Langfuse Cloud Hobby publishes a limit of 50,000 tracing-data units per month; Helicone Hobby lists 10,000 requests; and SAVI SDK’s Local Mode runs without an account or network calls. Those figures measure different things, so they do not establish which option supports more of your workload. Compare the counting method, data history, team access, and deployment model—not just the headline allowance.
Free-tier limits at a glance
| Option | Published free allowance | Other included limits or scope |
|---|---|---|
| SAVI SDK Local Mode | No hosted quota stated | Runs without an account or network calls; hosted backend and account features are separate |
| Langfuse Cloud Hobby | 50,000 units per month | 30 days of data access; two users; community support via GitHub |
| Helicone Hobby | 10,000 requests | 1 GB storage; one seat; one organization |
These are vendor-published plan details, not results of a hands-on comparison. Langfuse counts tracing data points, while Helicone states its allowance in requests. One request can produce multiple trace records, so there is no universal conversion between the two figures. Langfuse’s pricing page and Helicone’s pricing page list the current allowances; check them before choosing because plan terms can change.
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What does each free option actually offer?
SAVI SDK: free local instrumentation, not a confirmed hosted free plan
SAVI’s PyPI project describes an open-source Python SDK client for a closed-source hosted backend. Local Mode runs without an account or network calls and logs client-side wrapper data, including tokens, latency, PII flags, and an LSH fingerprint. A dollar-cost estimate requires you to supply local pricing. Account-backed alerts and backend views are not available in local-only mode. The SAVI project description on PyPI does not establish a hosted plan price or free quota, so do not treat the free SDK or Local Mode as proof that the hosted dashboard is free.
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The project description also says its wrappers do not instrument streaming calls. LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, and gateway/router setups are not officially tested or supported. It describes a possible route through underlying-client instrumentation for LangChain, but does not guarantee compatibility. Treat these as documented support limits, not proof that the SDK cannot work in every such configuration.
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Langfuse Cloud Hobby: a data-point allowance with short history
Langfuse lists its Cloud Hobby plan as free, with no credit card required. Its published allowance is 50,000 units per month, 30 days of data access, two users, and community support through GitHub. The plan includes platform features subject to limits. Langfuse pricing
A unit is a tracing data point, not a simple request count: Langfuse includes traces, observations such as spans, events, and generations, and scores in its definition. A single application request may therefore result in multiple billable records depending on how it is instrumented. Estimate the records your tracing setup creates rather than assuming 50,000 units means 50,000 application requests. Langfuse’s usage documentation
Rank #2
Langfuse also documents a free self-hosting path. That is a separate deployment and operations choice, not the same thing as the hosted Hobby allowance. If you need an upgrade reference, the pricing documentation checked in October 2026 lists Core at $29 per month with 100,000 included units and 90 days of history, and Pro at $199 per month with 100,000 included units and three years of history. These are time-sensitive vendor-published figures; verify the current terms before relying on them. Langfuse pricing documentation
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Helicone lists 10,000 free requests, 1 GB of storage, one seat, and one organization on Hobby. Its pricing page also presents usage-based pricing, so the free request allowance should not be read as a guarantee that every possible storage or other usage charge is covered. Check the current page and calculator against your expected use. Helicone pricing
How to compare the limits for your workload
- Estimate application requests. Count the calls your application is likely to make during a month. This gives you a useful starting point for Helicone’s request-based allowance.
- Estimate trace records per request. For Langfuse, account for the traces, observations, and scores your instrumentation emits. If one request creates several records, the unit allowance will not map one-to-one to request volume.
- Check how long you need to keep data available. Langfuse Hobby lists 30 days of data access; Helicone lists a storage limit of 1 GB. These describe different constraints, so compare them against your retention and storage needs rather than treating them as equivalent.
- Check who needs access. Langfuse lists two users, while Helicone lists one seat and one organization. SAVI Local Mode is local-only and does not provide its account-backed views and alerts.
- Confirm deployment and instrumentation fit. Decide whether a hosted service or local-only SDK mode suits your setup, then verify support for streaming and the frameworks or gateways you use. SAVI’s project page specifically documents limitations in those areas.
Without assumptions about request volume and trace shape, the raw 50,000-unit and 10,000-request figures cannot answer which hosted tier gives you more capacity. Likewise, SAVI Local Mode’s lack of a stated hosted quota cannot be compared as if it were a hosted dashboard plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which one should you consider?
- Consider SAVI Local Mode if you want its described Python SDK instrumentation locally and do not need account-backed alerts or backend views. Confirm its documented streaming and framework limitations against your stack, and check with SAVI for hosted plan terms if you want the backend.
- Consider Langfuse Cloud Hobby if its 50,000 data-point allowance, 30-day access window, and two-user limit fit your tracing volume and team. Its self-hosted option is a distinct path if you prefer to operate the deployment yourself.
- Consider Helicone Hobby if a 10,000-request allowance, 1 GB of storage, one seat, and one organization fit your usage and team. Review its usage-based pricing details for possible charges beyond the headline free allowance.
Plan figures above were checked against vendor pages on October 7, 2026. Confirm current prices, quotas, and terms directly before making a decision.
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