OpenRouter

What changes when a gateway sends the request for you?

Your app calls OpenRouter. OpenRouter sends the request to a model endpoint, which is a provider’s hosted version of the model. The same model can be available from more than one provider.

A gateway can offer another route if a host fails. Decide which providers may receive a request before adding real inputs.

How do credits and provider prices add up?

For Standard card top-ups, OpenRouter documents a 5.5% fee with a US$0.80 minimum. Its fee notice lists a separate flat 5% for crypto payments. Confirm the total before paying. Inference is billed at the provider’s list price and depends on the selected endpoint.

Free model variants have separate quotas. The current pricing page lists 20 requests a minute and 50 a day, rising to 1,000 a day after at least US$10 in credit purchases. Check the paid route’s provider limits separately. If you use your own provider key, check the provider’s bill and the gateway’s separate fee allowance.

How can you rehearse a fallback without calling a model?

Draw three fictional endpoints. Give two the data policy your app needs and leave the third unapproved. Keep this on paper with no API key or real data.

1. 1
   Choose an allowed route

   Mark a primary and fallback with the same data requirement. Leave the cheaper unapproved endpoint out of the permitted list.
2. 2
   Trace an outage

   Cross out the primary. Use the approved fallback only if it still meets your rules. If both are unavailable, show that the work is pending for manual review.
3. 3
   Check what you would record

   Write where you would confirm the actual provider, model and usage. Keep the response format and fallback rules with your own app.

Who can keep what your app sends?

OpenRouter documents separate settings for prompt logging and allowing it to use inputs or outputs, both off by default. The downstream model provider has its own retention and training terms. Check the exact endpoints your settings allow. The pricing FAQ lists Zero Data Retention routing on every plan, including Free. This requests an endpoint that meets that policy. Preferred vendor selection and broader data-policy routing controls are listed on Standard and above.

Keep only the input you need. Save your model and provider choices, test cases and expected response format outside the gateway so you can check them again when a route changes.