OpenRouter
06 model-router/OpenRouter/ACTIVE
OpenRouter is a single API to many LLM providers with routing, fallbacks, and usage billing — widely wired into Aider, Continue, Goose, and OpenHands.
What it does
- 01500+ models / 80+ providers
- 0225+ free models
- 03Spend controls
- 04BYOK passthrough
- 05Pay-as-you-go
Who it's for
The de-facto hosted router for BYOK coding agents.
Pricing
PAYG at provider list price; 5.5% fee on credit purchases; 25+ free models. List prices as checked against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-25; plans change often, so confirm before deciding.
caveat · before you adopt
No markup on model prices, but a 5.5% ($0.80 min) fee on credit purchases; BYOK is free up to $25k/mo of list-price inference.
Other model routers (1)
Head-to-head (1)
Frequently asked
What is OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is a single API to many LLM providers with routing, fallbacks, and usage billing — widely wired into Aider, Continue, Goose, and OpenHands.
Who is OpenRouter for?
The de-facto hosted router for BYOK coding agents.
How much does OpenRouter cost?
PAYG at provider list price; 5.5% fee on credit purchases; 25+ free models. List prices as checked against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-25; plans change often, so confirm before deciding.
Does OpenRouter run locally or in the cloud?
OpenRouter runs in the vendor's cloud. Its interfaces are an API or protocol.
What are alternatives to OpenRouter?
Other model router entries in the catalog: LiteLLM. Different categories solve the same problem differently — see the Model routers & gateways category page for tradeoffs.
What should I know before adopting OpenRouter?
No markup on model prices, but a 5.5% ($0.80 min) fee on credit purchases; BYOK is free up to $25k/mo of list-price inference.