OpenRouter is an API aggregator that provides a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint routing requests to 315+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, Meta, Mistral, xAI, and others. It handles fallbacks, load balancing, and model routing automatically. Developers use it to access the best model for a task without managing multiple provider accounts. It charges a 5.5% platform fee on top of provider costs and offers 25+ free models on the free tier. Key features: - 315+ models from 60+ providers via one OpenAI-compatible API - Automatic fallbacks and load balancing for high availability - 25+ free models with 50 free requests/day (no credit card required) - Fine-grained prompt routing and data-handling policies - Speed variants (e.g., ':nitro') for latency optimization - Pay-as-you-go credits with automatic top-up
Free tier: 25+ free models, 200 requests/day. Pay-as-you-go: provider cost + 5.5% platform fee. Enterprise: custom volume pricing.