OpenRouter
One API to access 200+ LLMs from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and more
OpenRouter · APIs Launched 2023
Quick Answer
OpenRouter is one api to access 200+ llms from openai, anthropic, google, meta, and more, made by OpenRouter. It is a paid product. Key uses: Multi-model AI applications, Cost-optimized LLM routing, Automatic provider fallbacks.
Last updated:
- Users
- Hundreds of thousands of developers; $10M+ monthly API volume
What is OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is a unified API gateway that routes requests to 200+ large language models from every major provider — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, Cohere, and dozens of open-source models — through a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint. It intelligently routes to the cheapest or fastest provider, offers automatic fallbacks, and provides real-time pricing comparisons. Widely used by developers who want multi-model access without managing multiple API keys.
What's new in OpenRouter in 2026?
200+ models available (2025); real-time provider pricing; credits system; widely adopted as the de facto LLM router for open-source projects; $10M+ in monthly API volume; model context protocol (MCP) support
How much does OpenRouter cost?
Pay-as-you-go
Per token (model-dependent)
- 200+ models
- No monthly fee
- Automatic routing
- Credit system
Free Models
$0
- Selected open-source models free
- Rate-limited
- Llama, Mistral, Gemma variants
What can you do with OpenRouter?
- Multi-model AI applications
- Cost-optimized LLM routing
- Automatic provider fallbacks
- Model comparison
- Production AI apps
Pros
- 200+ models from one endpoint
- Automatic cheapest/fastest routing
- Provider fallbacks
- Real-time pricing dashboard
- OpenAI SDK compatible
Cons
- Adds latency vs direct provider
- Markup on some models
- Dependent on upstream providers
- Less control than direct APIs
Specs
Underlying Models
- GPT-4o
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet
- Gemini 2.5 Pro
- Llama 4
- Mistral Large
- DeepSeek V3
- 200+ models
Platforms
- REST API
- OpenAI-compatible SDK
- Web Dashboard
Integrations
- LangChain
- LlamaIndex
- Vercel AI SDK
- n8n
- Any OpenAI SDK
Ideal For
- Developers building multi-model apps
- Startups needing cost optimization
- Researchers comparing models
- Production AI applications
Tags
- Multi-Model
- API
- LLM Gateway
- OpenAI-Compatible
- Cost Optimization
- Routing
What are the best alternatives to OpenRouter?
Compare OpenRouter Head-to-Head
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Frequently Asked Questions about OpenRouter
How much does OpenRouter cost?
OpenRouter pricing: Pay-as-you-go at Per token (model-dependent); Free Models at $0.
Is OpenRouter free?
OpenRouter is a paid product with no permanent free tier.
What is OpenRouter used for?
OpenRouter is used for: Multi-model AI applications, Cost-optimized LLM routing, Automatic provider fallbacks, Model comparison, Production AI apps.
What are the best alternatives to OpenRouter?
Top alternatives to OpenRouter include OpenAI API, Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock.
What platforms does OpenRouter support?
OpenRouter is available on: REST API, OpenAI-compatible SDK, Web Dashboard.