KLA vs Traceloop (OpenLLMetry)
Traceloop/OpenLLMetry is excellent for OpenTelemetry-first tracing. KLA adds governance controls and verifiable evidence exports for audits.
Tracing is necessary. Regulated audits usually ask for decision governance + proof: enforceable policy gates and approvals, packaged as a verifiable evidence bundle (not just raw logs).
For platform teams who want OpenTelemetry-first instrumentation for LLM apps and agent workflows.
Last updated: Dec 17, 2025 · Version v1.0 · Not legal advice.
Who this page is for
A buyer-side framing (not a dunk).
For platform teams who want OpenTelemetry-first instrumentation for LLM apps and agent workflows.
What Traceloop / OpenLLMetry is actually for
Grounded in their primary job (and where it overlaps).
Traceloop/OpenLLMetry is built for OpenTelemetry-based instrumentation of LLM apps: capture traces and export them into your existing observability stack with minimal vendor lock-in.
Overlap
- Both can be OpenTelemetry-friendly and fit into existing telemetry pipelines.
- Both support “what happened?” debugging and traceability — KLA extends this into decision governance and evidence exports.
- A common pattern is: instrument with OpenTelemetry for observability, then add decision governance only where audited.
What Traceloop / OpenLLMetry is excellent at
Recognize what the tool does well, then separate it from audit deliverables.
- OpenTelemetry-based instrumentation and tracing for LLM apps.
- Non-intrusive approach: export traces into your existing observability stack.
Where regulated teams still need a separate layer
- Workflow approvals/overrides and role-aware decision authority captured as decision records tied to business actions.
- Decision-time policy checkpoints that gate actions with enforceable controls (block/review/allow).
- Evidence Room style export bundles (manifest + checksums) mapped to Annex IV/oversight deliverables, not just traces.
Out-of-the-box vs build-it-yourself
A fair split between what ships as the primary workflow and what you assemble across systems.
Out of the box
- OpenTelemetry-based tracing/instrumentation for LLM apps.
- Exporting telemetry into existing observability destinations.
Possible, but you build it
- A decision-time approval gate for high-risk actions (with escalation and overrides).
- Decision records with reviewer context and rationale tied to the action, not only the trace.
- A packaged evidence export mapped to Annex IV/oversight deliverables with verification artifacts.
- Retention and integrity posture suitable for audits (multi-year, verification drills, redaction rules).
Concrete regulated workflow example
One scenario that shows where each layer fits.
KYC tool-call governance
An agent can call internal tools to fetch customer data and propose a compliance action. OpenTelemetry traces help debug behavior; regulated workflows often also require a decision-time approval gate before the action is executed.
Where Traceloop / OpenLLMetry helps
- Instrument runs and export traces to your observability tooling for debugging and incident response.
- Standardize telemetry across multiple apps and providers.
Where KLA helps
- Block the high-risk action until an authorized reviewer approves.
- Capture approval/override records as auditable decision evidence with context.
- Export a verifiable evidence bundle for auditors and internal governance review.
Quick decision
When to choose each (and when to buy both).
Choose Traceloop / OpenLLMetry when
- You want OpenTelemetry-first tracing integrated into existing observability tooling.
Choose KLA when
- You need governance controls and audit-ready evidence exports for regulated workflows.
When not to buy KLA
- You only need instrumentation and tracing and do not need governance controls or evidence exports.
If you buy both
- Use OpenTelemetry/Traceloop for deep observability and exporting telemetry to your stack.
- Use KLA for governance controls and audit-ready evidence bundles.
What KLA does not do
- KLA is not a tracing SDK or OpenTelemetry replacement.
- KLA is not a request gateway/proxy layer for model calls.
- KLA is not a prompt experimentation suite.
KLA’s control loop (Govern / Measure / Prove)
What “audit-grade evidence” means in product primitives.
Govern
- Policy-as-code checkpoints that block or require review for high-risk actions.
- Role-aware approval queues, escalation, and overrides captured as decision records.
Measure
- Risk-tiered sampling reviews (baseline + burst during incidents or after changes).
- Near-miss tracking (blocked / nearly blocked steps) as a measurable control signal.
Prove
- Tamper-proof, append-only audit trail with external timestamping and integrity verification.
- Evidence Room export bundles (manifest + checksums) so auditors can verify independently.
Note: some controls (SSO, review workflows, retention windows) are plan-dependent — see /pricing.
RFP checklist (downloadable)
A shareable procurement artifact (backlink magnet).
# RFP checklist: KLA vs Traceloop (OpenLLMetry) Use this to evaluate whether “observability / gateway / governance” tooling actually covers audit deliverables for regulated agent workflows. ## Must-have (audit deliverables) - Annex IV-style export mapping (technical documentation fields → evidence) - Human oversight records (approval queues, escalation, overrides) - Post-market monitoring plan + risk-tiered sampling policy - Tamper-evident audit story (integrity checks + long retention) ## Ask Traceloop / OpenLLMetry (and your team) - Can you enforce decision-time controls (block/review/allow) for high-risk actions in production? - How do you distinguish “human annotation” from “human approval” for business actions? - Can you export a self-contained evidence bundle (manifest + checksums), not just raw logs/traces? - What is the retention posture (e.g., 7+ years) and how can an auditor verify integrity independently? - If you already have OpenTelemetry traces, how do you produce a verifiable evidence pack with approvals and policy enforcement records?
Sources
Public references used to keep this page accurate and fair.
Note: product capabilities change. If you spot something outdated, please report it via /contact.