LangChain vs LlamaIndex
Overlapping but differently shaped. LlamaIndex is built around getting your data into a model well; LangChain is built around orchestrating steps and tools.
LangChain
Free plan
Pick LangChain if…
The hard part is the orchestration — tools, agents, control flow.
LlamaIndex
Free plan
Pick LlamaIndex if…
The hard part is the data — ingestion, indexing, retrieval quality.
Side by side
| LangChain | LlamaIndex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Category | Code & Dev | Code & Dev |
| Best known for | Framework for chaining models, tools and memory into apps. | Data framework for connecting private documents to LLMs. |
| Tags | framework, orchestration, open-source | rag, framework, documents |
Comparisons are editorial and can't be bought. Pricing models change — check both vendors before deciding. Some links earn a commission; see the disclosure.