OpenRouter figures from its official pages
| Item | OpenRouter | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee on credit purchases | 5.5% (Standard), 8% (Business) | Pricing |
| Markup on model prices | None; provider list price | Pricing |
| Free model limits | 20 requests per minute and 50 per day; 1,000 per day after buying at least $10 of credits | Pricing, limits |
| Bring your own key | $25,000 of list-price usage per month without a fee, then 5% | BYOK |
| Catalog size | 500+ models, 25+ free models | Pricing |
How you pay
- OpenRouter charges model usage at provider list prices and adds a platform fee when you buy credits.
- TokenReply shows each model's billing method and price on the models page: per token, per request or tiered. Usage is taken from in-plan usage first, then your wallet balance, and an optional Plus subscription adds a monthly allowance.
Free access
- OpenRouter: free model variants with the request limits above.
- TokenReply: Free models subject to availability and rate limits, a daily call allowance on Weekly Featured models for Default and Trial accounts, and a daily check-in reward. The current free list is in the free AI API guide.
API formats
OpenRouter offers an OpenAI-compatible API and documents Claude Code use. TokenReply offers OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic Messages and Gemini formats with one key, so Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI connect without a translation layer. Each model lists the formats it supports; see compatibility.
Catalog
OpenRouter has a much larger multi-provider catalog. TokenReply focuses on fewer models across the major families, with live prices and a status page that checks model availability.
Summary
Choose OpenRouter for the widest catalog with credit-based billing. Choose TokenReply for free models without buying credits, an optional monthly plan, and OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini formats behind one key. If you are comparing several options, see OpenRouter alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying credits remove OpenRouter's per-minute limit on free models?
No. According to its pricing page, buying at least $10 of credits raises the daily limit to 1,000 requests; the 20 requests per minute limit remains.
When were these figures checked?
On the date shown at the top of this page. Check the linked OpenRouter pages before making a decision.