vsHPromptly vs Helicone: LLM Proxy Comparison (2026)
Both are LLM proxies. Only one actually reduces your costs.
Cost Optimization
| Feature | Promptly | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Smart model routing | ||
| Prompt compression | ||
| Context pruning | ||
| Semantic caching | ||
| Cost savings | Up to 60% | 10-20% (caching only) |
Observability
| Feature | Promptly | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Request logging | ||
| Cost analytics | ||
| Latency monitoring | ||
| Custom dashboards | ||
| Budget alerts |
Routing & Reliability
| Feature | Promptly | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-provider support | ||
| Automatic fallback | Limited | |
| Cost-based routing | ||
| Latency-based routing | ||
| Custom routing rules |
Platform
| Feature | Promptly | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI-compatible API | ||
| Team management | ||
| Self-hosting option | ||
| Setup complexity | Change base_url | Change base_url |
Our Take
Helicone is excellent for observability and logging. If you mainly need to monitor and analyze LLM usage, it's a solid choice. Promptly goes further by actively reducing costs through smart routing, prompt compression, and context pruning - features Helicone doesn't offer. If cost optimization is your priority, Promptly delivers 3-4x more savings.
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