Anthropic API vs OpenRouter: tool pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-10 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Anthropic bills the Claude API per million input and output tokens. Prompt caching has separate write prices (5-minute and 1-hour) and a much lower price for cache hits.
OpenRouter is a single OpenAI-compatible API for hundreds of language models from many providers. Its pricing has two parts: the model’s own token price, and OpenRouter’s fee, which is charged when you buy credits rather than on each request.
Listed A to Z, from docs.anthropic.com and openrouter.ai. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts up to 100K tokens), Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts over 100K tokens)
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- Claude Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5, prompt caching rates and older models.
- Main price table
- Standard (pay as you go), Business (pay as you go), Enterprise
- Free option
- Standard (pay as you go): 5.5% on credit purchases
- Published prices
- Model tokens at provider list price, a 5.5% (Standard) or 8% (Business) fee on credit purchases, BYOK and USDC.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Anthropic API checked Nov 10, 2026, OpenRouter checked Nov 10, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Anthropic API lists 5 entries (Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts up to 100K tokens), Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts over 100K tokens)); OpenRouter lists 3 (Standard (pay as you go), Business (pay as you go), Enterprise).
- Free option. Anthropic API: none in the published plan table. OpenRouter: Standard (pay as you go): 5.5% on credit purchases.
- How prices are quoted. Anthropic API: “Current models (per 1M tokens)”. OpenRouter: “Plans and fees”.
Anthropic API plans and prices
| Model | Input | Output | Cache write 5m / 1h | Cache hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | $10 | $50 | $12.50 / $20 | $0.25 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4 | $20 | $5 / $8 | $0.20 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $2 | $10 | $2.50 / $4 | $0.10 |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts up to 100K tokens) | $0.10 | $0.50 | ||
| Claude Haiku 5.5 (prompts over 100K tokens) | $0.50 | $2.50 |
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.5–4.8 | $5 | $25 |
| Claude Opus 4.1 | $15 | $75 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.x | $3 | $15 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1 | $5 |
From docs.anthropic.com, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Anthropic API pricing.
OpenRouter plans and prices
| Plan | Fee | How you pay | Notable limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (pay as you go) | 5.5% on credit purchases | Credit and debit cards, AliPay, crypto (USDC) | Rate limits pass through from the providers; 5 workspaces |
| Business (pay as you go) | 8% on credit purchases | Credit and debit cards, AliPay, crypto (USDC) | Adds EU and US in-region routing, advanced notifications, 1,000 workspaces |
| Enterprise | Set by contract; fee discounts available | Invoicing and purchase orders | SSO/SAML, contractual SLAs, dedicated support |
| Plan | Included BYOK usage | Above the allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Standard and Business | $25,000 of list-price inference per month with no OpenRouter fee | 5% of what the same request would cost at list price on OpenRouter, deducted from credits |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
With BYOK, the model provider bills you for inference directly.
From openrouter.ai, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: OpenRouter pricing.
FAQ
How much does Anthropic API cost?
Claude Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5, prompt caching rates and older models. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does OpenRouter cost?
Model tokens at provider list price, a 5.5% (Standard) or 8% (Business) fee on credit purchases, BYOK and USDC. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
Do Anthropic API and OpenRouter have a free option?
Anthropic API: none in the published plan table. OpenRouter: Standard (pay as you go): 5.5% on credit purchases.
Which is better, Anthropic API or OpenRouter?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: docs.anthropic.com (checked Nov 10, 2026) and openrouter.ai (checked Nov 10, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-10)
- docs.anthropic.com
- docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/about-claude/pricing
- openrouter.ai
- openrouter.ai/pricing
- openrouter.ai/docs/faq
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