Alternatives · AI Agents
LlamaIndex alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded LlamaIndex alternative is Pydantic AI (3.0 GPA). It's also the best free one.
LlamaIndex compared with 7 alternatives: LangGraph, CrewAI, Agno, Pydantic AI, Griptape and 2 more.
LlamaIndex has a free plan. Paid plans start at $500 per month (Pro), after pay-as-you-go from $0. All 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a LlamaIndex sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| LlamaIndexThis tool | Free plan · from $500/mo | Yes | Web |
| LangGraph | Free plan · from $39/mo | Yes | Web |
| CrewAI | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Agno | Free plan · from $150/mo | Yes | Web |
| Pydantic AI | Free | Free | Web |
| Griptape | Free plan · from $40/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Orkes Conductor | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Swarms | Free plan · from $19.99/mo | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
LlamaIndex starts at $500 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 1 of the 5 alternatives on this chart scores higher and starts lower: Griptape.
LangGraph, Agno, Pydantic AI and Swarms start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from LlamaIndex
LangGraph
Open-source framework for building controllable AI agents
- LangGraph starts at $39 per seat / month, billed monthly.
- LangGraph is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Developers who want fine-grained control over agent logic
CrewAI
Multi-agent platform to build, run and govern AI agents
- CrewAI also covers no-code.
Suits: Developers who want a free multi-agent framework with a hosted option
Agno
Open-source agent runtime with a hosted control plane
- Agno starts at $150 per month for the Pro control plane.
- Agno is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Agno does not cover workflow automation, which LlamaIndex does.
Suits: Engineering teams that want agents running inside their own cloud
Pydantic AI
Typed Python SDK for building AI agents
- Pydantic AI is free.
- Pydantic AI is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Pydantic AI does not cover workflow automation, which LlamaIndex does.
Suits: Python developers who want type-checked agents
Griptape
Visual AI workflows plus a Python framework for agents
- Griptape starts at $40 per user / month, billed monthly ($400 per user / year, billed annually).
- Griptape also lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Griptape also covers no-code.
Suits: Creative teams building AI image and video pipelines visually
Orkes Conductor
Workflow orchestration for AI agents and services, built on Conductor
- Orkes Conductor also covers no-code.
Suits: Engineering teams that need agent runs to be durable and auditable
Swarms
Multi-agent framework, hosted API and agent marketplace
- Swarms starts at $19.99 per month.
Suits: Developers building multi-agent systems in Python or Rust
Limits worth knowing in LlamaIndex
- The pricing page covers LlamaParse only; the open-source LlamaIndex and Workflows libraries are separate and free.
- Cost scales with pages: parsing starts at 1 credit a page and layout-aware modes cost more.
- Pro is $500 a month; SSO, VPC deployment and custom BAAs need Enterprise.
- Pricing is shown separately for US and Europe regions; the figures here are the US page.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to LlamaIndex?
The alternatives to LlamaIndex in this directory are LangGraph, CrewAI, Agno, Pydantic AI, Griptape, Orkes Conductor and Swarms. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with LlamaIndex.
Is there a free alternative to LlamaIndex?
Yes. Pydantic AI is free to use. LangGraph, CrewAI, Agno, Griptape, Orkes Conductor and Swarms have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which LlamaIndex alternatives work on Windows?
The LlamaIndex listing does not include a Windows app. Griptape lists one.
Which LlamaIndex alternatives work on macOS?
The LlamaIndex listing does not include a macOS app. Griptape lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 12, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.