OpenRouter vs Together AI 2026: Which API Is Actually Cheaper?
Quick verdict: OpenRouter is our overall pick for OpenRouter vs Together AI.
- Best overall: OpenRouter (4.3/5)
- Best free: OpenRouter
- Best for teams: Together AI
- Pricing last checked: 2026-09-07
OpenRouter (4.3/5) and Together AI (3.9/5) both serve AI API inference, but with very different model rosters and pricing. OpenRouter starts at $0.07/1M tokens with a free tier, while Together AI starts at $0.05/1M tokens with a no free tier. Here is how they actually compare on speed, model selection, and true cost.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter Best overall Best free | 4.3/5 | Free $0.07/1M tokens | OpenRouter is the largest AI model gateway — 374+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, D… |
| Together AI Best for teams | 3.9/5 | $0.05/1M tokens | Together AI is an open-model inference platform with 100+ open-source models, fine-tuning … |
Bottom line: OpenRouter is the gateway pick — hundreds of models including proprietary ones, free tiers, BYOK, and a single unified API. Together AI is the inference platform pick — open models only, but with fine-tuning, dedicated GPUs, and production capacity. Pick OpenRouter for breadth and routing; pick Together AI for production workloads on open models with fine-tuning needs.
Pricing and details
OpenRouter · 4.3/5
Free plan available · $0.07/1M tokens
Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; 374+ models; free models: 20 req/min, 50 req/day (under $10 lifetime credits) or 1000/day ($10+); BYOK 1M free routing requests/mo; cheapest free models (DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 3, Gemini Flash) all rate-limited; paid models start at ~$0.07/1M input for small open models
OpenRouter is the largest AI model gateway — 374+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek and more, with free tiers, BYOK support, and unified OpenAI-compatible API.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Best dimension: Core features at 5/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Value for money at 5/5.
- Pricing: Pay-per-token, no monthly fees
- Positioning: OpenRouter is the largest AI model gateway — 374+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek and more, with free tiers, BYOK support, and unified OpenAI-compatible API.
Cons
- Weakest dimension: Localization at 3/5.
- Weigh localization before committing.
Pricing verified 2026-09-07
Together AI · 3.9/5
$5 free signup credit · $0.05/1M tokens
Pay-per-token, no monthly minimums; $5 free signup credit (no credit card required for trial); cheapest: GPT-OSS 20B $0.05/$0.20 per 1M; Llama 3.3 70B $0.88 flat per 1M; DeepSeek V3.1 $0.60/$1.70; DeepSeek V4 Pro $2.10/$4.40; fine-tuning LoRA extra; Batch API 50% off; dedicated GPU hours separate
Together AI is an open-model inference platform with 100+ open-source models, fine-tuning support, and dedicated GPU capacity — built for production AI teams.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Best dimension: Core features at 4/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Stability at 4/5.
- Pricing: Pay-per-token, no monthly minimums
- Positioning: Together AI is an open-model inference platform with 100+ open-source models, fine-tuning support, and dedicated GPU capacity — built for production AI teams.
Cons
- Weakest dimension: Localization at 2/5.
- Weigh localization before committing.
Pricing verified 2026-09-07
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, OpenRouter or Together AI?
OpenRouter is our overall pick (4.3/5 vs 3.9/5). OpenRouter (4.3/5) and Together AI (3.9/5) both serve AI API inference, but with very different model rosters and pricing. OpenRouter starts at $0.07/1M tokens with a free tier, while Together AI starts at $0.05/1M tokens with a no free tier. Here is how they actually compare on speed, model selection, and true cost.
Do OpenRouter and Together AI offer free plans?
OpenRouter has a free tier. OpenRouter paid plans start at $0.07/1M tokens; Together AI paid plans start at $0.05/1M tokens.
What does OpenRouter cost?
$0.07/1M tokens — Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; 374+ models; free models: 20 req/min, 50 req/day (under $10 lifetime credits) or 1000/day ($10+); BYOK 1M free routing requests/mo; cheapest free models (DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 3, Gemini Flash) all rate-limited; paid models start at ~$0.07/1M input for small open models. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-07.