Celestial AI vs Helicone
Which Infrastructure AI tool is better in 2026?
Celestial AI
Photonic Fabric optical interconnect for AI infrastructure
Helicone
Helicone is an AI gateway and LLM observability platform that helps companies route, debug, and analyze their AI applications.
Side-by-side
Celestial AI is the more established option (raised $515M), but Helicone is cheaper to start.
| Metric | Celestial AI | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| Taglinei | Photonic Fabric optical interconnect for AI infrastructure | Helicone is an AI gateway and LLM observability platform that helps companies route, debug, and analyze their AI applications. |
| Foundedi | 2020🏆 | — |
| HQi | Santa Clara, United States | US |
| Employeesi | — | 11-50🏆 |
| Neuron scorei | 77🏆 | 26 |
| Total fundingi | $515M🏆 | Undisclosed |
| Latest roundi | Series C1 · Mar 2025 | — |
| Valuationi | — | — |
| Cheapest paid plani | Pricing not disclosed | —🏆 |
| Free plani | ✗ | ✓ Free Trial |
| Free triali | ✗ | ✓ |
| Top tier pricei | Pricing not disclosed | — |
| Pricing summaryi | Custom | 1 published plans |
| Categoriesi |
Capability matrix
Developer-facing capabilities and access signals for Celestial AI and Helicone.
| Capability | Celestial AI | Helicone |
|---|---|---|
| MCP support | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public API | ✗ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✗ |
| OAuth 2.0 | ✗ | ✗ |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free trial | ✗ | ✓ |
| Verified | ✗ | ✗ |
| Active deal | ✗ | ✗ |
🟢 Strengths of Celestial AI
- Has raised more capital ($515M vs Undisclosed)
- Higher Neuron score (77 vs 26)
- Newer company (2020)
🔵 Strengths of Helicone
- Offers a free plan
- Offers a free trial
- Lower starting price ($79/mo)
Which should you choose?
Choose Helicone if price matters most — it starts at Free · From $79/mo, which is friendlier for teams watching burn. Both AI Infrastructure tools ship core features, so the cost delta often decides it for small teams and solo operators.
Choose Celestial AI if you want the most established option — it has raised $515M, suggesting more runway for enterprise features, support, and long-term roadmap. For mission-critical workflows or larger teams, that stability often outweighs a lower monthly price.
Frequently asked questions
Celestial AI vs Helicone — which is better?
It depends on your priority. Celestial AI has raised more capital and is the more established option; Helicone is cheaper to start. See the side-by-side table above.
Is Celestial AI cheaper than Helicone?
No — Helicone's cheapest paid plan is Free, while Celestial AI's is Custom.
Do Celestial AI and Helicone offer free plans?
Celestial AI: Paid only. Helicone: Yes, has a free plan.
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