$99/Month for AI Security? There's a Better Way.
Lakera Alternative: SafePrompt vs Lakera Guard Comparison 2026
Also known as: Lakera Guard alternative, cheap Lakera, Lakera pricing, affordable AI security•Affecting: Indie developers, Startups, Solo founders, Vibe coders
An honest comparison of SafePrompt and Lakera Guard for prompt injection protection. Pricing, features, and use cases for each.
TLDR
SafePrompt is the best Lakera alternative for indie developers and startups. SafePrompt costs $5/month (vs Lakera's $99+), offers 92.9% detection accuracy, requires no sales call, and integrates in 20 minutes. Lakera Guard is better for enterprises needing SOC 2 compliance and dedicated support. Choose based on your budget and team size.
Quick Facts
Quick Comparison
| Feature | SafePrompt | Lakera Guard |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $5/month | $99+/month (contact sales) |
| Free Tier | 10K requests/month | Limited trial |
| Detection Accuracy | 92.9% | ~90% (estimated) |
| Average Latency | 250ms | ~200ms |
| Signup Process | Self-serve, instant | Sales call required |
| Setup Time | 20 minutes | 1-4 weeks |
| Target Audience | Indie devs, startups | Enterprise teams |
| SOC 2 Compliance | In progress | Yes |
| Dedicated Support | Email + docs | Account manager |
| Multi-turn Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Rules | Yes | Yes |
| On-Premise Option | No | Yes (enterprise) |
When to Choose SafePrompt
SafePrompt is the better choice if you:
$5/month fits bootstrapped budgets. No need to justify enterprise pricing.
20-minute integration. No sales calls, no procurement process, no waiting.
Pricing is on the website. No "contact us for quote" games.
Start with the free tier (10K requests/month), upgrade when you scale.
When to Choose Lakera Guard
Lakera Guard is the better choice if you:
Lakera offers SOC 2 Type II certification and enterprise SLAs.
Enterprise plans include dedicated support and custom onboarding.
Lakera offers self-hosted options for sensitive environments.
Enterprise budgets can justify the premium for additional features.
Pricing Breakdown
SafePrompt Pricing
- Free Tier: 10,000 requests/month - $0
- Starter: 100,000 requests/month - $5/month
- Pro: 500,000 requests/month - $29/month
- Business: 2,500,000 requests/month - $99/month
Lakera Guard Pricing
- Trial: Limited free trial available
- Starter: Contact sales (estimated $99+/month)
- Enterprise: Contact sales (custom pricing)
Note: Lakera does not publish pricing on their website. Estimates based on user reports and sales conversations.
Detection Capabilities Comparison
Both tools detect similar attack categories:
| Attack Type | SafePrompt | Lakera Guard |
|---|---|---|
| Jailbreaks (DAN, Developer Mode) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instruction Override | ✓ | ✓ |
| System Prompt Extraction | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding Bypasses (Base64, ROT13) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-turn Attacks | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAG Poisoning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invisible Text Injection | ✓ | Unknown |
| Policy Puppetry | ✓ | Unknown |
Integration Comparison
SafePrompt Integration (20 minutes)
- Sign up at safeprompt.dev (instant, no sales call)
- Copy API key from dashboard
- Add one API call before your LLM
- Done
Lakera Guard Integration (1-4 weeks)
- Request demo on website
- Attend sales call
- Receive custom quote
- Procurement and contract review
- Onboarding with account team
- Integration with support
The Bottom Line
Our Honest Recommendation
If you're an indie developer, startup, or building an MVP, SafePrompt is the clear choice. You get 92.9% detection accuracy at $5/month with instant self-serve signup.
If you're an enterprise with a dedicated security budget, compliance requirements, and need for on-premise deployment, Lakera Guard is worth the premium.
Many teams start with SafePrompt for speed and cost, then evaluate enterprise options as they scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SafePrompt as accurate as Lakera?
SafePrompt achieves 92.9% detection accuracy on our benchmark suite. Lakera doesn't publish exact accuracy figures, but based on independent testing, both tools perform similarly on standard prompt injection attacks.
Can I migrate from Lakera to SafePrompt?
Yes. SafePrompt's API is straightforward to integrate. Most teams complete migration in under an hour. The request/response format is similar, requiring minimal code changes.
Does SafePrompt offer enterprise features?
SafePrompt's Business tier ($99/month) includes priority support, custom rules, and higher rate limits. SOC 2 compliance is in progress. Contact us for enterprise needs beyond the standard tiers.
What about LLM Guard (open source)?
LLM Guard is a free, self-hosted option. The tradeoff is maintenance burden—you're responsible for updates, scaling, and security patches. SafePrompt handles all of this for $5/month.