave Helicone
Concern about future development
One Reddit thread says Helicone may move into maintenance mode, with security updates continuing but active feature development likely ending.
A different job to be done
Teams focused on agent evaluation, quality monitoring or voice testing may find a closer fit in tools built around those needs.
Recheck the cost before renewing
Our comparison lists Helicone from $79 with a free plan. Alternatives range from free plans to a listed $80 starting price; some hosted pricing is unknown.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Best for self-hosting
OpenLITOpenLITOpenLIT is the closest fit here for teams that want broad observability but are prepared to run the stack themselves. It is listed as free and supports OpenTelemetry export, with GPU-backed LLM operators among its target users. That makes it worth considering if self-hosting is already part of your setup, rather than a new operational burden you are taking on just to leave Helicone.
Trade-off: Self-hosting is the clear trade-off; hosted pricing is not published.
7.4/10from
Freefree plan - Best for agent evaluation
HoneyHiveHoneyHiveHoneyHive is a better fit than Helicone if your priority is evaluating AI agents before release and monitoring trace quality. It has a free plan and is positioned for teams that need trace and quality monitoring. Before switching, check the event cap and ask for an Enterprise quote: our comparison flags both as points to verify, but gives no cap number or Enterprise price.
Trade-off: Check the event cap; Enterprise pricing is not published.
7.2/10from
Freefree plan - Best for AI coworkers
AgentaAgentaAgenta is aimed at building and running AI coworkers, including Slack or Telegram agents and scheduled or triggered tasks. It is listed with a free plan and a $29 starting price, and is an option for teams that want to self-host an MIT-licensed tool. Choose it for agent building and execution, not as a like-for-like replacement for Helicone’s observability stack.
Trade-off: It is not positioned as an AI observability replacement.
6.5/10from
$29/mofree plan - Best for voice AI QA
CovalCovalCoval is the more relevant choice if the system you need to assess is a voice agent. It is positioned for pre-launch testing, production quality tracking and comparing voice AI vendors. The listed starting price is $80. That may make sense for a voice-focused QA need, but our comparison flags simulation limits without publishing their exact numbers.
Trade-off: Simulation limits are not published; listed starting price is $80.
6.5/10from
$80/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Helicone Helicone (current) | 6.2 | $79/mo | Yes | Teams needing gateway and tracing together |
| OpenLIT OpenLIT | 7.4 | Free | Yes | Teams already self-hosting observability |
| HoneyHive HoneyHive | 7.2 | Free | Yes | Teams evaluating AI agents before release |
| Agenta Agenta | 6.5 | $29/mo | Yes | Teams building Slack or Telegram agents |
| Coval Coval | 6.5 | $80/mo | No | Teams testing voice agents before launch |
Questions people ask
Why are teams looking for Helicone alternatives?
A Reddit thread says Helicone was acquired by Mintlify and may move into maintenance mode, with security updates continuing but active feature development likely ending. That is a reported concern, not confirmation that Helicone is shutting down. Teams may also be looking for a tool more focused on agent evaluation or voice AI testing.
Which Helicone alternative is the closest fit for observability?
OpenLIT is the clearest observability-focused option in this comparison for teams willing to self-host. It is listed as free and supports OpenTelemetry export. Its hosted pricing is not published, so teams that need a managed service should confirm both availability and cost before planning a move.
What do Helicone alternatives cost?
Our comparison lists Helicone from $79 with a free plan. Agenta starts at $29 with a free plan, while Coval starts at $80. OpenLIT and HoneyHive have free plans, but their hosted or Enterprise pricing is not published here. Confirm current pricing and plan limits before switching.