# OpenRouter alternative

Competitor facts as of October 2026. Source: https://openrouter.ai/docs/faq

[OpenRouter source — as of October 2026](https://openrouter.ai/docs/faq)

## Who each product is for

OpenRouter: Developers who want a unified API to major LLMs with OpenAI-compatible chat completions.

KeepBal: agents calling supported data tools and models through one key and one prepaid wallet. Browse the current catalog before integrating.

Workload and billing comparison

| Dimension | OpenRouter | KeepBal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Best fit | Developers who want a unified API to major LLMs with OpenAI-compatible chat completions. | Supported data APIs and models in a shared prepaid wallet |
| Pricing | No inference markup. Credit purchases cost 5.5%, with a $0.80 minimum; crypto purchases cost 5%. | No monthly subscription. Fixed tool prices from the catalog; variable tools use provider cost plus 35%. Models have separate listed token prices. |
| Tradeoff | Choose OpenRouter if model breadth and 0% inference markup matter most. Check its model catalog for your workload. | Check supported tools and models; a shared wallet does not guarantee the lowest price. |

## Choose OpenRouter if…

Choose OpenRouter if model breadth and 0% inference markup matter most. Check its model catalog for your workload.

## Choose KeepBal if…

You want one key, one prepaid balance and call history across supported data tools and models. KeepBal does not provide OAuth connections for SaaS actions.

## Cost scenario

For $100 of credits bought with the standard purchase fee: $100 × 5.5% = $5.50, above the $0.80 minimum, so the purchase total is $105.50. This is a credit-purchase example, not a same-model inference quote.

KeepBal model scenario (claude-haiku-4.5), current catalog: 1,000 requests with 1,000 uncached input tokens and 200 output tokens each = 1M input tokens × $1.25 + 0.2M output tokens × $6.25; total after per-request rounding = $2.50 usage. Assumes no cache reads or writes; excludes top-up fees. This is a workload example, not a matched competitor quote.

[Browse tool prices](/tools) · [Model token prices](/models) · [Inspect a tool](/docs/tools)

These examples use different billing units unless explicitly matched. KeepBal top-ups are separate from usage: $10 credit + ceil($10 × 8% to cents) + $0.35 = $11.15 before tax. Only $10 enters the wallet. Promotional credit is excluded from the usage arithmetic.

[Tool catalog](/tools) · [Model prices](/models) · [Pricing and top-up fees](/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

## Does OpenRouter add an inference markup?

No. OpenRouter has 0% inference markup and charges a credit-purchase fee, as of October 2026.

## Does KeepBal require a monthly plan?

No. KeepBal uses prepaid credit with no subscription. Paid top-ups have a fee; check Pricing before funding your wallet.

[All comparisons](/compare) · [About KeepBal](/about)