OpenRouter vs LiteLLM: hosted router or self-hosted gateway?
Updated 2026-11-01 · listed A to Z, not ranked
OpenRouter and LiteLLM both put many LLM providers behind one OpenAI-style interface. The difference is who runs it and who bills you. OpenRouter is a hosted service you buy credits from. LiteLLM is an open-source Python SDK and self-hosted gateway (proxy): you run it and pay each provider directly with your own keys.
Listed A to Z, facts from openrouter.ai/pricing, docs.litellm.ai and litellm.ai/enterprise on Nov 1, 2026.
- What it is
- Open-source SDK and LLM gateway (proxy) for 100+ providers, with virtual keys, budgets, cost tracking and an admin UI
- What you pay
- Open source; you pay providers directly plus your own hosting. Enterprise features: contact sales
- Provider keys
- Your own key for each provider
- Who runs it
- You (container or Python); Enterprise is also self-hosted
- What it is
- Hosted OpenAI-compatible API for 600+ models from 80+ providers
- What you pay
- Model tokens at provider list price plus 5.5% (Standard) or 8% (Business) on credit purchases
- Provider keys
- One OpenRouter key; BYOK optional ($25,000/month of list-price usage with no fee, then 5%)
- Who runs it
- OpenRouter
How we checked: Quoted from each official page on Nov 1, 2026. LiteLLM publishes no list price for its Enterprise tier; contact the vendor. Confirm details with each provider before you decide.
How they differ
- Billing. OpenRouter is one bill and one balance. With LiteLLM, each provider bills you, and LiteLLM tracks spend per key, team or user.
- Operations. LiteLLM runs in your infrastructure, so you handle uptime, upgrades and scaling, and requests never pass through a third-party router. OpenRouter handles routing and fallback for you.
- Fallback. Both retry across deployments or providers: LiteLLM through its Router config, OpenRouter through provider fallback (failed attempts are not charged for tokens, per OpenRouter).
FAQ
Is LiteLLM free?
LiteLLM is open source: you can run the SDK and gateway yourself and pay only your model providers and your own hosting. Its Enterprise tier adds features under a paid license; LiteLLM does not list a price for it (checked Nov 1, 2026).
Can LiteLLM call OpenRouter?
Yes. LiteLLM supports many providers, and OpenRouter’s API is OpenAI-compatible, so a LiteLLM gateway can route some traffic to OpenRouter alongside direct provider keys.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-01)
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