The short answer
Pick Langfuse if you build LLM applications and need traces, evaluations, datasets and prompt management, optionally self-hosted. Pick AgentPilots if you run lots of agents in tools like Grok Bot, Claude Code, Cursor and Codex and want a live, glanceable view of who is working and who needs your approval.
What each tool is
Langfuse calls itself "Open Source Agent Evals & Observability". It covers tracing, monitoring, datasets, experiments, LLM-as-a-judge and human evaluation, and prompt management, and it can be used in Langfuse Cloud or self-hosted (langfuse.com, pricing).
AgentPilots is a lightweight Windows desktop app. Agents report their own state through an MCP connector (report_status, report_step, report_message) and the app shows working, needs-approval and idle indicators, a live activity feed, a graph view and connection snippets for Grok Bot, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and Claude Desktop.
Feature comparison
| AgentPilots | Langfuse | |
|---|---|---|
| Live working / needs-approval / idle status | Yes | No |
| No SDK, proxy or code changes | Yes | No |
| Grok Bot, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex in one view | Yes | No |
| Full trace capture & replay | No | Yes |
| Evals & prompt management | No | Yes |
| Token & cost tracking | Soon | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Lightweight desktop app | Yes | No |
See all details
| Capability | AgentPilots | Langfuse |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Live operations view: which agents are working, need approval or are idle | LLM engineering platform: tracing, evals, prompt management |
| Built for | People who run many agents (operators, founders, agencies) | Developers and teams building LLM apps |
| How agents connect | MCP connector (3 tools). No SDK, no proxy | SDKs, OpenTelemetry and framework integrations |
| Code changes required | None for MCP-capable clients: add a server and a short instruction | Yes: instrument your application |
| Live working / needs-approval / idle indicators | Yes | Not an operator status board |
| Live activity feed of milestones | Yes | Trace and session views |
| Full trace and span capture | No | Yes |
| Evals, datasets, prompt management | No | Yes |
| Token and cost tracking | Not yet (on the roadmap) | Yes (cost and latency per trace) |
| Grok Bot, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex agents in one view | Yes (Claude Desktop via mcp-remote; ChatGPT not yet) | Instruments code you own, not end-user agent apps |
| Form factor | Lightweight Windows desktop app | Web app (cloud or self-hosted) |
| Open source | No | Yes (open-source core) |
| Self-hosting | Not applicable (local desktop app) | Yes, free to self-host |
Langfuse details are from its public website and docs as of October 13, 2026: langfuse.com, langfuse.com/pricing. Tell us if something has changed and we'll fix it.
Who should pick which
Choose Langfuse if
- You ship an LLM product and need to debug and evaluate it.
- You want prompt versioning and datasets in one platform.
- You need open source or self-hosting for data control.
Choose AgentPilots if
- You operate many agents across several tools and need one live view.
- Approvals and stalled agents are your daily pain.
- You want zero instrumentation: a config snippet and a short instruction per agent.
Pricing summary
| Plan | Published price (checked October 13, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Hobby (cloud) | Free |
| Core | $29 / month |
| Pro | $199 / month |
| Enterprise | $2,499 / month |
| Additional usage | $8 per 100k units (lower with volume) |
| Self-hosted | Free option available |
Source: https://langfuse.com/pricing. Vendor prices change, so always check the source. AgentPilots is free during the beta; paid tiers have not been announced.
Can you use both?
Yes, and it is a sensible setup. Langfuse traces and evaluates the LLM application you build; AgentPilots shows the operational state of every agent you run, including ones in tools where you cannot add Langfuse instrumentation, such as Grok Bot or Cursor agents.
FAQ
Is AgentPilots a Langfuse alternative?
Only for one job: seeing what your agents are doing right now. For tracing, evals, datasets and prompt management, Langfuse does much more, and AgentPilots does not try to replace it.
Is AgentPilots open source like Langfuse?
No. AgentPilots is a free Windows desktop app but is not open source. Langfuse publishes its core as open source and offers self-hosting.
Can Langfuse show which agent needs my approval?
Langfuse is built around traces and evaluations rather than live operator states. AgentPilots has a dedicated needs-approval state that agents set themselves through MCP.
How much does Langfuse cost?
As of Oct 13, 2026, langfuse.com/pricing lists Hobby free, Core $29/month, Pro $199/month and Enterprise $2,499/month for Langfuse Cloud, with additional usage at $8 per 100k units, plus a free self-hosted option. Check the pricing page for current details.
Do I need to change my code to use AgentPilots?
No for MCP-capable clients. You add the AgentPilots MCP server with a copy-paste snippet and add a short instruction telling the agent when to report.
ready for takeoff?
AgentPilots is in private beta. Join the waitlist and we'll email you a download link when it's ready.