Comparison ยท updated
OpenRouter vs Together AI (2026): which should you use?
Pick OpenRouter if you want one API key across many providers and models, with a free tier to test.
Verdict
Pick OpenRouter if you want one API key across many providers and models, with a free tier to test. Pick Together AI if you want to run open models on one provider and also fine-tune them or rent GPU clusters. Price your real token volume on both pages before you commit.
| Criteria | OpenRouter | Together AI |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One API for 500+ models from 80+ providers | An AI cloud for inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters |
| How you pay | Inference is billed at the provider's list price. Fee on credit purchases: 5.5% on Standard, 8% on Business | Serverless inference is priced per million tokens, by model. Batch API prices are listed separately |
| Free access | Free plan with 25+ free models and 50 requests a day | Pay per use. The pricing page does not list a free plan |
| Beyond inference | Routing and fallback across providers. Bring your own keys: $25,000 a month of list-price inference with no fee, then 5% | Dedicated endpoints, fine-tuning and GPU clusters. On-demand HGX H100 is listed at $3.99 per GPU hour |
Based on each product's official site: OpenRouter, Together AI. Features change often, so check before you buy.
Sourced pricing
Pricing from the official sites
- OpenRouter. Free plan with 25+ free models and 50 requests a day. Inference is billed at the provider's list price on every plan, with a fee on credit purchases: 5.5% on Standard and 8% on Business. Enterprise by contract. Source: openrouter.ai/pricing, checked .
- Together AI. Serverless inference is priced per million tokens, by model. Source: together.ai/pricing, checked .
Questions
Frequently asked
Which is better, OpenRouter or Together AI?
Pick OpenRouter if you want one API key across many providers and models, with a free tier to test. Pick Together AI if you want to run open models on one provider and also fine-tune them or rent GPU clusters. Price your real token volume on both pages before you commit.
How do OpenRouter and Together AI compare on what it is?
OpenRouter: One API for 500+ models from 80+ providers. Together AI: An AI cloud for inference, fine-tuning and GPU clusters.
How do OpenRouter and Together AI compare on how you pay?
OpenRouter: Inference is billed at the provider's list price. Fee on credit purchases: 5.5% on Standard, 8% on Business. Together AI: Serverless inference is priced per million tokens, by model. Batch API prices are listed separately.
When was this comparison last updated?
This comparison was last updated on 2026-11-10. Features change often, so check each official site before you buy.
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