RelayPlane vs ProxyLLM: Local-First vs Cloud SaaS LLM Proxy
ProxyLLM is a new cloud proxy in public beta. If you want your data on your machine, no signup, open source code, and offline capability, RelayPlane is the local-first alternative.
TL;DR
Choose RelayPlane when you want:
- Data that never leaves your machine
- npm install with no signup or account required
- Offline support and Ollama local model routing
- Open source code you can audit and fork
Choose ProxyLLM when you need:
- Semantic caching to reduce duplicate request costs
- A fully managed cloud service with no self-hosting
- A cloud dashboard for team usage visibility
Feature Comparison
| Feature | RelayPlane | ProxyLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment model RelayPlane runs entirely on your machine as an npm package. ProxyLLM is a hosted cloud service you connect to over the internet. | Local (npm package) | Cloud SaaS (api.proxyllm.dev) |
| Install method RelayPlane is one command with no account required. ProxyLLM requires creating an account before you can send a single request. | npm install -g @relayplane/proxy | Sign up, then swap baseURL to api.proxyllm.dev |
| Data privacy RelayPlane stores all request data, cost logs, and telemetry in local SQLite. ProxyLLM routes your LLM traffic through their cloud infrastructure. | On-device only | Cloud-hosted (data sent to ProxyLLM servers) |
| Open source RelayPlane is fully MIT licensed and auditable. ProxyLLM is closed source. | MIT | |
| Works offline / airgapped RelayPlane works in airgapped environments and with local Ollama models. ProxyLLM requires internet connectivity to reach their cloud service. | ||
| No signup required RelayPlane starts with a single npm install and zero accounts. ProxyLLM requires registration before routing a request. | ||
| Semantic caching ProxyLLM offers semantic caching to deduplicate similar requests. RelayPlane does not currently have this feature. | ||
| Cost tracking RelayPlane logs the exact token cost of every request in local SQLite, no external service needed. ProxyLLM surfaces cost data in their cloud dashboard. | SQLite per-request log (on-device) | Cloud dashboard |
| Ollama / local model fallback RelayPlane natively routes to Ollama and local models. ProxyLLM is a cloud proxy with no local model support. | ||
| Smart routing by complexity RelayPlane routes to Haiku, Sonnet, or Opus automatically based on task complexity. ProxyLLM claims smart routing for cost savings, but implementation details are not public. | Claims 40% cost reduction via smart routing | |
| Claude Code / Cursor compatible RelayPlane is designed for localhost routing inside Claude Code and Cursor. ProxyLLM works as a generic baseURL swap but is not specifically built for these tools. | Partial (baseURL swap only) | |
| Production stability RelayPlane is stable and in production use. ProxyLLM is currently in public beta with stability not yet proven. | Stable | Public beta |
Why Developers Choose RelayPlane Over ProxyLLM
Your data never leaves your machine
RelayPlane logs every request in local SQLite with no external service. ProxyLLM routes your LLM traffic through their cloud, which means your prompts, responses, and usage patterns are processed on their servers. For teams with data sensitivity requirements, local-first is not optional.
One npm install, no signup, no account
npm install -g @relayplane/proxy and you are running in under 30 seconds. No email, no credit card, no API key for the proxy itself. ProxyLLM requires registration before you can route a single request. When you are debugging at 2am, friction is a real cost.
Works airgapped and with local models
RelayPlane routes to Ollama and local models as first-class targets. It works in airgapped environments where cloud proxies are simply not an option. ProxyLLM is cloud-only with no offline capability or local model support.
Open source and auditable
RelayPlane is MIT licensed. Read the code, fork it, audit exactly what it does with your requests. ProxyLLM is closed source. When a proxy sits between your application and your LLM provider, being able to read the code is not a nice-to-have.
ProxyLLM Is a New Cloud Option. RelayPlane Is Built for Local-First Workflows.
ProxyLLM is a new entrant in public beta with semantic caching and a managed cloud dashboard. For teams that want a fully managed service and are comfortable routing traffic through a third-party cloud, it may be worth evaluating once it exits beta.
But for developers who need data on their machine, no vendor dependency, offline support, and a codebase they can read and trust, RelayPlane is the better fit. One npm install, MIT licensed, works inside Claude Code and Cursor on localhost, and your prompts never leave your network.
Get Running in 30 Seconds
No account. No cloud. No signup. Just npm: