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OpenRouter
One API for hundreds of AI models
Enki editor score
Excellent
Human-vetted editorial rating
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Overview
OpenRouter sells access to more than 600 AI models from over 80 providers through one API and one credit balance. Its endpoint is OpenAI-compatible, so most apps switch by changing the base URL, and it falls back to another provider when one fails or rate limits. It suits developers and teams who want to test or swap models without an account at every lab, and it also has a web chat. Model prices pass through with no markup, and OpenRouter charges a fee when you buy credits; more than 25 free models are available with daily limits. Stripe agreed to acquire OpenRouter in August 2026.
Enki verdict
The easiest way to reach nearly every major model through one OpenAI-compatible key; the 5.5% credit fee is the price of that convenience.
Key features
One API, 600+ models
OpenAI-compatible access to models from 80+ providers.
Provider fallbacks
Retries another provider when one fails or rate limits.
Privacy controls
Prompt logging off by default, with a ZDR-only setting.
Pros & cons
What we like
- No markup on model prices
- One key and one bill for 600+ models
- Prompts are not stored by default
Worth noting
- The $0.80 minimum fee makes small top-ups expensive
- Free models cap at 50 requests a day until you buy $10 of credits
- The Business plan fee rises to 8%
OpenRouter pricing
Is OpenRouter free?
Yes. OpenRouter's free plan gives chat and API access to 25+ free models, capped at 50 requests a day until you buy $10 of credits.
- 25+ free models from 4 free providers
- 20 requests a minute and 50 requests a day on free models
- 1,000 free-model requests a day once you have bought at least $10 of credits
- Failed attempts count toward the daily cap
- Paid models need credits
Standard
Pay as you go
5.5% fee on card credit purchases, $0.80 minimum; 5% flat on crypto. No minimums or lock-in
- 600+ models from 80+ providers at provider prices
- Auto-routing, budgets, spend controls and prompt caching
- Bring your own key: no fee on the first $25,000 a month of list-price usage, then 5%
Business
Pay as you go
8% fee on credit purchases; no minimums or lock-in
- Up to 1,000 workspaces
- EU and US in-region routing
- Workload Identity Federation and advanced notifications
Enterprise
Custom
by contract, paid by invoice; fee discounts available
- SSO/SAML and SCIM
- Contractual SLAs and a dedicated support team
- Private endpoints as an add-on
Price history
- Checked against OpenRouter's pricing page and docs: no markup on model prices; 5.5% fee on Standard credit purchases ($0.80 minimum, 5% on crypto), 8% on Business; free models at 20 requests a minute and 50 a day, or 1,000 a day after $10 of credits.
Source: OpenRouter's official pricing, checked Nov 4, 2026. Prices can change; confirm at checkout.
OpenRouter FAQ
- Is OpenRouter free?
- Yes, for its 25+ free models. You get 20 requests a minute and 50 requests a day, rising to 1,000 a day once you have bought at least $10 of credits. Every other model is paid from prepaid credits.
- How much does OpenRouter cost?
- Model usage costs what the provider charges, with no markup. OpenRouter adds a 5.5% fee when you buy credits by card, with a $0.80 minimum, or 5% on crypto; the Business plan fee is 8%. Because of the minimum, a small top-up pays a higher effective rate than a large one.
- Is OpenRouter safe for private data?
- OpenRouter does not store your prompts or responses unless you opt in, though it keeps request metadata such as token counts. Each provider it routes to has its own data policy, and a ZDR-only setting limits you to zero-data-retention endpoints. Opting in to let OpenRouter use your inputs earns a 1% discount.
- How do I use the OpenRouter API?
- Create a key and point the OpenAI SDK, or any HTTP client, at https://openrouter.ai/api/v1. OpenRouter also publishes its own TypeScript and Python SDKs and a hosted MCP server.
- Is OpenRouter cheaper than using OpenAI or Anthropic directly?
- No. Per-token prices match the provider's, and the fee on credit purchases makes OpenRouter slightly more expensive overall. What you pay for is one key and one bill across 600+ models, plus automatic fallback when a provider fails.
- Who owns OpenRouter?
- OpenRouter, Inc. was started in early 2023 and is led by co-founder and CEO Alex Atallah. Stripe announced on August 19, 2026 that it had agreed to acquire the company; the announcement did not disclose a price.
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