OpenRouter is the biggest LLM API aggregator — 50+ providers, 200+ models, mature dashboard. ClaudeAPI.cheap is narrower (Claude + GPT-5 + Gemini only) but cheaper. Both are alternatives to direct API access, but they aim at different users. Here's an honest comparison written by us — with the math on both sides.
Multi-provider LLM gateway with 200+ models and provider routing.
Drop-in Claude + GPT-5 + Gemini at 70-80% off list. Crypto only.
OpenRouter sells Claude Opus at ~$5/M (upstream + margin) — same or slightly higher than direct. ClaudeAPI.cheap Pro sells the same Opus 4.7 at $1/M input — 80% off direct. For flagship models, ClaudeAPI.cheap is 5x cheaper.
OpenRouter has 200+ models including Llama, DeepSeek, Mistral, Cohere, Reka, etc. ClaudeAPI.cheap has 16. If you need niche models, OpenRouter wins.
OpenRouter routes between providers automatically — if one is down, it falls back. ClaudeAPI.cheap routes to a single upstream per vendor; if upstream is down, your requests fail (mitigated by upstream's own redundancy).
ClaudeAPI.cheap uses two strict-superset endpoints: Anthropic-format /v1/messages and OpenAI-format /v1/chat/completions. Drop in with zero code changes for Anthropic SDK or OpenAI SDK. OpenRouter uses its own format (close to OpenAI but not identical) — you change the SDK or use their wrapper.
OpenRouter accepts cards (familiar) and crypto. ClaudeAPI.cheap is crypto-only — no Stripe friction but locks out card-only buyers. Pick based on your payment preference.
ClaudeAPI.cheap Pro plan ($19 lifetime) locks in 80% off forever — no monthly, no subscription, no rate hikes. OpenRouter pricing follows upstream — when Anthropic raises prices, OpenRouter raises with them.
Use OpenRouter if you need 200+ model variety, automatic provider fallback, or card payment. Use ClaudeAPI.cheap if you specifically want Claude + GPT-5 + Gemini at 80% off, crypto pay, and a $19 lifetime plan. The two are complementary — heavy users sometimes run both: ClaudeAPI.cheap for the big-3, OpenRouter for niche models.
We're not pretending to be OpenRouter. We're a focused reseller for Claude + GPT-5 + Gemini at deeper discounts. If your stack is built on those three vendors, our Pro plan saves you 80% with a single $19 payment.
Get a free API keyWe buy upstream credit in bulk and resell at our markup. The crypto-only payment removes Stripe fees + chargeback risk, which keeps margins workable at deeper discounts. We're a thinner reseller (just Claude + GPT-5 + Gemini), which lets us optimize one vertical hard.
Close but not identical. OpenRouter uses an OpenAI-shape API for everything — including Claude. You can use the OpenAI SDK with OpenRouter's URL. We do the same on /v1/chat/completions, plus we have a strict Anthropic-format /v1/messages endpoint that drops into Anthropic SDK without changing client libraries.
Yes, and many do. ClaudeAPI.cheap for the hot path (Claude/GPT/Gemini = 80% of typical use), OpenRouter for the long tail (Llama variants, DeepSeek, niche fine-tunes). Your code can be configured with provider routing on your end.
On flagship models, yes — they pass through upstream price + ~5% margin. On some niche models with auctions, OpenRouter can be cheaper than even upstream. For Claude/GPT/Gemini specifically, ClaudeAPI.cheap is consistently 70-80% cheaper because we buy in bulk and pass deeper discounts.