Galileo vs Laminar
Both are observability & tracing tools. Here is how they actually differ on price, billing model and deployment.
Galileo
The best-funded evaluation-and-observability platform in this space, built around proprietary Luna eval models. Not to be confused with the Google-acquired text-to-UI tool of the same name. Real pricing is sales-led above $100/mo.
Laminar
An open-source, OpenTelemetry-native tracing and eval platform for AI agents, written in Rust. The only tool here you can self-host in full - but its billing unit, "Signals" measured in tokens spent reading traces, is genuinely hard to forecast.
| Galileo | Laminar | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Observability & Tracing | Observability & Tracing |
| Our rating | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Starting price | $100/mo | $30/mo |
| Billing meter | span | span |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free self-hosting | No or paid tier only | Yes, free |
| Best for | Enterprise GenAI teams that have been burned by production hallucinations and want research-grade eval metrics plus guardrails, and can run a sales process | Teams building AI agents - especially browser agents - who want OpenTelemetry-native tracing they can self-host completely and don't mind an unusual billing model |
Our verdict on Galileo
Galileo is the best-funded and arguably most research-forward platform here, and the Luna eval models are a real bet on making evaluation cheap enough to run continuously. Two caveats. First, make sure you're evaluating this Galileo and not the design tool that shares the name - the pricing and reviews get conflated constantly. Second, above the $100 Pro tier everything is contact-sales, and self-host is Enterprise-only, so this is a platform you buy through a rep, not a card.
Full Galileo review →Our verdict on Laminar
Laminar is the one platform here you can genuinely self-host end to end, and for a browser-agent or long-running-agent stack it's the most purpose-built option, with real credibility from OTel's co-creator as an angel and Browser Use documenting it as their integration. Two honest reservations. It's the youngest and smallest, and its billing - data GB plus Signals measured in tokens spent reading traces - is the hardest to forecast in the category. Self-host is the escape hatch from the billing puzzle, but the exact feature gap versus cloud isn't clearly documented, so verify it before you commit.
Full Laminar review →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Galileo and Laminar?
Galileo: Enterprise GenAI teams that have been burned by production hallucinations and want research-grade eval metrics plus guardrails, and can run a sales process Laminar: Teams building AI agents - especially browser agents - who want OpenTelemetry-native tracing they can self-host completely and don't mind an unusual billing model Both sit in Observability & Tracing, so the decision usually comes down to billing model and deployment rather than raw capability.
Which is cheaper, Galileo or Laminar?
It depends entirely on your workload shape, because they meter differently - Galileo bills on span and Laminar bills on span. Published starting prices are $100/mo and $30/mo respectively, but those numbers are not comparable until you apply them to the same traffic. Use our cost calculator to model both against your own request volume and span count.
Can I self-host Galileo or Laminar?
Galileo: No or paid tier only. Laminar: Yes, free. Free self-hosting means no licence fee, not no cost - you still own the infrastructure, upgrades and on-call.