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It's a split decision.
LiteLLM is a self-hostable, open-source gateway for platform teams that want to manage keys, budgets, routing and spend in their own environment. OpenRouter is a hosted, OpenAI-compatible API for accessing 600+ models across 80+ providers, with automatic routing and failover. Choose LiteLLM when deployment control and governance matter most. Choose OpenRouter when you want managed access to a broad model marketplace and can accept credit-purchase fees and provider-dependent routing.
01Side by side
| LiteLLM | OpenRouter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free gateway; Enterprise quoted annually | Model prices plus credit-purchase fees |
| Free tier | Free Open Source gateway, forever | 25+ models; 50 requests daily |
| Open source and licence | Open source; licence name needs verification | Open-source status not stated by vendor |
| Self-hosting | Self-hostable gateway | Hosted platform; self-hosting terms unpublished |
| API and SDKs | OpenAI-compatible API and Python SDK | OpenAI-compatible API |
| Integrations | 140+ providers, 1,800+ models, agents and MCP | 600+ models across 80+ providers |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux, Windows and Python SDK | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Budgets and rate limits; caps stop requests | Free tier: 50 requests per day |
LiteLLM Choose LiteLLM if
- Choose LiteLLM if you need to self-host the gateway.
- Choose LiteLLM if teams need budgets, rate limits and access controls.
- Choose LiteLLM if you want an open-source gateway and Python SDK.
OpenRouter Choose OpenRouter if
- Choose OpenRouter if you want managed access to 600+ models.
- Choose OpenRouter if automatic routing and default failover fit your stack.
- Choose OpenRouter if you want to bring provider keys and negotiated deals.
02Pricing at real usage
LiteLLM’s Open Source gateway is free forever and includes virtual keys, users and teams, spend tracking, budgets, rate limits, fallbacks, request logging and Prometheus metrics. Enterprise is quoted annually based on gateway request capacity, deployment architecture and support needs; the pricing page lists no starting price. OpenRouter’s Free tier includes 25+ free models, four free providers and 50 requests per day. Standard and Business have no monthly subscription: the pricing page lists credit-purchase fees of 5.5% and 8%, respectively. Model inference is charged at list prices. Both plans include $25,000 per month of BYOK inference without fees; above that allowance, a 5% fee applies. Compare credit purchases, model spend and BYOK usage with the cost of operating a self-hosted LiteLLM gateway. OpenRouter Enterprise is contract-priced.
03API, SDKs and integration
Both products expose an OpenAI-compatible API, so applications using that interface can connect without adopting a provider-specific API first. LiteLLM offers a Python SDK and a gateway that covers 140+ providers and 1,800+ models, plus agents and MCP servers. Its quick start lists macOS, Linux and Windows, and the homepage links to gateway and SDK documentation. LiteLLM routes requests and lets teams change models without changing app code, according to its product description. OpenRouter provides API access to 600+ models from 80+ providers and a web interface for discovery, chat and usage dashboards. Its docs cover the API; the published product pages do not list a named SDK or CLI. OpenRouter can select a model and provider using marketplace data, and supports bringing provider keys. In either setup, check model IDs, provider-specific options and routing behavior before switching production traffic.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
LiteLLM is open source and self-hostable, giving platform teams a way to run the gateway in their own environment. The vendor does not publish the licence name in the published product details, so verify the applicable licence before redistributing or embedding it. OpenRouter is presented as a hosted platform; the vendor does not publish self-hosting terms. Both use an OpenAI-compatible API, which can reduce application-level changes when changing gateways, but model identifiers, provider options and routing policies can still require updates. LiteLLM says teams can swap models without changing app code, while OpenRouter routes through its marketplace and providers. Neither product page describes a data-export process. Before committing, ask how to export request logs, usage records and configuration, and test how those records map to your own schema.
Questions people ask
Is LiteLLM or OpenRouter cheaper?
It depends on how you use it. LiteLLM’s Open Source gateway is free, but you operate the deployment yourself. OpenRouter charges model list prices plus credit-purchase fees on paid plans; Standard lists a 5.5% fee and Business an 8% fee. Compare total model spend and gateway operating costs.
Can I self-host OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is presented as a hosted platform, and its product pages do not publish self-hosting terms. LiteLLM is explicitly self-hostable and open source. If self-hosting or deployment in a restricted environment is a requirement, ask OpenRouter about available deployment options before selecting it.
Do LiteLLM and OpenRouter use the OpenAI API format?
Yes. Both provide an OpenAI-compatible API. LiteLLM also lists a Python SDK, while OpenRouter’s product pages describe API access without naming an SDK. Compatibility does not guarantee identical model names or provider-specific parameters, so validate those when migrating.
How do their routing and failover features differ?
LiteLLM routes requests among models and supports fallbacks, budgets and rate limits; requests stop when configured caps are reached. OpenRouter selects models and providers using marketplace data, and failover is on by default. Its homepage says failed requests are not charged.