API Analytics vs Helicone

API Analytics monitors API activity and gives teams usage and performance data through a real-time dashboard, active monitoring, and error notifications. Setup examples cover frameworks including FastAPI, Flask, Django, Express, Gin, Rails, and ASP.NET Core. Its middleware can record request method, endpoint, user agent, timestamp, response status and time, API hostname, and framework identifier. IP collection is configurable: addresses can be stored, discarded after use, or never accessed or collected. An optional custom user ID can be attached to requests and used to filter information from the data API, which returns raw request records with filters such as date, hostname, status, location, and user ID. The service is available on the web and through an API, and it can be self-hosted. Its free plan costs nothing and supports up to 1 million stored requests per user; new requests replace older ones after the limit. The FAQ advises against production self-hosting while the project remains under development and testing.

Helicone routes, debugs, and analyzes AI applications through a gateway and observability tools. The gateway provides access to more than 100 models through the OpenAI SDK by changing the model name, and supports load balancing, automatic failovers, and response caching across providers. Helicone logs requests in real time and visualizes multi-step LLM interactions to help locate error causes. Listed integrations include OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, LiteLLM, Anyscale, Together AI, and OpenRouter. It can run in customer infrastructure through single-click deployment or a production-ready Helm chart; Helicone also states that its cloud is SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant. A LangGraph integration tracks calls, sessions, performance, and costs, while an API cost calculator covers more than 300 models and providers. The free Hobby plan includes 10,000 requests, 1 GB storage, one seat, one organization, and seven days of retention. Pro costs $79.00 per month. A seven-day trial is advertised. Helicone says its services remain live in maintenance mode following acquisition by Mintlify, with security updates, new models, and bug and performance fixes continuing.