OpenRouter
One API to access all the best LLMs instantly.
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Book free discovery call →Quick summary of OpenRouter
OpenRouter is a unified LLM API platform that proxies requests to 200+ language models from every major provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta, Mistral, Cohere, Perplexity, etc.) through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Founded by Alex Atallah (co-founder of OpenSea), it solves the problem of juggling multiple LLM provider APIs by offering one key, one billing dashboard, one set of credits, and one set of rate limits across all models. Best for developers building AI features who want to A/B test models, configure failover routing, or stay model-agnostic. Pricing is pay-as-you-go via account credits — underlying model price plus ~5% markup, with no subscription or seat fees. BYOK mode (bring your own provider key) eliminates the markup. Direct competitors: Portkey (similar routing, more enterprise governance), LiteLLM (open-source self-hosted proxy), Together AI (open-source models focused), Replicate (broader model marketplace including image/video), direct provider SDKs (cheaper but locked-in). OpenRouter wins on breadth of models and developer experience; LiteLLM wins on self-hosting; Portkey wins on observability and governance.
⏱ 30-second verdict
- 200+ LLMs under one OpenAI-compatible API key
- Pay-as-you-go credits, no subscription or seat fees
- Adds proxy latency (few hundred ms) vs going direct
About
OpenRouter provides a unified API that gives you access to hundreds of AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and more. It handles fallbacks, load balancing, and finds the cheapest rates across providers automatically. You get standardized OpenAI-compatible endpoints so switching models requires zero code changes.
🎯 Why it's useful
Founders can experiment with different LLMs without managing multiple API keys or rewriting integration code. Perfect for finding the best price-performance ratio for your specific use case.
💜 Our take
It's like having a universal remote for AI models — test Claude, GPT-4, Llama, and Mistral through one integration. The automatic fallbacks mean your app stays up even when a provider goes down.
How indie founders use OpenRouter
Multi-model AI features
Use Claude for writing tasks, GPT for tool-calling, Gemini for vision. All from one unified API. Pick the right model per feature without managing 3 SDKs.
A/B test models on production traffic
Route 10% of users to Sonnet, 10% to GPT-5, 80% to your current model. Compare quality, latency, and cost on real data. Pick the winner.
Failover routing
Configure fallback chains: try Claude first, fall back to GPT if Anthropic is down. Your AI features stay up during single-provider outages.
Rapid prototyping
Want to try a new model the day it launches? OpenRouter usually adds new models within hours. No new SDK integration needed.
If you're building AI features into a product, OpenRouter is the smartest starting point. It's a single OpenAI-compatible API that proxies to 200+ language models from every major provider. One key. One billing dashboard. One set of credits across Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta, Mistral, Cohere, Perplexity, and the rest. The value is concrete. You can prototype with cheap fast models (Llama, Mistral, Gemini Flash) and graduate to frontier models (Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5, o3) for production-quality features. You can route based on availability so if Anthropic has an outage, your app falls back to OpenAI without users noticing. You can let users bring their own API keys at no markup. The new auto-router feature picks the best model per prompt based on quality vs cost. The pricing model is clean. OpenRouter takes a small markup (typically 5%) on the underlying model's price, paid via account credits. No monthly subscription, no per-seat fees, no minimums. You top up credits and burn them down. The marketplace dashboard shows exactly which models cost what and which are returning errors. Where OpenRouter actually shines for indie founders: rapid model experimentation, fallback routing, and multi-model production stacks. I've prototyped AI features with OpenRouter against three different models in the same afternoon. The agility is what you're paying for. Pair it with the Vercel AI SDK (which supports OpenRouter natively) and you have one of the most flexible LLM application stacks possible. The trade-offs: latency adds a small overhead (a few hundred ms) because requests go through OpenRouter's proxy. Some advanced provider-specific features (Anthropic prompt caching, OpenAI structured outputs) work but with minor gotchas. And for production at huge scale, going direct sometimes makes economic sense, especially with provider-specific deals or BYOC arrangements. Recommendation: for any indie founder building AI features, start with OpenRouter. The optionality alone is worth the 5% markup. Once you've validated which model wins for your use case, you can decide whether to go direct or stay routed. Most teams stay routed because the operational flexibility outweighs the savings.
Pricing
Pay as you go
- ✓Underlying model price + ~5% markup
- ✓Credits topped up via Stripe
- ✓Free tier credits for new accounts
- ✓No subscription
BYOK
- ✓Bring your own API key per provider
- ✓OpenRouter routing without markup
- ✓Useful when negotiating direct provider deals
- ✓Same unified API
Pay-as-you-go · Prices vary by model · Often cheaper than direct provider rates
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenRouter free?
OpenRouter itself is free to sign up for. You pay per LLM request at the underlying model's price plus a ~5% routing markup. New accounts get free credits to try it out. There's also a BYOK mode (bring your own provider key) at no markup.
Why use OpenRouter instead of going direct?
Three reasons. (1) Unified API across 200+ models, switch models with a string change instead of refactoring SDKs. (2) Automatic fallback routing if one provider has an outage. (3) Experimentation: A/B test models on the same prompt without juggling keys. The ~5% markup is the cost of optionality.
Does OpenRouter support streaming?
Yes. Streaming responses work the same as the OpenAI SDK's streaming. OpenRouter's API is OpenAI-compatible, so any SDK that supports OpenAI streaming (Vercel AI SDK, LangChain, the official OpenAI SDK with a base URL change) works.
Can I use Anthropic prompt caching through OpenRouter?
Yes. OpenRouter passes through provider-specific features like Anthropic's prompt caching, OpenAI's structured outputs, and Google's grounding. There can be minor differences in how cache headers propagate. Check OpenRouter's per-model docs for any gotchas.
Does OpenRouter store my prompts?
By default OpenRouter logs metadata (model used, timestamps, costs) but not the prompt/response content. You can also explicitly opt into 'do not log' headers per request. Enterprise tiers offer stricter retention policies.
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