Self-hosted BYOK proxy

RouterPlex vs LiteLLM.You keep the keys, or we include them.

LiteLLM is an open-source SDK and proxy: 100+ providers behind one interface, typically with keys you already have. You pay the vendors and you run the proxy. RouterPlex is the other architecture — hosted access included, one prepaid balance, $0 top-up fee, hard per-key budgets, no LiteLLM process to patch. Enterprise and Cloud LiteLLM are custom quotes, not a public token wallet.

Managed LiteLLM alternatives and what self-hosting actually includes →All RouterPlex comparisons →

At a glance

The jobs, side by side.

Figures are taken from official vendor pages and dated 18 Aug 2026. Verify before you move production traffic.

Ledger / comparisonSourced 18 Aug 2026
RouterPlexLiteLLM
ArchitectureHosted prepaid gatewayOSS proxy + optional paid Enterprise/Cloud
Who holds vendor keysRouterPlexYou (BYOK)
Who runs the proxyUsYou — process, DB, upgrades, incidents
Model access includedIncluded — one prepaid balanceNo — you pay each provider
Public token-wallet priceList price + $0 top-upNone — Enterprise/Cloud is custom quote
Catalog40 curated models, 14 providers100+ providers if you bring the keys
Spend stop-at-zeroNever — requests stop at $0You build billing if you need it
Hard per-key budgetsHard lifetime cap on every keyYou configure LiteLLM budgets

LiteLLM product shape from litellm.ai, litellm.ai/pricing, and docs.litellm.ai, checked 18 Aug 2026. Enterprise and Cloud pricing is sales-quoted; we do not invent a public monthly number.

01 — Architecture

A proxy is not a wallet.

LiteLLM removes protocol fragmentation. It does not remove vendor accounts, invoices, or key storage. That is correct when you already have contracts and a platform team.

RouterPlex removes the vendor-account step for the models we carry. You fund one balance. We hold the upstream keys. You give up some control — and you stop operating the gateway.

02 — Operations

Self-hosting is the product and the cost.

A LiteLLM container can be up in minutes. Production ownership is credentials, the database, auth, patches, admin endpoints, spend reconciliation, and prompt-log hygiene. Those tasks are why teams look for a managed LiteLLM alternative.

RouterPlex is that managed outcome for mainstream models, not a hosted fork of LiteLLM. We do not expose every LiteLLM config knob.

03 — Catalog versus ops

They can speak to more providers. We bill fewer, on purpose.

If you have keys for a long tail of providers, LiteLLM will talk to them. RouterPlex will not. Our 40 models are the production set we are willing to price and support.

LiteLLM Enterprise and Cloud exist for SSO, RBAC, and support. Official pricing is custom. There is no public LiteLLM page that sells tokens the way RouterPlex does.

04 — Fit

Keep LiteLLM when control is the point.

Stay on LiteLLM if vendor contracts, data-path control, or a custom routing graph are why you adopted it. Move to RouterPlex if the proxy has become an unpaid billing and ops project and the models you actually call are on our list.

The verdict

Pick the one that fits the job.

These are different products. Choose the job you actually need, not the logo that showed up first in a search.

Choose RouterPlexFit
  • You want model access included — not another process in front of OpenAI and Anthropic keys
  • You do not want to store vendor keys or run the proxy database
  • Prepaid stop-at-zero and per-key budgets should be built in
  • A 40-model catalog covers the traffic
Choose LiteLLM ifAlso right
  • You already have vendor contracts and must keep those keys
  • A platform team will own upgrades, auth, and incidents
  • You need providers or routing rules RouterPlex does not offer
  • Air-gapped or self-hosted control is a hard requirement

Switching

Migration is two lines.

Point the OpenAI client at RouterPlex instead of your LiteLLM proxy. Drop any LiteLLM-only model aliases and use the RouterPlex model id. You can run both during a cutover — LiteLLM for BYOK tails, RouterPlex for the prepaid majors.

before / afteropenai sdk
# before
client = OpenAI(base_url="http://localhost:4000", api_key=LITELLM_MASTER_KEY)

# after
client = OpenAI(base_url="https://api.routerplex.com/v1", api_key=ROUTERPLEX_API_KEY)

Full setup guides for Claude Code, Cursor and other tools are in the documentation.

Questions

Fair questions. Straight answers.

01Is RouterPlex a LiteLLM alternative?+

Yes when the goal is hosted access without operating a proxy. No when the goal is a self-hosted compatibility layer in front of keys you must keep.

02Is LiteLLM free?+

The open-source proxy is free to run. Model providers still bill you, and you still pay for the machines, database, and time. LiteLLM Enterprise and Cloud are custom quotes on litellm.ai/pricing.

03Does RouterPlex replace every LiteLLM provider?+

No. RouterPlex has 40 curated models. LiteLLM can proxy 100+ providers if you bring the keys. Match the models you actually call.

04How hard is the switch?+

For OpenAI-compatible apps, change base_url to https://api.routerplex.com/v1 and the API key. Test streaming, tools, and structured output before you retire the proxy.

Also compare

Same format, other products.

All comparisons
Prepaid multi-model wallet
RouterPlex vs OpenRouter

Same vendor list prices. $0 top-up versus 5.5% by card. Balance never goes negative.

Inference platform
RouterPlex vs Fireworks AI

Fireworks runs the GPUs. RouterPlex is a prepaid multi-vendor wallet — not a faster Fireworks.

Inference platform
RouterPlex vs Together AI

Together is an AI cloud. RouterPlex is a prepaid wallet for official vendors — not a Together clone.

Inference platform
RouterPlex vs Groq

Groq wins on LPU latency. RouterPlex wins on official multi-vendor prepaid access. Not the same race.

Start routing

Skip the proxy. Keep the OpenAI SDK.

One prepaid key, vendor list prices, $0 top-up fee. Top up from $5.

All comparisonsGet API key