The rows worth reading.
Arize is a mature ML observability platform that expanded into LLM monitoring. It's powerful for teams with existing Arize infrastructure and ML engineers who know the platform. For teams building AI agents with LLMs, Zespan offers faster setup, purpose-built agent features, and more accessible pricing for startups and scale-ups.
| Zespan | Arize | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | < 5 min (2 lines) | Hours (platform config) |
| Built for | LLM agents from day one | ML, adapted for LLMs |
| Agent auto-discovery | Zero config | Manual registration |
| Agent health scoring | A–F composite | Not available |
| Multi-agent delegation graph | Partial | |
| LLM-as-judge auto-evals | 12 templates | Configurable |
| AI cost optimizer | Forecast + recs | Not available |
| Guardrails | 7 types, pre/post | Not available |
| Natural language query | ZespanPilot NLQ | Not available |
| Incident management | Full lifecycle | Not available |
| Startup/SMB pricing | From $39/month | Enterprise pricing |
| OpenTelemetry native |
Which one fits
Pick Zespan when
You're a startup or scale-up — Zespan pricing starts at $39/month, not enterprise contract.
You want < 5 min setup with no platform configuration.
You need agent-first features: health scoring, delegation graphs, ZespanPilot.
You want cost forecasting, optimization recommendations, and anomaly detection.
You don't have ML engineers on staff — Zespan is built for software engineering teams.
Pick Arize when
You're an enterprise already invested in Arize's broader ML platform.
You need ML model monitoring alongside LLM tracing in one platform.
Your team has Arize expertise and the switching cost exceeds the capability gap.
Common questions
Is Zespan suitable for enterprise teams?
Yes. Zespan offers SSO, RBAC (owner/admin/member/viewer roles), audit logs, GDPR compliance (Art. 15 and 17), and custom quotas on Team and Enterprise plans. Contact us for enterprise pricing.
How long does Zespan setup take compared to Arize?
Zespan takes under 5 minutes — install the SDK, add your API key, and wrap your LLM client. No platform configuration, no collector setup. Arize typically requires significant platform configuration before data flows.
Does Zespan support OpenTelemetry like Arize does?
Yes. Zespan has a native OTLP/HTTP endpoint that accepts standard OpenTelemetry spans from any OTel SDK or collector. No proprietary format required.
Related reading
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