OpenRouter
Unified API gateway to 200+ LLMs with automatic fallbacks, cost routing, and a single API key — drop-in OpenAI SDK compatible.
Proprietary
TypeScript
Why OpenRouter?
You want access to many models through one API key and billing account
Automatic fallback to alternative models when primary is down
Comparing model outputs and costs across providers
Signal Breakdown
What drives the Trust Score
Download Trend
Last 12 months
Tradeoffs & Caveats
Know before you commitYou need the absolute lowest latency — adding a proxy layer adds ~50ms
You only use one model and don't need aggregation
Pricing
Free tier & paid plans
Free tier with rate limits
Pay-per-token, varies by model
Alternative Tools
Other options worth considering
Single Python interface and proxy server for 100+ LLM providers — call any model with the OpenAI SDK format.
The most widely used LLM API. Powers GPT-4o and o1 models with best-in-class reasoning, vision, and structured outputs. Largest ecosystem of tutorials, integrations, and community support.
Often Used Together
Complementary tools that pair well with OpenRouter
Learning Resources
Docs, videos, tutorials, and courses
Get Started
Repository and installation options
npm install openaiQuick Start
Copy and adapt to get going fast
import OpenAI from 'openai';
const client = new OpenAI({
baseURL: 'https://openrouter.ai/api/v1',
apiKey: process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY,
});
const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
model: 'anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet',
messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }],
});Community Notes
Real experiences from developers who've used this tool