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It's a split decision.
YepAPI is a hosted, usage-billed API for SEO, scraping, social and commerce data, and AI models. LiteLLM is an open-source gateway teams can self-host to route AI requests, track spend, set budgets and manage access across providers. Choose YepAPI when your app needs its non-AI data endpoints alongside model calls. Choose LiteLLM when your main job is governing model access across a team, with control over the gateway deployment.
01Side by side
| YepAPI | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-call and metered usage; no subscription | Free self-hosted core; custom-priced Enterprise |
| Free tier | $5 signup credit; no free plan | Open Source gateway free forever |
| Open source and licence | Open-source status not stated | Open source; check licence terms |
| Self-hosting | Hosted API | Self-hosted deployment supported |
| API and SDKs | Shared-key JSON endpoints | OpenAI-compatible API; Python SDK |
| CLI and docs | Docs, llms.txt, agent skills | Docs, quickstarts, Python SDK |
| Integrations | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, MCP | 140+ providers, agents, MCP, secret managers |
| Limits and scaling | No rate limits; failed calls uncharged | Budgets and rate limits stop capped requests |
YepAPI Choose YepAPI if
- Choose YepAPI if you need SEO, SERP, scraping, or social endpoints.
- Choose YepAPI if one key and JSON responses fit your app.
- Choose YepAPI if you prefer per-call pricing without a subscription.
LiteLLM Choose LiteLLM if
- Choose LiteLLM if you need a self-hosted gateway for AI models.
- Choose LiteLLM if you need budgets, rate limits, and spend tracking.
- Choose LiteLLM if your team needs provider routing behind an OpenAI-compatible API.
02Pricing at real usage
YepAPI charges per call or other metered usage, with no subscription or monthly minimum. The pricing page lists a $5 signup credit, Google SERP from $0.01 per call, and endpoint prices before use; failed calls are not charged. That credit is not a recurring free plan, and costs rise with the endpoints and models your app calls. The homepage lists image generation at $0.03 and video from $0.192 per second.
LiteLLM's Open Source gateway is free forever to self-host. Its Enterprise plan is custom-priced annually based on gateway request capacity, deployment architecture, and support needs. Running the gateway also requires infrastructure and operations. The pricing page lists a 30-day trial, but no Enterprise price. YepAPI fits variable endpoint spend without gateway hosting; LiteLLM avoids a gateway subscription on Open Source, but adds infrastructure work.
03API, SDKs and integration
YepAPI exposes endpoints for SEO, SERP data, scraping, social and commerce data, and AI models. Calls use one API key and return JSON. The homepage shows POST requests, including /v1/serp/google and /v1/scrape, and lists results in markdown, HTML, or screenshot formats for scraping. Its docs include an llms.txt; the homepage also points to an MCP server and agent skills, and names Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. The published pages do not name a language-specific SDK.
LiteLLM provides an OpenAI-compatible API for routing requests across model providers. Its product lists a Python SDK and a LiteAgents SDK. The docs include quickstarts for macOS and Linux, Windows, and the Python SDK; the homepage also shows a shell install command. Its integrations include 140+ providers, 1,800+ models, agents, MCP servers, and existing secret managers. Teams can route models and manage access through the gateway.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
LiteLLM is open source and supports self-hosted deployment. Its Enterprise tier lists air-gapped deployment as an option. YepAPI is presented as a hosted API; the vendor does not publish an open-source or self-hosting option. LiteLLM's product site does not identify the exact open-source licence, so check the repository licence before redistributing or modifying it.
The vendors do not publish a data-export path. Before adopting either, verify how to retrieve request logs, usage history, and configuration. LiteLLM's OpenAI-compatible API and model routing are designed to let teams change models without changing app code, though gateway-specific routing and governance still need mapping. YepAPI standardizes access through one key and JSON responses; moving away would mean adapting calls to another provider's API.
Questions people ask
Is YepAPI an alternative to LiteLLM?
They overlap in offering access to AI models through one API, but serve different roles. YepAPI also offers SEO, scraping, social, and commerce data through a hosted, metered API. LiteLLM is a gateway for routing and governing AI model access across providers.
Does YepAPI have a free plan?
No recurring free plan is listed. The pricing page lists $5 in signup credit, with no subscription or monthly minimum. After that credit, usage is billed per call or other metered unit, and endpoint prices are listed before use.
Can LiteLLM replace YepAPI for SEO and web scraping?
LiteLLM's listed role is routing AI model requests and managing access, spend, and limits. YepAPI offers SEO, SERP, and scraping endpoints alongside AI models. A team needing those data endpoints would need a separate provider if it chose LiteLLM for its model gateway.
Can I self-host LiteLLM?
Yes. LiteLLM lists its Open Source gateway as free forever and self-hostable, with quickstarts for macOS and Linux, Windows, and the Python SDK. Enterprise adds options such as air-gapped deployment, with annual custom pricing.