OpenRouter
One OpenAI-compatible API and credit balance for hundreds of AI models from dozens of providers.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web
Is OpenRouter free?
Free plan, plus paid plans
- Free tier:
- 25+ free models
Checked on OpenRouter's site Nov 8, 2026
Switch from OpenRouter to
All 4
TrueFoundryStarting price: $25 per user/month
Together AIPaid
Fireworks AIStarting price: From $0.05 per 1M input tokens
- Verified facts
- 10 of 10
- Alternatives ranked
- 4
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About OpenRouter
OpenRouter is a hosted service that lets developers call hundreds of AI models through a single API key and one credit balance. Instead of signing up with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and many smaller providers separately, you buy credits on OpenRouter and send requests in the OpenAI format, switching models by changing a string. It routes each request to a provider and can fall back to another when one is down, and teams can set data policies that limit which providers see their prompts. A public model list, rankings and a chat playground help compare models. Inference is billed at providers' list prices, and OpenRouter takes a percentage fee when you buy credits. A free tier gives access to a set of free models with a daily request cap, and you can bring your own provider keys. It suits indie developers and startups that want to try many models quickly; larger teams that need to self-host the gateway usually look at LiteLLM or Portkey.
Best for: Developers who want to try and switch between many AI models with one API key and bill.
OpenRouter pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from OpenRouter's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 25+ free models | Nov 8, 2026 | openrouter.ai |
| Free plan | Yes, 25+ free models, 50 requests/day | Nov 8, 2026 | openrouter.ai |
| Standard plan | Pay-as-you-go, 5.5% fee on credit purchases | Nov 8, 2026 | openrouter.ai |
| Business plan | Pay-as-you-go, 8% fee on credit purchases | Nov 8, 2026 | openrouter.ai |
| BYOK allowance | $25,000 of list-price inference a month with no fee | Nov 8, 2026 | openrouter.ai |
Pros and cons
What works
- Hundreds of models behind one OpenAI-compatible API
- Automatic fallback to other providers when one is down
- Free models available for testing
Why people leave
- A fee is added on every credit purchase
- Hosted only, so it can't be self-hosted
- Free tier is capped at 50 requests per day
OpenRouter vs TrueFoundry, Together AI and Fireworks AI
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | OpenRouter | TrueFoundry | Together AI | Fireworks AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid | Paid | Paid |
| Verified price | — | $25 per user/month | — | From $0.05 per 1M input tokens |
| Free plan | 25+ free models | Up to 3 users | No | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Self-hosted | Web | Web |
Top OpenRouter alternatives
See all 4- 1TrueFoundry42.3
Self-hostable enterprise gateway with per-team budgets, SSO and MCP governance, using your own provider keys.
- 2Together AI40.9
Go direct to a host of open models for lower latency, fine-tuning and dedicated endpoints.
- 3Fireworks AI40.9
Use a single fast open-model host directly, with batch and spot discounts and fine-tuning.
- 4
Groq40.9Go direct to Groq for its fast open models and free tier, without a router in between.
Why people left OpenRouter
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from OpenRouter, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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OpenRouter: common questions
What is OpenRouter?
OpenRouter: One OpenAI-compatible API and credit balance for hundreds of AI models from dozens of providers. Best for developers who want to try and switch between many AI models with one API key and bill. Available for Web.
Is OpenRouter free?
OpenRouter has a free plan and paid plans. Free tier: 25+ free models (checked on OpenRouter's own site).
How much does OpenRouter cost?
OpenRouter is free with paid plans. Free tier: 25+ free models; Free plan: Yes, 25+ free models, 50 requests/day; Standard plan: Pay-as-you-go, 5.5% fee on credit purchases; Business plan: Pay-as-you-go, 8% fee on credit purchases. Checked on OpenRouter's own site, November 2026.
Is OpenRouter open source?
No, OpenRouter is not open source.
What platforms does OpenRouter run on?
OpenRouter is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to OpenRouter?
The highest-ranked OpenRouter alternatives right now are TrueFoundry, Together AI and Fireworks AI. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
OpenRouter vs TrueFoundry: what's the difference?
Both OpenRouter and TrueFoundry are free with paid plans. Both run on Web.