DEV INFRASTRUCTURE / APIS · ESSENTIAL
OpenRouter
Unified API for 400+ LLMs (50+ free) with price/performance routing.
What OpenRouter does
Unified API for 400+ LLMs (50+ free) with price/performance routing. One API and key for models from many providers, with explorable usage data, private chat and BYOK. Token prices pass through at provider rates.
Good for
- Switch between models without new integrations
- Use cheaper/free models for bulk tasks
- Run no-code automations against many models
Try this in 10 minutes
- Switch between models without new integrations. Use the free plan: pick one real example from your own business and try just that.
- Use cheaper/free models for bulk tasks. Put the result next to how you do it today. Is it faster, cheaper or better?
- Run no-code automations against many models. Note what you had to fix by hand before you'd show it to a customer.
Mini-tasks based on common small-business uses for this tool.
Honest take
No red flags in our notes so far
We have not written a detailed take on this tool yet. The summary above is based on the maker’s own website.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go: model prices at provider rates; 5.5% fee on card credit purchases (5% crypto); BYOK free up to $25k/mo.
Prices as listed by the maker when we last checked (2026-10-18); usually in US dollars. Check the website for current prices.
Latest update
No major updates recorded since we added it.
Is OpenRouter worth it? Quick answers
Is OpenRouter worth it?
OpenRouter is one of the tools we rate as essential to know about in the Dev infrastructure / APIs category. There is a free tier, so you can test it before paying.
How much does OpenRouter cost?
Pay-as-you-go: model prices at provider rates; 5.5% fee on card credit purchases (5% crypto); BYOK free up to $25k/mo.
What is OpenRouter used for?
Unified API for 400+ LLMs (50+ free) with price/performance routing. Typical uses: switch between models without new integrations; use cheaper/free models for bulk tasks; run no-code automations against many models.