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LLM tracing and observability

The best LLM observability tool for tracing prompts, costs and latency in production is Langfuse because it scores highest on our published formula (81.3/100): Open source and self-hostable, with a free cloud Hobby tier.

The job: “I want to see every prompt, tool call, cost and latency in production.” · Last checked

Pick

Langfuse

Open source and self-hostable, with a free cloud Hobby tier.

Not for: Teams fully invested in LangChain's hosted stack (see LangSmith).

Pricing: Open source (self-host). Cloud: Hobby free; Core $29/mo; Pro $199/mo. source, checked 2026-10-19

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81.3
/ 100
Runner-up

LangSmith

LangChain's platform for tracing and evals, with a free developer seat.

Not for: Anyone who requires self-hosting on the free tier.

Pricing: Developer $0/seat then pay-as-you-go; Plus $39/seat/mo. source

54.5
/ 100

Score breakdown

ToolFit (editorial) ×0.4Adoption (GitHub stars) ×0.25Momentum (release freshness) ×0.2Attention (HN, 30d) ×0.15Score
Langfuse 5/5 → 1 36.0k★ → 0.854 Oct 19, 2026 → 0.998 0 pts → 0 81.3
LangSmith 4/5 → 0.75 n/a (closed source) n/a 0 pts → 0 54.5

Missing signals are dropped and the remaining weights re-normalized. See methodology. Signals fetched Oct 19, 2026.

FAQ

What is the best LLM observability tool for tracing prompts, costs and latency in production?

The best LLM observability tool for tracing prompts, costs and latency in production is Langfuse because it scores highest on our published formula (81.3/100): Open source and self-hostable, with a free cloud Hobby tier.

What is the best alternative to Langfuse?

Our runner-up is LangSmith (54.5/100). LangChain's platform for tracing and evals, with a free developer seat. Not for: Anyone who requires self-hosting on the free tier.

Who should not use Langfuse?

Teams fully invested in LangChain's hosted stack (see LangSmith).

How much does Langfuse cost?

Open source (self-host). Cloud: Hobby free; Core $29/mo; Pro $199/mo. (checked 2026-10-19, source: https://langfuse.com/pricing)

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