Both sit in the framework layer with similar commercial terms, so the practical split is language: LlamaIndex targets Python and DSPy targets Python.
Data-first framework — ingestion, indexing and RAG-heavy agents.
Programs, not prompts — compile and optimise the prompt against a metric.
| LlamaIndex | DSPy | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source | Open source |
| Pricing | freemium | open source |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | Python, TypeScript | Python |
| Install | pip install llama-index | pip install dspy |
| Keys required | None | None |
Both sit in the framework layer with similar commercial terms, so the practical split is language: LlamaIndex targets Python and DSPy targets Python. LlamaIndex: Data-first framework — ingestion, indexing and RAG-heavy agents. DSPy: Programs, not prompts — compile and optimise the prompt against a metric.
LlamaIndex can run on your own infrastructure. DSPy can run on your own infrastructure.
LlamaIndex is open source (freemium). DSPy is open source (open source).
Every page here answers to Accept: text/markdown and returns the same content at roughly a tenth the tokens. No separate site, no toggle — same URL.
curl -s -H "Accept: text/markdown" https://newagent.build/compare/llamaindex-vs-dspy