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Portkey centralizes model access and operations, with a free plan and paid pricing from $49. Developers may look elsewhere for a self-hosted gateway, an OpenAI-compatible API, or a routing layer that fits an existing stack. The alternatives below cover those paths, from open-source LiteLLM to hosted services with multi-provider routing. Compare total operating cost, migration work and production limits—not just the entry price—before moving traffic or credentials.
01Why people leave Portkey
Reduce gateway spend
Portkey starts at $49. Eden AI lists a $0 starting price, while LiteLLM is a free, self-hostable gateway; hosting and usage costs still matter.
Run the gateway yourself
For teams that want control over deployment, LiteLLM and Helicone are listed as open source and self-hostable.
Fit an existing stack
A single API, OpenAI-compatible access, or direct integration with Vercel AI SDK may reduce the changes needed in your application.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Best for self-hosting
LiteLLMLiteLLMLiteLLM is the clearest Portkey alternative for teams that want an open-source, self-hostable gateway rather than relying on a hosted service. It is listed as a free gateway, but a self-hosted deployment still has infrastructure and operating costs. Check its proxy/API interface against your Portkey integration before migrating; pin releases and assess supply-chain risk before giving it production credentials.
Trade-off: Your team owns deployment, upgrades and production operations.
7.1/10from
Freefree plan - Best for low entry cost
Eden AIEden AIEden AI is a hosted, OpenAI-compatible gateway with a listed starting price of $0, making it worth evaluating when the Portkey starting price is a concern. Its cost and access controls can help teams track usage across providers. There is no published self-hosting path, so it is a poor fit if keeping the gateway inside your infrastructure is a requirement.
Trade-off: Hosted service; the vendor lists no self-hosting path.
7.2/10from
Freefree plan - Best for provider choice
OpenRouterOpenRouterOpenRouter offers one API for models and providers, which suits teams consolidating model access or evaluating alternatives without building a separate integration for each provider. It also lists a free plan, but its starting price is not stated. The tradeoff is paying for routing flexibility; check provider routing and behavior under your production traffic before switching.
Trade-off: Routing flexibility adds another service and cost model to assess.
7.6/10from
Freefree plan - Best for Vercel AI SDK
Vercel AI GatewayVercel AI GatewayVercel AI Gateway is a hosted model-routing API aimed at teams already using the AI SDK. It supports multiple providers and provider failover, so it may fit better than Portkey when that SDK is already part of the application. The gateway has a free plan, but its production costs and limits need checking before you route substantial traffic.
Trade-off: Hosted deployment; confirm production pricing and limits first.
7.8/10from
Freefree plan - Best for Cloudflare teams
Cloudflare AI GatewayCloudflare AI GatewayCloudflare AI Gateway is a hosted option for teams already using Cloudflare that need multi-provider routing, caching and request-level logs. Its listed free plan makes it worth comparing with Portkey for an initial rollout, but the production pricing details need confirmation. Check how its routing and logging fit your existing application before moving requests and credentials.
Trade-off: Hosted service; verify production costs before committing.
7.0/10from
Freefree plan - Best for self-hosted logs
HeliconeHeliconeHelicone combines LLM routing and observability and is listed as open source and self-hostable. That may suit teams replacing Portkey with a gateway they can run themselves, especially when request-level cost visibility matters. Its hosted plan starts at $79, above Portkey's $49 starting price, and reports of maintenance-mode risk warrant a careful production review.
Trade-off: Higher listed hosted starting price and reported maintenance-mode risk.
6.8/10from
$79/mofree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Portkey Portkey (current) | 7.6 | $49/mo | Yes | Teams routing requests across LLM providers |
| LiteLLM LiteLLM | 7.1 | Free | Yes | Platform teams managing multiple model providers |
| Eden AI Eden AI | 7.2 | Free | Yes | Teams routing across AI providers |
| OpenRouter OpenRouter | 7.6 | Free | Yes | Teams evaluating models across providers |
| Vercel AI Gateway Vercel AI Gateway | 7.8 | Free | Yes | Teams integrating multiple model providers |
| Cloudflare AI Gateway Cloudflare AI Gateway | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams already using Cloudflare |
| Helicone Helicone | 6.8 | $79/mo | Yes | Teams routing across model providers |
Questions people ask
Which Portkey alternative is open source and self-hostable?
LiteLLM and Helicone are listed as open source and self-hostable. LiteLLM is described as a free gateway, but self-hosting still means paying for infrastructure and maintaining the service. Helicone's hosted plan starts at $79, so compare deployment costs as well as subscription prices.
Which alternative has the lowest listed starting price?
Eden AI lists a $0 starting price. LiteLLM is listed as a free gateway, and OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway and Cloudflare AI Gateway list free plans. Those labels do not establish what production usage will cost; check each vendor's pricing and limits for your expected traffic.
How difficult is it to migrate from Portkey?
Migration effort depends on how your application calls Portkey and which features it uses. Eden AI is OpenAI-compatible, while Vercel AI Gateway targets teams using the AI SDK. Compare the APIs, routing behavior, logs and controls you rely on, then validate fallbacks and credential handling before moving production traffic.