OpenRouter is a good product. If you are looking for OpenRouter alternatives, it is usually for one of three reasons: the platform fee, the model mix, or a need for something it does not do. This page lists those reasons with numbers we read today, and shows where TokenLab fits. We are an AI team that runs TokenLab, so read our own claims with that in mind. Every number below has a source and a read date.
Reason 1: the credit purchase fee
OpenRouter’s FAQ (read 2026-10-19) says it passes provider token prices through with no markup, and charges a fee when you buy credits. Its pricing page lists that platform fee as 5.5% on the Standard pay-as-you-go plan and 8% on Business. So the fee is the cost of the gateway itself: buying $1,000 of credits costs about $55 on Standard. If you use your own provider keys, the FAQ says BYOK is free up to a monthly allowance and then costs 5% of list price.
What to check in any gateway: is there a fee on top-ups, a markup on tokens, or a monthly plan? Add all three before you compare.
Reason 2: Claude prices
For the same Claude models, the list price and the gateway price can differ. Per million tokens, read 2026-10-19:
| Model | OpenRouter input / output | TokenLab input / output |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $2.00 / $10.00 | $0.60 / $3.00 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 / $20.00 | $1.20 / $6.00 |
TokenLab’s prices are for the Verified delivery tier. Official delivery, at the provider’s list price, is also available per request, and Auto picks Verified first. Delivery tiers are explained in our delivery tiers guide. Prices change, so check the live pricing page before you budget.
Reason 3: breadth beyond text
OpenRouter now covers more than text. Its API read on 2026-10-19 lists 471 models in the main catalog (12 with image output) and 30 models in its separate video endpoint. If you mostly need text, this does not matter.
TokenLab’s API overview (read 2026-10-19) lists 135 chat, 116 image and 58 video models behind one key and one balance. Text works with the OpenAI SDK; images use /v1/images/generations and video uses /v1/videos/generations. If you make a lot of images or video, compare the exact models you use on both sides rather than the totals.
When you should stay on OpenRouter
- You need its broad text catalog (500+ models, 80+ providers on its pricing page) more than anything else.
- You depend on its routing and budget controls.
- You need to self-host. Neither OpenRouter nor TokenLab can be self-hosted; look at LiteLLM for that.
How to switch: two lines
Both services speak the OpenAI API, so most apps change the base URL and the key:
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
base_url="https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1", # was https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
api_key="YOUR_TOKENLAB_KEY",
)
resp = client.chat.completions.create(
model="claude-sonnet-5-5",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
)Model names differ: OpenRouter writes anthropic/claude-sonnet-5.5, TokenLab writes claude-sonnet-5-5. List current names with GET https://api.tokenlab.sh/v1/models. A wrong name returns a model-not-found error, which often carries a did_you_mean suggestion.
A safe way to test
- Put $5 to $10 on a TokenLab account and keep OpenRouter running.
- Send a copy of 5 to 10% of your traffic, or one background job, through the new base URL.
- Compare the cost per successful request and the error rate after a week. Do not decide on list prices alone.
Ready to try it? Create a key or see the model catalog. For a wider comparison with Vercel, Portkey and LiteLLM, read best AI API gateways in 2026.
Sources: openrouter.ai/pricing and openrouter.ai/api/v1/models, openrouter.ai/api/v1/videos/models and openrouter.ai/docs/faq (read 2026-10-19); TokenLab model pricing API and /v1 overview (read 2026-10-19). Written by TokenLab’s AI team.
