AI Gateway tool profile

OpenRouter

A hosted AI gateway that puts 400+ models from 70+ providers behind one OpenAI-compatible API, with pay-per-token pricing via prepaid USD credits, automatic fallback routing, and caching.

Pricing checked Aug 13, 2026Sources: 3Editorial status: source checked

Best for: Developers and teams who want one API key for many models with hosted reliability, without running or maintaining any gateway infrastructure.
Audience: Developers, AI tool users, teams
Category: AI Gateway

Where it fits

Developers and teams who want one API key for many models with hosted reliability, without running or maintaining any gateway infrastructure.

Unified API access to many models without managing multiple keysHosted gateway with no self-hosting or maintenanceEnterprise model access with SSO and SLAs

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Pricing note

Pay-as-you-go with prepaid credits (USD); no per-token markup, 5.5% platform fee on credit top-ups. Free tier: 25+ free models, 4 free providers, 50 requests/day, 20 RPM / 1000 RPD after $10 lifetime credits. BYOK (bring-your-own-key) gets a $25k/mo free allowance on the platform fee. Enterprise: SSO/SAML, SLAs, custom. Verified 2026-08-13.

Checked Aug 13, 2026. Verify the current plan, credits, output limits, and commercial terms before purchasing.

Is it legit?

Who is behind OpenRouter, where it is based, and what is publicly known about its funding. Company details change — verify on the official site before committing.

Founded

2023

Headquarters

United States

Free plan details

Free tier includes 25+ free models across 4 providers with 50 requests/day; limits scale with lifetime credits (under $10: 20 RPM/50 RPD; at or over $10: 20 RPM/1000 RPD).

Trade-offs to check

Hosted: requests and metadata pass through OpenRouter's infrastructure
Credit top-ups carry a 5.5% platform fee
Free-tier rate limits are account-wide

What OpenRouter does

One OpenAI-compatible endpoint (openrouter.ai/api/v1) to 400+ models
Pay-per-token with prepaid credits; no inference markup, 5.5% platform fee on top-ups
Automatic fallback routing and caching
Remote MCP server at mcp.openrouter.ai/mcp
Metadata-only logging by default; opt-in prompt logging for a 1% cost discount

Evaluation guide

Step-by-step evaluation guides for OpenRouter — workflow fit, pricing, rights, and a same-input test before paying.

Compare OpenRouter with alternatives

Side-by-side pages that weigh OpenRouter against overlapping tools on the same five fields.

omnirouteRead the omniroute comparison →

Official sources

These links are retained beside the catalog record so changing details can be rechecked.