OpenRouter vs LiteLLM
Default scenario: At $10,000 model spend / month: OpenRouter $6,600/yr, LiteLLM (operating cost not estimated · servers, licenses and engineering time are yours).
The services may differ in features, performance, support and the work you need to do yourself. Read the notes and test what matters to your setup.
Your selected usage
$10,000 model spend / month
- OpenRouter: $6,600/yr estimated
- LiteLLM: Operating cost not estimated · servers, licenses and engineering time are yours
Estimated costs at different usage levels
| Usage | OpenRouter | LiteLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Default scenario$10,000 model spend / month | $6,600/yrStandard credits · 5.5% fee | —Operating cost not estimated · servers, licenses and engineering time are yours |
Excludes the model spend itself. Self-hosted options cost the compute you run them on. Try your own numbers against all llm gateways providers.
Side by side
| OpenRouter | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted unified API to hundreds of LLMs from many providers, billed via prepaid credits with a fee on credit purchases. | MIT-licensed, self-hosted proxy exposing an OpenAI-compatible API in front of 100+ LLM providers, by BerriAI. |
| Headquarters | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Parent jurisdiction | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States (BerriAI) |
| EU self-serve plan | Available; check eligible plans and regions | Available; check eligible plans and regions |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | No / not documented |
| Billing | payg | self-hosted |
| Free tier | Free models available; no monthly fee, pay-as-you-go credits. | Open-source proxy is free to self-host. |
| Open source | No | Yes · self-hostable |
| Source last checked | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Pricing evidence | Published rates | Operating cost not estimated |
Which should you choose?
Choose OpenRouter if…
- you need a signed GDPR data processing agreement
Choose LiteLLM if…
- you want open-source software you can run yourself
Based on estimated list-price bills and the facts above. Features, performance and support aren’t scored.
OpenRouter pricing
Calculated from the listed vendor rates; exclusions still apply.
| Plan | Model-spend fee (%) |
|---|---|
| Standard credits | 5.5 |
| Business credits | 8 |
5.5% platform fee on credit purchases (Standard); 8% on the Business plan. Model tokens are passed through at provider list price. BYOK: first $25,000/month of list-price inference has no fee, 5% after. EU in-region routing (eu.openrouter.ai) is limited to Business and Enterprise plans. DPA published at openrouter.ai/data-processing-agreement.
OpenRouter plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
LiteLLM pricing
Operating cost not estimated · servers, licenses and engineering time are yours. See notes for software editions and license terms.
Budget for proxy hosting and maintenance, plus your model-provider bills (always your own keys, no markup). The proxy runs where you deploy it; downstream model processing depends on each provider's region. Enterprise edition (SSO/SAML, audit logs, multi-team management, guardrails) needs a sales quote, with no public price. No vendor DPA applies to the open-source proxy itself because the vendor does not process its traffic.
LiteLLM plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
Frequently asked questions
Do OpenRouter and LiteLLM offer EU data residency?
Both offer EU data residency on a self-serve plan. Check which plans and regions qualify.
Do OpenRouter and LiteLLM have a free tier or trial?
OpenRouter: Free models available; no monthly fee, pay-as-you-go credits. LiteLLM: Open-source proxy is free to self-host.
Where are OpenRouter and LiteLLM based?
OpenRouter is headquartered in the United States. LiteLLM is headquartered in the United States and owned by BerriAI (the United States).