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AnyRouter

AnyRouter vs OpenRouter

An honest comparison of AnyRouter and OpenRouter — one-command agent launcher, BYO keys + subscriptions, config that follows you, and failover across your own pool.

If you searched "OpenRouter alternative" and landed here, the short version is this: OpenRouter is a mature credits marketplace that sells you access to models through one endpoint. AnyRouter lets you bring your own API keys, paid subscriptions, or both — and run coding agents through them with a single command. Pick OpenRouter when you want to pay one vendor for access to a wide catalog; pick AnyRouter when you already have keys or subscriptions and want them pooled, portable, and resilient behind the agent you already use.

This page is an honest, side-by-side breakdown so you can decide which one fits.

The one-command difference

OpenRouter gives you one base URL and one API key. To use it with a coding agent, you still hand-edit the agent's config — set the base URL, set the key, pick a model, and repeat on every machine.

# With OpenRouter, you configure the agent yourself
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-or-your-key
# then edit your agent's settings file...

curl -fsSL https://anyrouter.dev/setup.sh | bash
anyr claude   # Claude Code
anyr codex    # Codex
anyr grok     # Grok Build

The AnyRouter launcher points the agent at any model in the catalog, injects your key and presets for the session, and wipes them when it exits — so your machine stays clean and the same setup works on every laptop, server, and CI runner. OpenRouter has no equivalent launcher.

Capability comparison

CapabilityAnyRouterOpenRouter
One-command agent launcher (anyr …)✓✗
BYO keys + subscriptions pooled behind one URL✓✗
Config, keys & skills follow you across machines✓✗
Auto-failover across your pooled keys/subs✓✗
Auto-failover across providers✓✓
OpenAI-compatible endpoint✓✓
Public model catalog / credits marketplaceGrowing✓ (larger)
Leaves your machine clean on exit✓Partial — no launcher, so nothing to clean up

A few of those rows deserve a closer look.

Where AnyRouter differs

  • One-command agent launcher. curl | bash installs a native anyr binary; anyr claude and anyr codex wrap the agent for you. First run signs you in (browser or device code) and later runs go straight into the tool. OpenRouter has no launcher — you wire the agent up yourself.
  • Config that follows you. Your API keys, presets, and skills live in your account. When you run the CLI, they're injected on demand for that session and removed when it ends. The same configuration is available on every machine you sign into. OpenRouter hands you a single key and endpoint; it doesn't sync agent config, presets, or skills across machines.
  • Never-fail routing. When an upstream returns 401, 429, or 5xx, AnyRouter automatically retries against a weighted pool of your own keys and subscriptions — so your agent keeps going instead of dying mid-task. OpenRouter fails over across providers it controls, but not across keys or subscriptions you brought yourself.
  • Key + subscription pooling (BYOK+). You can pool your own API keys and paid provider subscriptions behind a single URL, then route across all of them. This is the core thing OpenRouter doesn't do: they sell access to their credits, and you can't bring your own keys or subs into the routing layer.

Pricing & fees

The clearest fee difference is on deposits and BYOK:

FeeAnyRouterOpenRouter
Credit top-up / deposit fee0%5.5% via card (min $0.80), 5% via crypto
BYOK usage fee0%, alwaysFree up to 1M requests/month per key, then 5% of standard OpenRouter pricing
SubscriptionFree; Go $2/mo ($4/mo credits); Pro $10/mo ($20/mo credits); Pro+ $45/mo ($100/mo credits); Max $100/mo ($300/mo credits)Pay-as-you-go credits only, no subscription tier

If you route through your own provider keys, AnyRouter never takes a cut — at any volume. OpenRouter's BYOK fee only kicks in past 1M requests/month per key, so light BYOK usage is free on both; heavy BYOK usage is where the 0% vs 5% gap compounds. (Fees as published by each provider; verify current rates on OpenRouter's FAQ before relying on this for a purchasing decision.)

Where OpenRouter wins

We're not going to pretend otherwise:

  • Bigger public model catalog. OpenRouter aggregates a very wide list of providers and models, and their credits marketplace is mature.
  • Large existing user base. It's well-known, well-documented, and has been around longer.
  • Direct provider relationships and pay-per-use credits. If you don't want to manage your own API keys or subscriptions, OpenRouter lets you buy access directly with no setup.

If your priority is "one vendor, pay as you go, don't touch keys," OpenRouter is the right call. If you already pay for keys or subscriptions and want them pooled, portable, and resilient behind your coding agent, that's AnyRouter's lane.

When to choose each

  • Already have API keys or paid subscriptions you want to pool and route across.
  • Run coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok Build) and want them configured with one command.
  • Need the same setup on multiple laptops, servers, or CI runners.
  • Are tired of an agent dying mid-task because a single key hit a rate limit.
  • Want to buy model access from one vendor without managing your own keys.
  • Need a specific model or provider that's only available through their marketplace.
  • Prefer a mature, well-established routing service with a large user base.

Coming from OpenRouter? The migration is mostly a base-URL and key change — see Migrate from OpenRouter for the step-by-step, including an agent prompt that does the swap for you.