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Most buyers should pick Requesty.
Choose Requesty for a larger free allowance, per-key and team spend limits, and request-level observability. Its Pay as you go plan adds a 5% markup to model spend. Choose OpenRouter for access to 600+ models from 80+ providers, provider and data-policy controls, and a $25,000/month BYOK allowance without fees on Standard and Business. Both offer OpenAI-compatible APIs and failover. The better fit depends on whether you prioritize gateway controls or provider breadth.
01Side by side
| OpenRouter | Requesty | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 5.5% Standard or 8% Business credit-purchase fee | 5% markup on model spend |
| Free tier | 25+ free models; 50 requests per day | All free models; 200 requests per day |
| API and SDKs | OpenAI-compatible API | OpenAI-compatible API; works with any SDK |
| CLI and docs | Docs linked from the homepage | Python, Node.js and cURL examples |
| Integrations | 600+ models across 80+ providers | 600+ models; includes MCP Gateway |
| Deployment model | Hosted API and web platform | Hosted AI gateway and web platform |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Limits and scaling | $25K/month BYOK allowance; 5 workspaces on Standard | Spend limits per key, user, team or organization |
OpenRouter Choose OpenRouter if
- Choose OpenRouter if you need access to 80+ providers.
- Choose OpenRouter if you want provider and data-policy controls.
- Choose OpenRouter if your BYOK inference stays within its allowance.
Requesty Choose Requesty if
- Choose Requesty if you want 200 free requests per day.
- Choose Requesty if you need spend limits by key or team.
- Choose Requesty if you want request-level cost and latency visibility.
02Pricing at real usage
Both have a $0 free plan, but Requesty lists 200 requests per day and OpenRouter lists 50. Requesty’s free tier includes routing, caching, fallbacks and EU data residency; OpenRouter’s includes 25+ free models and four free providers.
For paid use, Requesty adds a 5% markup to model spend. OpenRouter’s Standard plan charges a 5.5% fee when you buy credits; Business lists an 8% credit-purchase fee. Those fees use different bases, so compare them against your billing pattern rather than treating them as identical rates. OpenRouter also allows $25,000/month of BYOK inference without fees on Standard and Business, then lists a 5% fee above that allowance. Requesty lists BYOK, but its pricing page does not give a separate BYOK fee. Neither service lists a monthly subscription price for paid usage; Enterprise plans are custom.
03API, SDKs and integration
Both products put a gateway between your application and model providers and offer OpenAI-compatible APIs. OpenRouter connects that API to 600+ models from 80+ providers. Its homepage links to Docs, but does not name SDKs or languages in the product details. It also supports bringing your own provider keys, which can retain existing provider deals and add capacity.
Requesty says its API works with any SDK and shows Python, Node.js and cURL examples on its homepage. Its feature set includes routing across 600+ models, BYOK and an MCP Gateway on the Pay as you go plan. For either product, check the model identifiers and routing configuration you plan to use before switching an existing client: API compatibility does not make provider-specific options identical. Requesty describes routing policies based on factors such as latency, geography and configured traffic shares; OpenRouter describes automatic selection using live marketplace data.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence, self-hosting option or data-export policy. Treat both as hosted gateways unless the vendor confirms a deployment or export arrangement that meets your requirements.
Both offer an OpenAI-compatible API, which can reduce changes to application code when you add a gateway. Migration still involves checking endpoint and authentication configuration, model names, routing rules, provider credentials and request-level behavior. OpenRouter’s provider, data-retention and processing-region rules are specific controls to account for; Requesty offers model and region access rules, PII detection, spend controls and audit logs on Enterprise. Before routing production traffic, ask each vendor how to export request and spend records, retain configuration, and move policies or keys if you leave. OpenRouter lists SSO/SAML and contractual SLAs on Enterprise; Requesty lists SSO, RBAC, audit logs and custom SLAs on Enterprise.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, OpenRouter or Requesty?
Requesty lists a 5% markup on model spend. OpenRouter lists a 5.5% Standard or 8% Business fee on credit purchases, so the fee bases differ. OpenRouter also lists a $25,000/month BYOK inference allowance without fees on Standard and Business; compare your expected spend and billing method.
Which service has the larger free tier?
Requesty lists 200 requests per day and access to all free models. OpenRouter lists 50 requests per day, 25+ free models and four free providers. Requesty also lists routing, caching, fallbacks and EU data residency in its free plan.
Do OpenRouter and Requesty support OpenAI-compatible APIs?
Yes. Both describe OpenAI-compatible APIs. Requesty says its API works with any SDK and shows Python, Node.js and cURL examples. OpenRouter connects its API to models from multiple providers; check provider-specific model options when adapting an existing client.
Can I bring my own model-provider keys?
Both support BYOK. OpenRouter lists $25,000/month of BYOK inference without fees on Standard and Business, then a 5% fee above that allowance. Requesty includes BYOK on Pay as you go; its pricing page lists a 5% markup on model spend.