Helicone / LLM Observability for Developers

The open-source platform for logging, monitoring, and debugging.

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Helicone / LLM Observability for Developers

Introduction

What is Helicone?

Helicone is an all-in-one platform designed for monitoring, debugging, and optimizing production-ready Large Language Models (LLMs). It provides comprehensive tools for logging, evaluating, experimenting, and deploying AI applications, offering actionable insights throughout the entire LLM lifecycle.

Main Features of Helicone

1. Log

  • Debugging: Users can analyze each trace to identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Real-time Logging: Displays multi-step interactions and tracks requests to quickly identify errors.

2. Evaluate

  • Performance Monitoring: Assesses LLM applications in real-time to detect regressions before deployment.
  • Custom Evaluations: Employs LLM-as-a-judge or specific metrics to ensure quality and identify issues early.

3. Experiment

  • Prompt Testing: Allows testing of prompt variations in live traffic without requiring code changes, supported by data-driven iterations.
  • Quantifiable Data: Iterations are backed by measurable results to support informed decision-making.

4. Deploy

  • Unified Insights: Provides a comprehensive view across all providers to identify issues such as hallucinations and performance problems.
  • Actionable Insights: Converts complexity into clear, usable data for better deployment strategies.

5. Online and Offline Evaluation

  • Online Evaluation: Utilizes live data for dynamic, real-world assessments.
  • Offline Evaluation: Tests in controlled settings using historical or synthetic data to ensure safe pre-deployment checks.

How to Use Helicone?

Helicone seamlessly integrates with any model, enabling monitoring at any scale. It offers two integration methods:

1. Proxy Integration

  • Simplicity: The easiest setup with features like caching, rate limiting, and API management.

2. Async Integration

  • Zero Delay: Ensures no added latency, ideal for critical applications.

Quick Setup

  • JavaScript/Python: Integrations via provided code snippets allow rapid deployment.

Pricing

Helicone offers a free plan to get started. For more advanced features and scalability, detailed pricing can be discussed based on specific needs.

Helpful Tips for Using Helicone

  • Async for Critical Apps: Avoid latency by choosing Async integration.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Regular checks on sessions and requests reduce downtime.
  • CI/CD Pipeline: Streamline the process from MVP to production with built-in workflows.
  • Open-Source Insights: Use provided statistics for informed model choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Helicone affect latency?

  • No Impact: Async integration ensures zero delay, but Proxy adds standard overhead.

2. Can I use Helicone without Proxy?

  • Yes: Async mode is available for integration without Proxy.

3. How is LLM cost calculated?

  • Model-Based: Costs depend on the specific LLM and usage details.

4. User Feedback

  • Praises for effectiveness in managing AI applications, preferred for comprehensive observability.

Helicone is a powerful tool for developers, offering a robust solution to monitor and improve LLM applications, supported by a supportive community and transparent practices.