Alternatives
Top OpenRouter Alternatives
OpenRouter puts models from many vendors behind one key. If you mostly run GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen or MiniMax, you can avoid its credit fees and provider routing. These are the options to compare, from one endpoint for all five families to each vendor鈥檚 own API.
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What is OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is a hosted API that sells access to models from many vendors through one key and one bill. Its OpenAI-compatible endpoint is https://openrouter.ai/api/v1, and an Anthropic-compatible Messages endpoint lets Claude Code connect too. Its public model list includes GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax.
OpenRouter does not host most models itself. One model ID is usually served by several providers, and OpenRouter routes each request among them. By default it prefers providers without a recent outage, then picks among the cheaper ones, weighted by the inverse square of price. Fallback to another provider is on by default.
Billing is prepaid credit. OpenRouter passes provider prices through without markup and charges its fee when you buy credits. It accepts major credit cards, Alipay and USDC.
Why teams look for OpenRouter alternatives
- Fees on every top-up
- Standard pay-as-you-go charges 5.5% on card purchases with a $0.80 minimum, or 5% in USDC. The Business plan fee is 8%. On a $5 top-up the minimum card fee is 16%.
- The same model can behave differently between requests
- On September 28, 2026 OpenRouter listed 33 providers for GLM-5.3 Flash, at quantizations from FP4 to FP8 and input prices from $0.045 to $0.75 per million tokens. Kimi K3 had 19 providers and DeepSeek V4 Pro 23. OpenRouter鈥檚 docs warn that quantized models may perform worse on some prompts. Consistent output means pinning providers or filtering quantizations yourself.
- Data handling follows the provider
- OpenRouter does not log prompts by default, but each upstream provider has its own data policy. Requiring zero data retention or no data collection shrinks the pool of providers that can serve you.
- BYOK is metered
- Bringing your own vendor keys is free up to $25,000 of usage a month, then carries a 5% fee.
How to choose
Start with the models you actually call. If your traffic is GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen or MiniMax, every option below serves them, and the question becomes cost, consistency and payment. If you also need GPT, Claude or Gemini models, keep OpenRouter or a Western provider for those and move only the Chinese-model traffic.
Next, decide how much you care about which host serves a model. OpenRouter spreads one model ID across many providers and quantizations. A2Agent and the official APIs give you one source per model. SiliconFlow, Together, Novita and DeepInfra host the weights themselves, and Together says it serves DeepSeek at full precision.
Then check how you will pay. Minimum top-ups range from $1 at A2Agent and Kimi to $5 at Together and more than $10 at Novita. Together takes cards and US bank transfers only. Novita takes cards and PayPal. OpenRouter adds 5.5% to card top-ups.
Finally, run the same small set of real prompts through two or three candidates. Compare total billed cost, valid outputs, latency and failed requests, and check tool calls and streaming in your own client before you move production traffic.
Top OpenRouter Alternatives at a glance
| Platform | Focus | Key features | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2Agent | A pay-per-token API for GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax. One key, served over OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini protocols. | Five Chinese model families; OpenAI Chat Completions and Responses, Anthropic Messages, Gemini; no top-up fee; per-key spend limits | Developers and teams whose workload runs on Chinese models and who want predictable sourcing and no top-up fees |
| SiliconFlow | An AI cloud for serverless inference, fine-tuning, dedicated instances and reserved GPUs, including Chinese open-weight models. | OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible APIs; fine-tuning; dedicated instances; reserved GPUs; monthly spend limits | Developers who want Chinese open-weight models plus fine-tuning or reserved GPUs from one vendor |
| Together AI | An AI platform for serverless inference, provisioned throughput, dedicated endpoints, fine-tuning and GPU clusters. | OpenAI-compatible API; batch API; fine-tuning; dedicated endpoints; GPU clusters | Teams that also need fine-tuning, dedicated endpoints or GPU clusters and can pay by card or US bank transfer |
| Novita AI | APIs for LLMs and image, video and audio generation, plus GPU cloud and agent sandboxes. | OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible APIs; batch inference; dedicated endpoints; GPU instances; sandboxes | Developers who want Chinese models plus GPU or sandbox products from the same vendor |
| DeepInfra | Inference APIs for open models, plus private and custom model deployment on dedicated GPUs. | OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible APIs; LoRA and custom model deployment; spend limits; SSO | Teams that want open models under a no-storage data policy, or plan to deploy their own fine-tuned weights later |
| Official vendor APIs | Each model maker鈥檚 own API: DeepSeek, Moonshot (Kimi) and Z.ai (GLM). One account and key per vendor. | First-party access; OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible endpoints; vendor-specific discounts and plans | Workloads that run on one model family and want the vendor鈥檚 own terms |
In-depth look at each alternative
01A2Agent
A pay-per-token API for GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax. One key, served over OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini protocols.
Strengths
- No top-up fee and a $1 minimum top-up. Top-ups can earn bonus credit, and credits do not expire while your account is active.
- Models are sourced from each vendor鈥檚 official platform, not spread across third-party hosts at different quantizations.
- OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses, Anthropic Messages and Gemini on the same key, so Claude Code, Codex and OpenAI SDKs connect by changing the base URL.
- Per-key USD quotas, 5-hour, daily and weekly spend limits, expiry dates and IP allowlists.
Limitations
- The catalog covers the five Chinese model families only. There are no OpenAI, Anthropic or Google models.
- No free tier and no bring-your-own-key option.
- On the models both services list, OpenRouter鈥檚 default price is lower on a few. Check the model you need on the pricing page.
Pricing
Per-token billing from a prepaid balance. The minimum top-up is $1 with no top-up fee. Purchased credit is refundable within 7 days; bonus credit is not.
Ideal for
Developers and teams whose workload runs on Chinese models and who want predictable sourcing and no top-up fees
02SiliconFlow
An AI cloud for serverless inference, fine-tuning, dedicated instances and reserved GPUs, including Chinese open-weight models.
Strengths
- Lists DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, Kimi and MiniMax models on its pricing page.
- OpenAI-compatible API at api.siliconflow.com/v1 and an Anthropic Messages endpoint that works with Claude Code.
- New users get $1 in free credits, and there is no minimum commitment.
- Fine-tuning, dedicated instances and reserved GPUs when serverless is not enough.
Limitations
- Serverless rate limits depend on your account tier.
- Its terms make paid fees non-refundable without written consent, and you pay taxes and transaction charges.
Pricing
Pay as you go per input and output token, with no subscription. Volume discounts are available through sales.
Ideal for
Developers who want Chinese open-weight models plus fine-tuning or reserved GPUs from one vendor
03Together AI
An AI platform for serverless inference, provisioned throughput, dedicated endpoints, fine-tuning and GPU clusters.
Strengths
- Runs open models on its own infrastructure. Its docs say DeepSeek models are hosted in North American data centers at full precision.
- Serves Qwen, GLM, DeepSeek, Kimi and MiniMax models.
- Batch API at up to 50% lower cost.
- Credits do not expire.
Limitations
- Requires a $5 minimum credit purchase and offers no free trial. API access stops at a zero balance.
- Accepts Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards (not prepaid cards) and ACH from US banks only.
- By default Together stores prompts and responses and may use them for product improvement; admins can switch to zero data retention.
- Its docs list no Anthropic-compatible endpoint.
Pricing
Serverless models are billed per token. Provisioned throughput is a fixed monthly cost, and dedicated endpoints and GPU clusters bill by the hour.
Ideal for
Teams that also need fine-tuning, dedicated endpoints or GPU clusters and can pay by card or US bank transfer
04Novita AI
APIs for LLMs and image, video and audio generation, plus GPU cloud and agent sandboxes.
Strengths
- Serves GLM, DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi and MiniMax models.
- OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible endpoints; its docs cover Claude Code setup.
- Batch inference with an introductory 50% discount.
Limitations
- Manual top-ups must be greater than $10.
- Pays by card through Stripe or by PayPal, which is processed manually within 7 business days. No crypto.
- Refunds are generally not available.
Pricing
Pay as you go per million tokens, with cache pricing on some models. Auto top-up is available.
Ideal for
Developers who want Chinese models plus GPU or sandbox products from the same vendor
05DeepInfra
Inference APIs for open models, plus private and custom model deployment on dedicated GPUs.
Strengths
- Serves GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax models.
- Its data policy says inputs and outputs are not stored to disk or used for training, and only metadata is logged.
- OpenAI-compatible API plus an Anthropic Messages endpoint.
- Deploy LoRA adapters or custom models on dedicated GPUs.
Limitations
- You must add a card or prepay before use.
- Custom model deployments are billed per GPU-hour rather than per token.
Pricing
LLMs are billed per token. Custom deployments are billed per GPU-hour. Invoiced accounts settle monthly, and spend limits are configurable.
Ideal for
Teams that want open models under a no-storage data policy, or plan to deploy their own fine-tuned weights later
06Official vendor APIs
Each model maker鈥檚 own API: DeepSeek, Moonshot (Kimi) and Z.ai (GLM). One account and key per vendor.
Strengths
- The model comes straight from its maker, under the maker鈥檚 own terms.
- DeepSeek and Kimi both offer OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible endpoints.
- DeepSeek charges half the peak rate outside its peak hours. Kimi starts from a $1 recharge.
- Z.ai lists some Flash models as free and sells a GLM Coding Plan from $18 a month.
Limitations
- One account, balance and key per vendor. Running five families means five sign-ups and five bills.
- Kimi鈥檚 rate limits rise with cumulative recharge, so new accounts start at the lowest tier.
- Z.ai鈥檚 GLM Coding Plan works only inside officially supported tools, not for general API calls.
- DeepSeek refunds cover only the unspent balance, go through review and carry handling fees.
Pricing
All three bill per token from a prepaid balance, with cache discounts. DeepSeek has off-peak rates. Z.ai also sells a subscription coding plan.
Ideal for
Workloads that run on one model family and want the vendor鈥檚 own terms
Why A2Agent is different
- No fee to add credit
- OpenRouter charges 5.5% on card top-ups with a $0.80 minimum. A2Agent charges no top-up fee and accepts top-ups from $1, so the price you see per token is what you pay.
- One source per model
- A2Agent sources each model from its vendor鈥檚 official platform. You do not need provider pinning or quantization filters to get the same model on every request.
- Built around Chinese models
- GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax are the whole catalog. Each release has its own model page with its A2Agent price.
- Every major client protocol
- OpenAI Chat Completions and Responses, Anthropic Messages and Gemini on one key. Setup guides cover Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor and other tools.
- Key-level spend control
- Give each key a USD quota, rolling 5-hour, daily and weekly limits, an expiry date and an IP allowlist, then watch usage per request in the dashboard.
See every model鈥檚 per-token price next to its official list price on the models page.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my OpenRouter credits if I switch?
Nothing changes on OpenRouter鈥檚 side. You can keep both keys and move traffic model by model. You can keep OpenRouter for Western models and send only Chinese-model traffic elsewhere.
Does A2Agent route between providers like OpenRouter?
Not across third-party hosts. A2Agent sources each model from its vendor鈥檚 official platform and fails over between its own upstream accounts, so a model ID always means the same model.
Is A2Agent cheaper than OpenRouter?
On most models both services list, A2Agent鈥檚 price is lower, and A2Agent adds no top-up fee. OpenRouter鈥檚 default price is lower on a few models. The pricing page compares every shared model side by side.
Can I switch from OpenRouter without changing my code?
Usually. Change the base URL to A2Agent, use an A2Agent key and replace OpenRouter model IDs such as z-ai/glm-5.3-flash with A2Agent model IDs from the models page. Test tool calls and streaming in your own client first.
Does A2Agent have GPT, Claude or Gemini models?
No. A2Agent serves GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen and MiniMax. It speaks the OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini protocols, so clients built for those APIs work, but the models are Chinese. Keep another provider if you need Western models too.
Why not use each vendor鈥檚 official API?
You can. If you use one family, the official API is a good fit. If you use several, you open, fund and monitor an account with each vendor. A2Agent puts all five behind one balance and one key.
How do I pay?
Top up your balance from $1 with no top-up fee. The available payment methods are shown at checkout. Credits do not expire while your account is active.
Which OpenRouter alternatives work with Claude Code?
Claude Code needs an Anthropic Messages endpoint. On September 28, 2026 A2Agent, SiliconFlow, Novita AI, DeepInfra, DeepSeek and Kimi all documented one. Together AI鈥檚 docs listed only an OpenAI-compatible API. Z.ai documents an Anthropic endpoint under its GLM Coding Plan.
Which options accept payment without a US bank account?
OpenRouter accepts major credit cards, Alipay and USDC. Novita accepts cards through Stripe and PayPal. Together accepts Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards, and ACH only from US banks. A2Agent shows its available methods at checkout. Check each checkout page, since methods can vary by country.
Does A2Agent work with Claude Code and Codex?
Yes. Claude Code connects through Anthropic Messages and Codex through OpenAI Responses. The integrations page has step-by-step setup for each.
Get started
Create an account, top up from $1 and create an API key. Point any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini client at A2Agent and pick a model.
Sources
Checked on 2026-09-28. Vendors change plans and features often. Check each official page before you decide.
- OpenRouter 路 FAQ
- OpenRouter 路 Pricing
- OpenRouter 路 Provider routing
- OpenRouter 路 GLM-5.3 Flash endpoints
- OpenRouter 路 Kimi K3 endpoints
- OpenRouter 路 DeepSeek V4 Pro endpoints
- SiliconFlow 路 Pricing
- SiliconFlow 路 Quickstart
- SiliconFlow 路 Terms of service
- Together AI 路 Pricing
- Together AI 路 Billing and credits
- Together AI 路 Payment methods
- Together AI 路 Privacy and security
- Novita AI 路 Pricing
- Novita AI 路 FAQ
- Novita AI 路 Payment methods
- DeepInfra 路 Pricing
- DeepInfra 路 Data privacy
- DeepSeek 路 API pricing
- Kimi 路 Pricing
- Kimi 路 Rate limits
- Z.ai 路 Pricing
- Z.ai 路 GLM Coding Plan FAQ