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LiteLLM vs OpenRouter

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Best fit
LiteLLM: Platform teams giving many internal developers governed access to several LLM vendors · OpenRouter: Developers comparing or switching between many models from one codebase
Platforms
LiteLLM: Linux · OpenRouter: Web
Trust score
About even — LiteLLM 87, OpenRouter 87

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

LiteLLMOpen-source gateway and Python SDK that put 100+ LLM providers behind one OpenAI-style API, with keys, budgets and spend tracking.OpenRouterSingle OpenAI-compatible API and credit balance for 500+ models from 80+ providers, with fallbacks and routing rules.

Side by side

FactLiteLLMOpenRouter
CategoryAI Gateways & RoutingAI Gateways & Routing
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Public APIYesYes
Trust score87 / 10087 / 100
PlatformsLinux, APIWeb, API
CompanyBerri AI (LiteLLM)OpenRouter, Inc.
Launched20232023
Last verifiedOct 2, 2026Oct 2, 2026

What our research says

LiteLLM

LiteLLM is the default pick for a platform team that wants one OpenAI-compatible door to many model vendors, with per-team budgets and keys, without paying a hosted router a margin. The SDK is just as useful to a single developer who wants to swap providers with a one-line change. Running the gateway reliably, including its database and scaling, is your job, and the governance features that large companies ask for sit behind the Enterprise licence.

Pros

  • One OpenAI-style interface to 100+ providers, in an SDK and a self-hosted proxy
  • Virtual keys, spend tracking by key, user and team, budgets and rate limits in the free gateway
  • Retry and fallback routing across deployments, plus MCP and agent gateways
  • Self-hosted, so traffic and keys stay in your own environment

Cons

  • You run and scale the proxy yourself, including its database and upgrades
  • SSO, SCIM, audit logs and SLAs require the Enterprise licence, priced only by quote
  • The unified format can lag behind provider-specific features on new models

OpenRouter

OpenRouter is the practical default for developers who want to try or mix many models without opening an account with every lab, and who value automatic fallback when a provider goes down. High-volume teams already on direct contracts with one or two labs will mostly be paying the platform fee for convenience they do not need.

Pros

  • 500+ models behind one OpenAI-compatible API
  • Automatic fallback across providers and routing by price or latency
  • Data-policy routing to keep prompts away from providers you do not trust
  • Free tier with 25+ free models for experimenting

Cons

  • Platform fee of 5.5 to 8% on top of model prices
  • Free tier is limited to 50 requests per day
  • Adds another party between your app and the model provider

Which one fits

Choose LiteLLM if you need

  • Platform teams giving many internal developers governed access to several LLM vendors
  • Developers who want to switch or fall back between model providers without rewriting code
  • Organisations that must keep prompts and keys inside their own infrastructure

Choose OpenRouter if you need

  • Developers comparing or switching between many models from one codebase
  • Apps that need provider fallback for uptime
  • Small teams that want one bill instead of a dozen provider accounts

LiteLLM vs OpenRouter: the questions people ask

Does LiteLLM or OpenRouter have a free tier?

Both: LiteLLM has a free tier, and OpenRouter has a free tier.

Which has a public API, LiteLLM or OpenRouter?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

All LiteLLM alternatives →Browse all AI Gateways & Routing →