RelayPlane vs TrueFoundry AI Gateway
TrueFoundry is an enterprise AI Gateway platform starting at $499/month. RelayPlane is an MIT-licensed npm package that runs on localhost with no account required. Here is how they compare for developers and AI agent builders.
TL;DR
Choose RelayPlane when you want:
- npm install and running in 30 seconds, no account
- Local SQLite cost tracking with no cloud dependency
- MIT open source with no monthly fee
- Claude Code and Cursor integration with one baseURL swap
- Complexity-based routing to cheaper models automatically
TrueFoundry may work for you if you need:
- Enterprise compliance with PII filtering and toxicity guardrails
- VPC or air-gapped on-premises deployment for regulated industries
- 250+ LLM providers with a managed cloud dashboard
- A Gartner-recognized platform for banking, healthcare, or government
Feature Comparison
| Feature | RelayPlane | TrueFoundry |
|---|---|---|
| Product type RelayPlane is a local proxy you install via npm and run on localhost. TrueFoundry is a managed platform targeting enterprise teams in banking, healthcare, and government. | npm-native LLM proxy (local-first) | Enterprise AI Gateway platform (cloud + self-hosted) |
| Install method RelayPlane ships as an npm package: one command and you are proxying requests. TrueFoundry requires creating an account, provisioning a gateway instance, and configuring your environment before the first request. | npm install -g @relayplane/proxy | Account signup + cloud provisioning or self-hosted deployment |
| No account required RelayPlane starts with no signup, no credit card, and no cloud dependency. TrueFoundry requires account creation even on the free Developer tier. | ||
| Pricing (entry paid tier) RelayPlane has no paid gateway tier. TrueFoundry's first paid plan is $499/month. Their free Developer tier is limited to 50,000 requests per month and 3 users. | MIT open source, free self-hosted | $499/month (Pro, up to 10 users, 1M requests) |
| Works with Claude Code and Cursor RelayPlane is designed for Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and Aider with direct integration docs. TrueFoundry exposes an OpenAI-compatible API that can be wired up manually, but Claude Code integration is not a documented use case. | Via OpenAI-compatible API (manual baseURL config) | |
| Local SQLite cost tracking RelayPlane logs every request's exact dollar cost in local SQLite with no data leaving your machine. TrueFoundry provides a cloud dashboard with token-level tracking, but data is sent to their platform. | ||
| No data leaves your machine RelayPlane runs entirely on localhost by default. TrueFoundry offers VPC and on-premises deployment for enterprise customers, but this is not available on free or Pro tiers. | Self-hosted option available (VPC/on-prem) | |
| Complexity-based model routing RelayPlane routes simple tasks to cheaper models automatically based on request complexity. TrueFoundry routes based on latency and configurable weights, not task complexity. | Latency-based routing and weighted load balancing | |
| Budget caps and spend controls Both tools support spend controls. RelayPlane enforces local budget caps with no cloud dependency. TrueFoundry enforces quotas through its cloud platform. | Cost-based quotas and per-user rate limits (cloud dashboard) | |
| Guardrails (PII, toxicity) TrueFoundry includes built-in guardrails: PII filtering, toxicity detection, and integrations with OpenAI Moderation, AWS Guardrails, and Azure Content Safety. RelayPlane does not include guardrails. | ||
| 250+ LLM providers TrueFoundry supports 250+ LLM providers via a single OpenAI-compatible API. RelayPlane routes to any OpenAI-compatible provider and Ollama for local models. | OpenAI-compatible providers + Ollama | 250+ providers via unified API |
| Open source license RelayPlane is MIT licensed. TrueFoundry is a commercial product with a free tier and paid plans starting at $499/month. | MIT | Commercial (SaaS / self-hosted enterprise) |
Why Developers Choose RelayPlane Over TrueFoundry
One command vs an account, a plan, and a provisioned instance
npm install -g @relayplane/proxy and you are proxying LLM requests in under 30 seconds. TrueFoundry's AI Gateway requires creating an account, choosing a tier, and waiting for a gateway to be provisioned before you can make a single request. For solo developers and AI agent builders who want to move fast, the friction difference is measured in hours, not seconds.
MIT open source vs $499/month
RelayPlane is MIT licensed and costs nothing to self-host. TrueFoundry's first paid plan is $499 per month for up to 10 users and 1 million requests. Their free Developer tier caps you at 50,000 requests per month and 3 users, which is gone in a day of active Claude Code usage. If you are building an AI agent pipeline or just want local cost tracking, a $499/month gateway is not the right tool.
Your data stays local. No cloud dependency required.
RelayPlane runs entirely on localhost. Every request log, every cost record, every token count lives in a local SQLite file on your machine. TrueFoundry sends telemetry to their cloud platform by default. They offer VPC and on-premises deployment, but only for enterprise customers on custom contracts. If you want local-first cost tracking without a cloud account, RelayPlane is the only npm-native option.
Built for Node.js and coding assistants. Not enterprise procurement.
TrueFoundry targets banking, healthcare, insurance, and government teams who need compliance, PII filtering, and Gartner coverage. That is a real market, but it is not the Claude Code developer running 500 requests a day in a monorepo. RelayPlane is built for exactly that use case: npm install, baseURL swap, and intelligent model routing with per-request cost tracking on localhost.
TrueFoundry Solves Enterprise Problems. RelayPlane Solves Developer Problems.
TrueFoundry's AI Gateway is a serious product. It is listed in the 2025 Gartner Market Guide for AI Gateways, supports 250+ LLM providers, and offers VPC and air-gapped deployment for regulated industries. If you are an enterprise architect buying software for a 25-person team in financial services, it belongs on your evaluation list.
But if you are a developer or AI agent builder who wants to start proxying LLM requests today, without an account, without a $499/month commitment, and without sending your request logs to a cloud platform, TrueFoundry is not the right fit. RelayPlane installs in one npm command, runs on localhost, and logs every request's exact dollar cost in local SQLite. No signup. No billing. No cloud.
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