OpenRouter

Key facts: OpenRouter is a single API that routes to hundreds of AI models from many providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, DeepSeek and dozens of open-weight labs — behind one key and one bill. It also lists genuinely free models, so you can prototype without paying, and it publishes per-model pricing and uptime.

Plans: free models cost nothing; paid models are billed per token with no subscription required. You can start with a small credit balance and scale as you go.

Best for: developers who want to compare models, avoid vendor lock-in, or ship a product that can switch models without rewriting code. Watch out: you are depending on a middleman — check uptime and data-routing terms for anything sensitive.

Pros

• One API key and one bill for hundreds of models from many providers.
• Genuinely free models are listed, so prototyping can cost nothing.
• Per-model pricing and uptime are published for comparison.
• Covers major providers plus dozens of open-weight labs.

Watch out for

• Model quality and availability vary by provider, so results differ between models.
• Routing through a third party adds a dependency between your app and the model provider.
• Costs can grow quickly with heavy use; monitor usage against published per-model pricing.

Best for

Developers who want to compare, prototype with, or switch between many AI models. Who should skip it: users who only chat with one model should use that provider's app directly.

Pricing

OpenRouter is pay-per-use, with free models available; check the official pricing page for current plans and limits.

FAQs

How many models does OpenRouter offer? Hundreds of models from many providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and DeepSeek.

Can I try it for free? Yes, it lists genuinely free models for prototyping.

How does billing work? One key and one bill, with per-model pricing published.