Compare
RouterPlex versus the field.Same format. Honest jobs.
These pages do not treat every logo as the same product. OpenRouter, LLM Gateway, Vercel AI Gateway, and Requesty are prepaid wallets. Fireworks, Together, and Groq run inference hardware. LiteLLM, Portkey, and Helicone usually sit in front of keys you already own. RouterPlex is a hosted AI gateway: one API key, 62 models, 1-step OpenAI-compatible integration, always-on infrastructure, vendor list price, $0 top-up fee, and a balance that stops at zero.
10
Comparisons
3
Categories
26 Aug
Sourced
Category 01
Prepaid multi-model wallets
Hosted access to many vendors behind one balance. Closest product category to RouterPlex.
One-step drop-in. $0 top-up versus 5.5% by card. Built-in optimizer up to 40%, no quality loss.
Read comparisonClosest wallet peer after OpenRouter. They charge 5% on credits and offer BYOK. We are 1-step hosted access at $0.
Read comparisonNo token markup on Vercel. Processor fees may apply. We are a 1-step standalone prepaid key that cannot overdraw.
Read comparisonHosted wallet peer. Requesty PAYG is +5%. RouterPlex is 1-step hosted access at $0. They have more models.
Read comparisonCategory 02
Inference platforms
They run the GPUs (or LPUs). Pick them for the models they host, not as a Claude and GPT wallet.
Fireworks runs the GPUs. RouterPlex is a prepaid multi-vendor wallet — not a faster Fireworks.
Read comparisonTogether is an AI cloud. RouterPlex is a prepaid wallet for official vendors — not a Together clone.
Read comparisonGroq wins on LPU latency. RouterPlex wins on official multi-vendor prepaid access. Not the same race.
Read comparisonCategory 03
BYOK proxies and control planes
You keep the vendor accounts. They sit in front for routing, policy, or observability.
LiteLLM is a proxy you run. RouterPlex is 1-step hosted access you do not operate.
Read comparisonPortkey is a governance control plane on your keys. RouterPlex is a prepaid token wallet.
Read comparisonHelicone is how you see production LLM traffic. RouterPlex is how you buy the tokens.
Read comparisonHow to choose
Start with the job, not the feature grid.
Want one API key for official Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, or Qwen, 1-step OpenAI-compatible integration, always-on reliability, a built-in optimizer (up to 40% savings, no quality loss), and no funding fee? That is RouterPlex. Want the largest hosted catalog? OpenRouter, LLM Gateway, or Requesty. Already on Vercel? Vercel AI Gateway. Want the GPUs or LPUs themselves? Fireworks, Together, or Groq. Want to keep vendor keys? LiteLLM, Portkey, Helicone, or LLM Gateway BYOK.
We do not claim to be cheaper than Fireworks or Together on the open models they host, or faster than Groq. Figures on each page are dated to official vendor pricing pages. Verify before you move production traffic. Wider shortlists live on best LLM gateways and OpenRouter alternatives.
Questions
Fair questions. Straight answers.
01What is the difference between an LLM gateway and an inference platform?+
A gateway is a control point or wallet across model providers. An inference platform runs the GPUs or LPUs. Fireworks AI, Together AI, and Groq are inference platforms. RouterPlex, OpenRouter, LLM Gateway, Vercel AI Gateway, and Requesty are hosted wallets. LiteLLM, Portkey, and Helicone usually sit in front of keys you already own.
02Is RouterPlex cheaper than Fireworks or Together?+
Not as a blanket claim. They price the models they host; some open-model rates there will be lower than a vendor list price. RouterPlex bills official vendor list prices with $0 markup and $0 top-up. Compare the specific model.
03Is RouterPlex faster than Groq?+
No. Groq's product is LPU inference speed. RouterPlex does not claim lower latency.
04Which product is the closest RouterPlex competitor?+
OpenRouter, then LLM Gateway and Requesty. All are hosted multi-model wallets. OpenRouter charges 5.5% by card to fund credits and has the larger catalog. LLM Gateway charges 5% on credits (BYOK is 0%). Requesty PAYG adds 5% on provider cost. Vercel AI Gateway publishes no token markup. RouterPlex is the one-step, always-on drop-in: $0 to fund the balance, list-price tokens, a built-in optimizer (up to 40% savings, no quality loss), and a prepaid stop-at-zero.
05When should I pick LiteLLM, Portkey, or Helicone instead?+
Pick LiteLLM to self-host a BYOK proxy. Pick Portkey for organization policy and a log-priced control plane. Pick Helicone when traces and cost visibility are the product. RouterPlex is the wrong buy if you must keep the vendor keys.
Start routing
One prepaid key. Forty models.
Add $5, cap the key, and verify the result with your own workload. No subscription, and credit never expires — a first top-up of $25+ is matched with $25 extra.