Langfuse vs Promptfoo
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings
At a glance
| Dimension | Langfuse | Promptfoo |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free cloud tier + paid (self-host free via MIT) | Free community (10k probes/mo) + Enterprise |
| Best For | Production observability & prompt management | Enterprise security & red teaming |
| Key Feature | Traces, evals, prompt mgmt, experiments | Automated red teaming, guardrails, CI/CD scanning |
| Self-Hosting | Yes (MIT license) | Yes (on-premise available) |
| Integrations | LangChain, Vercel AI SDK, LiteLLM, 100+ frameworks | GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, VS Code, JetBrains |
| News Highlight | Multi-modal datasets; Monitors & Alerts | Acquired by OpenAI; ModelAudit launched |
Choose Promptfoo if your priority is AI security — automated red teaming, guardrails, and CI/CD scanning against 50+ attack types, backed by recent OpenClaw injection analysis and ModelAudit launch. Choose Langfuse if you need production LLM observability, prompt management, and evaluations with deep framework integration (100+), now with multi-modal datasets and monitors/alerts. Both are open-source, but Promptfoo leans security-first while Langfuse is engineering-first.
Feature-by-feature
Promptfoo focuses on AI security: automated red teaming for agents/RAGs, context-aware attack generation (injections, jailbreaks, PII leaks), real-time guardrails, and code scanning in IDE (VS Code, JetBrains) and CI/CD (GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins). Recent news adds indirect prompt injection testing for web-browsing agents and ModelAudit for ML model file scanning. It also provides remediation guidance in pull requests. Langfuse centers on observability and prompt management: hierarchical traces with cost/latency filtering, LLM-as-a-judge evaluation, one-click prompt deployment/rollback, playground for side-by-side model testing, experiments with test case comparison, and human annotation. Latest updates include multi-modal datasets (images, audio, video), monitors & alerts (Slack, webhooks, GitHub Actions), and AI assistant querying. Both offer self-hosting, but Promptfoo's integrations target security workflows (GitHub, Jira, Slack guardrails) while Langfuse integrates with 100+ AI frameworks (LangChain, Vercel AI SDK, LiteLLM). For evaluation, Promptfoo uses automated red teaming probes; Langfuse uses LLM-as-a-judge and heuristic functions.
Pricing compared
Both tools follow a freemium model with free tiers and paid enterprise plans. Promptfoo offers a free Community edition with 10k probes/month, with Enterprise pricing not publicly listed. Langfuse provides a free cloud tier (usage-limited) and paid plans for higher volumes; self-hosting is free under MIT license, making it cost-effective for teams with infrastructure. Promptfoo's Enterprise tier typically includes advanced features like on-premise deployment, SSO, and priority support, suited for financial services and healthcare compliance. Langfuse's paid cloud tiers scale to billions of events, with SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance available. For low-volume use, both are free; for high-volume production, Langfuse's self-hosted option may be cheaper, while Promptfoo's Enterprise value lies in automated security testing that reduces manual red teaming costs.
Who should pick which
- Enterprise security engineerPick: Promptfoo
Automated red teaming for 50+ attack types, CI/CD integration, and guardrails — recently demonstrated OpenClaw injection analysis.
- ML platform engineerPick: Langfuse
Hierarchical traces, cost/latency dashboards, and integration with 100+ frameworks like LangChain and Vercel AI SDK.
- Solo developer building an agentPick: Langfuse
Free self-hosted option with prompt management, playground, and eval — quick to start with lightweight SDKs.
- Compliance team (FINRA/HIPAA)Pick: Promptfoo
Security testing aligned with financial/healthcare regulations, with on-premise deployment and remediation PRs.
- Team scaling AI to billions of callsPick: Langfuse
ClickHouse-backed scalability, self-hosting under MIT, and new monitors/alerts for cost and quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I self-host both tools?
Yes, both offer self-hosting. Promptfoo provides on-premise deployment (Enterprise). Langfuse is self-hostable under MIT license via Docker/Kubernetes.
Which tool is better for AI security?
Promptfoo is purpose-built for AI security with automated red teaming, guardrails, and CI/CD scanning. Langfuse focuses on observability, not security testing.
Do both support LLM evaluations?
Yes. Promptfoo uses automated red teaming probes and assertions. Langfuse uses LLM-as-a-judge, heuristic functions, and human annotation.
Which integrates with LangChain?
Langfuse has deep LangChain integration. Promptfoo supports OpenAI, Anthropic, and MCP but doesn't list LangChain.
What is the latest major update for Promptfoo?
Promptfoo was acquired by OpenAI, launched ModelAudit for ML file scanning, and added indirect prompt injection testing for web agents.
What is the latest major update for Langfuse?
Langfuse released multi-modal datasets, monitors & alerts, an AI assistant (public beta), and a filter search bar.
Which is more cost-effective for a startup?
Both have free tiers. Langfuse's free cloud tier and MIT-licensed self-hosting can be more cost-effective for startups without enterprise security needs.
Do they offer CI/CD integration?
Promptfoo integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and Jenkins. Langfuse integrates via GitHub Actions (alerts) but is less CI/CD-focused.
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