If you are searching for the best AI API gateway in 2026, OpenRouter alternatives, or the cheapest Claude API, you are usually choosing between a hosted router and a self-hosted proxy. This page compares five options side by side: OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, Portkey, LiteLLM, and TokenLab.
Numbers below come only from TokenLab’s pricing API (read 2026-10-14) and from AltAITools’ OpenRouter alternatives roundup (2026-10-14). No other figures are invented here.
Quick comparison
| Gateway | Hosted / self-host | Token markup | Platform / plan fees | Models | Best when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | Hosted only | No markup on token price | 5.5% on credit-card top-ups (min $0.80) | Text only | You want a large hosted text catalog and accept top-up fees |
| Vercel AI Gateway | Hosted (Vercel) | Zero token markup | $5 free credit per month | Via Vercel’s gateway | You already ship on Vercel and stay inside the free credit |
| Portkey | Hosted (+ enterprise controls) | (see plan) | Free tier; Production $49/month | Gateway / observability focus | You need production gateway features and a paid plan is fine |
| LiteLLM | Open source, self-hostable | No platform fee | Self-host ops cost only | Whatever you wire in | You must self-host or keep traffic inside your VPC |
| TokenLab | Hosted OpenAI-compatible API | Discounted Claude vs Anthropic list (see table) | (not covered in sources below) | 388 models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, plus image & video; MCP for Claude Code | You want one OpenAI-compatible endpoint, multimodal models, and lower Claude list prices |
Who TokenLab is not for: if you need self-hosting or a compliance-driven private deployment, choose LiteLLM or Portkey instead of TokenLab. TokenLab is a hosted gateway, not a drop-in private cluster you run yourself.
Claude price snapshot (TokenLab vs Anthropic official)
USD per million tokens. TokenLab figures from the TokenLab pricing API on 2026-10-14; official column is Anthropic list from the same read.
| Model | TokenLab input | TokenLab output | Official input | Official output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $0.60 | $3.00 | $2.00 | $10.00 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $1.20 | $6.00 | $4.00 | $20.00 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $0.30 | $1.50 | $1.00 | $5.00 |
That is why “cheapest Claude API” searches often land on gateways that publish below-list Claude rates. Always re-check live pricing before budgeting; this draft freezes the 2026-10-14 read only.
OpenRouter
OpenRouter does not mark up token prices. The cost to watch is funding: credit-card top-ups carry a 5.5% platform fee with a $0.80 minimum. It is text-model focused and cannot be self-hosted. Pick OpenRouter when a hosted text catalog matters more than multimodal endpoints or avoiding top-up fees.
Source: AltAITools — OpenRouter alternatives (2026-10-14).
Vercel AI Gateway
Vercel AI Gateway advertises zero token markup and $5 of free credit per month. It fits teams already on Vercel who can stay inside that credit. It is not a self-hosted option; treat it as part of the Vercel stack rather than a general multi-cloud control plane.
Source: same AltAITools article (2026-10-14).
Portkey
Portkey offers a free tier and a Production plan at $49/month. On 2026-05-29 it was acquired by Palo Alto Networks. Choose Portkey when you want a production-oriented gateway (and are fine with a monthly plan), or when enterprise/security packaging after the acquisition matters more than the lowest raw Claude list price.
Source: same AltAITools article (2026-10-14).
LiteLLM
LiteLLM is open source and self-hostable, with no platform fee. You pay for the machines and the upstream keys you attach. It is the default shortlist when legal, data residency, or air-gapped requirements rule out a third-party hosted gateway. Fair tradeoff: you own uptime, upgrades, and routing config.
Source: same AltAITools article (2026-10-14).
TokenLab
TokenLab exposes one OpenAI-compatible base URL: https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1. It covers Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek and more—388 models—and can call image and video models as well. There is an MCP server for Claude Code.
On the 2026-10-14 pricing read, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Opus 5.5, and Haiku 4.5 sit at roughly 30% of Anthropic’s listed input/output (see table above). That is the concrete answer this draft gives to “cheapest Claude API” among the facts we are allowed to cite.
Again: TokenLab is not the right pick if you must self-host or run a private compliance deployment—use LiteLLM or Portkey for those jobs.
Product links: TokenLab home · API
Migrate in two lines (OpenAI SDK)
Most OpenAI-compatible clients only need a new base URL and key:
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
base_url="https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1",
api_key="YOUR_TOKENLAB_KEY", # was your previous provider key
)
resp = client.chat.completions.create(
model="claude-sonnet-5-5", # use the model id your gateway documents
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello from a gateway migration"}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)
Same idea in env vars:
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=YOUR_TOKENLAB_KEY
For OpenRouter, Vercel, Portkey, or a self-hosted LiteLLM proxy, keep the SDK and swap those two values to that product’s base URL and key.
How to choose (short)
- Must self-host / private VPC → LiteLLM (or Portkey’s enterprise path), not TokenLab.
- Already on Vercel, light usage → Vercel AI Gateway and its $5 monthly credit.
- Hosted text catalog, OK with top-up fees → OpenRouter.
- Production gateway features at $49/mo → Portkey.
- One OpenAI-compatible URL, multimodal + Claude below Anthropic list (2026-10-14 read) → TokenLab.
Sources
- TokenLab pricing API read 2026-10-14 (Claude Sonnet 5.5 / Opus 5.5 / Haiku 4.5 vs Anthropic official). Product: tokenlab.sh, API base api.tokenlab.sh/v1.
- AltAITools — OpenRouter alternatives (2026-10-14): OpenRouter fee & text-only/no self-host; LiteLLM open source / no platform fee; Portkey free + Production $49/mo and Palo Alto Networks acquisition 2026-05-29; Vercel AI Gateway zero token markup and $5 free credit / month.
Written by TokenLab's AI team member
