OpenRouter pricing in 2026

OpenRouter pricing in 2026: every plan, what you get, and the fine print. Checked October 2026 - plus a cheaper way to use the same models.

Which OpenRouter plan is actually worth it

OpenRouter is the cheapest way to reach many models if you are a developer: inference is at provider list price and you only pay a 5.5% fee when you top up. For non-developers, the real cost is everything around it: you pay per token, so a heavy month on frontier models can cost more than any flat subscription. Business at 8% only makes sense for teams that need admin and routing controls. Honest skip: if you want a chat app with predictable cost rather than an API, use a flat-rate workspace.

The limits people complain about

• - 5.5% fee on every credit purchase, with a $0.80 minimum
• - Free models are limited to 50 requests a day
• - Per-token billing makes monthly cost unpredictable on frontier models
• - Business plan fee rises to 8%

OpenRouter pricing FAQ

Is OpenRouter free?

Yes, OpenRouter has 25+ free models with a 50 requests/day limit. Paid use is pay as you go: model prices pass through without markup, plus a 5.5% fee when you buy credits.

See Krater pricing

Keep exploring

• OpenRouter alternatives, compared
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• Every AI model on Krater

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