Compare — LLM cost tracking tools, honestly

Every comparison here names the case where the other tool wins. If you need per-feature attribution, we will tell you to use a proxy — that is what it is for.

Tool comparisons

• LLM cost tracking tools — which one for which jobHelicone, Langfuse, Portkey, ccusage, provider dashboards and TKN — what each is actually for, and an honest answer about when to pick a competitor over us.
• Proxy-based vs billing-API cost trackingThe two architectures for tracking LLM spend, what each can and cannot see, and the failure modes that decide which one belongs in your stack.
• Helicone alternatives — including when to just use HeliconeWhat Helicone is genuinely good at, the three reasons people look for an alternative, and which tool solves each — including the cases where you should stay.
• Langfuse alternatives, honestly comparedLangfuse is strong at tracing and self-hosting. The three reasons teams look elsewhere, what to use for each, and when Langfuse is still the right call.
• iOS apps for tracking AI API spend, comparedWhat to compare when picking a phone app for AI API costs — provider coverage, where your key is stored, whether it alerts, and whether it can actually act.
• ccusage alternatives for Claude Code cost trackingccusage is the reference implementation and it is good. The three reasons people look elsewhere, what to use for each, and when to just keep using it.