Tool profile · updated
TheRouter
TheRouter is ranked #11 of 11 for model APIs and gateways on AI Tool Podium.
Our verdict
OpenAI-compatible gateway to 269+ models from 26 providers, with automatic failover, per-key cost tracking, spending limits and bring-your-own provider keys. Pay as you go; listed model prices run a little above the providers' own rates, and the BYOK platform fee is not published.
TheRouter fact sheet
Checked
- What it does
- OpenAI-compatible AI gateway: point an OpenAI SDK client, Cursor or Claude Code at one endpoint to reach 269+ models from 26 providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and DeepSeek, with health-aware routing and automatic failover.Source: therouter.ai · checked
- Pricing
- Pay as you go per model, or bring your own provider keys. Example listed rates: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $3.24 input and $16.20 output per 1M tokens, GPT-4o at $2.70 and $10.80. BYOK traffic may carry a platform fee set in account policy; the rate is not published.Source: therouter.ai/pricing · checked
- Key features
- Real-time token and cost tracking per API key
- Spending limits and budget alerts
- Approved model basket with shadow mode for cheaper routes (beta)
- Prompt caching billed at the vendor's cached rate
- No prompt storage by default
Facts come from TheRouter's own site, docs or code repository, as publicly stated on the date shown. Prices and plans change, so check the source before you buy. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
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Related comparisons
All comparisonsQuestions
Frequently asked
What is TheRouter?
OpenAI-compatible gateway to 269+ models from 26 providers, with automatic failover, per-key cost tracking, spending limits and bring-your-own provider keys. Pay as you go; listed model prices run a little above the providers' own rates, and the BYOK platform fee is not published.
How much does TheRouter cost?
Pay as you go per model, or bring your own provider keys. Example listed rates: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $3.24 input and $16.20 output per 1M tokens, GPT-4o at $2.70 and $10.80. BYOK traffic may carry a platform fee set in account policy; the rate is not published. Source: https://therouter.ai/pricing, checked 2026-11-10.
Where does TheRouter rank?
TheRouter is ranked #11 of 11 for model APIs and gateways on AI Tool Podium. Ranking last updated 2026-11-10.
What are the alternatives to TheRouter?
Other tools in our model APIs and gateways ranking: OpenRouter, Hugging Face, Groq, Together AI, Fireworks AI, Replicate, fal, SeedRouter, RouteMux, SandBase.
Where is the official TheRouter website?
The official site is https://therouter.ai/
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