What is the difference between OpenRouter and Velokey?

OpenRouter and Velokey are both cloud GPU providers offering different pricing models, features, and GPU availability. Use our comparison tool to see real-time pricing and feature differences.

Which is cheaper: OpenRouter or Velokey?

Pricing varies by GPU model and usage requirements. Check our real-time comparison table to find the best deals for your specific needs.

Can I switch between OpenRouter and Velokey?

Yes, both providers offer flexible cloud GPU services. However, consider factors like data transfer costs, setup time, and specific features when switching between providers.

OpenRouter vs Velokey

Compare LLM inference API pricing between OpenRouter and Velokey. Find the best rates for AI training, inference, and ML workloads.

OpenRouter

Provider 1

218

Models Available

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Velokey

Provider 2

Models Available

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Comparison Overview

219

Total LLM Models

218

OpenRouter Models

Velokey Models

Direct Comparisons

LLM API Pricing Comparison

Total models: 219Both available: 39OpenRouter: 218Velokey: 40

Showing 15 of 219 models

Prices per 1M tokens · Last updated: 10/4/2026, 4:16:30 AM

Model ↑	OpenRouter	Velokey	Input Diff ↕
Claude 4 Sonnet Anthropic	$3.00 in $15.00 out	Not available	—
Claude Fable 5 Anthropic	$10.00 in $50.00 out	$4.00 in $20.00 out	$6.00
Claude Fable 5.1 Anthropic	$10.00 in $50.00 out	Not available	—
Claude Haiku 4.5 Anthropic	$1.00 in $5.00 out	$0.400 in $2.00 out	$0.600
Claude Opus 4.1 Anthropic	$15.00 in $75.00 out	Not available	—
Claude Opus 4.5 Anthropic	$5.00 in $25.00 out	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$3.00
Claude Opus 4.6 Anthropic	$5.00 in $25.00 out	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$3.00
Claude Opus 4.7 Anthropic	$5.00 in $25.00 out	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$3.00
Claude Opus 4.8 Anthropic	$5.00 in $25.00 out	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$3.00
Claude Opus 5 Anthropic	$5.00 in $25.00 out	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$3.00
Claude Opus 5.5 Anthropic	$4.00 in $20.00 out	Not available	—
Claude Sonnet 4.5 Anthropic	$3.00 in $15.00 out	$1.20 in $6.00 out	$1.80
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Anthropic	$3.00 in $15.00 out	$1.20 in $6.00 out	$1.80
Claude Sonnet 5 Anthropic	$2.00 in $10.00 out	$1.20 in $6.00 out	$0.800
Claude Sonnet 5.5 Anthropic	$2.00 in $10.00 out	Not available	—

Features Comparison

OpenRouter

Unified Model Access
Single API endpoint for 500+ models from 80+ providers across text, image, video, and audio
Automatic Fallback Routing
Requests automatically route to the best available provider for each model
OpenAI-Compatible API
Drop-in replacement using the OpenAI SDK format
Provider Optimization
Routes to the fastest or cheapest provider based on your preference
Usage-Based Pricing
Pay per token with no minimum commitments or subscriptions
Prompt Caching
Reduced pricing for cached input tokens on supported models

Velokey

Unified API for Models
Access text, image, and video models through one API.
OpenAI-Compatible Endpoint
Existing OpenAI SDK clients work after changing the base URL to api.velokey.ai/v1 and swapping the API key.
Smart Model Routing
Automatically routes requests to the best available model.
Automatic Failover
Switches to backup routes in case of provider failure.
Usage-Based Billing
Pay only for what is used based on API calls.
Dashboard for Tracking
Monitor request status and usage metrics from a single console.

Pros & Cons

OpenRouter

Advantages

Largest selection of models through a single API
Transparent per-token pricing with per-provider comparison for each model
Automatic failover across multiple providers
No vendor lock-in — switch models with a single parameter change

Considerations

Platform fee on pay-as-you-go usage (5.5% Standard, 8% Business)
Latency may be slightly higher due to routing layer
No fine-tuning or custom model training

Velokey

Advantages

Supports a variety of AI models
Easy integration for existing OpenAI users
Allows model switching without reconfiguration
Provides usage-based metering for services

Considerations

Limited information on regional availability
Reseller of other providers' models rather than an operator of its own infrastructure
Image and video generation use an asynchronous task API that requires polling for results

Compute Services

OpenRouter

Velokey

Pricing Options

OpenRouter

Free

25+ free models from a small set of providers, rate limited, with community support

Standard (pay-as-you-go)

Per-token model pricing plus a 5.5% platform fee, with no subscription

Business (pay-as-you-go)

8% platform fee; adds EU/US in-region routing, workload identity federation, and higher workspace limits

Enterprise

Custom agreements with fee discounts, SSO/SAML, contractual SLAs, invoicing options, and a dedicated support team

Prompt caching

Discounted rates for cached input tokens on supported models (paid plans)

Velokey

Pay-as-you-go

Usage-based billing with no plan minimums or subscriptions.

Per-token text pricing

Language models are billed per input and output token.

Per-image and per-second media pricing

Image models are billed per generated image and video models per second of output.

Credit-based billing

Usage is denominated in credits, quoted alongside their USD equivalent on the pricing page.

Sign-up credits

New accounts receive free credits that do not expire.

Getting Started

OpenRouter

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up at openrouter.ai; an organization for your team can be set up later
2
Buy credits
Purchase credits usable with any model or provider (credit card, crypto, and more)
3
Get API key
Create an API key from your dashboard
4
Make API calls
Use OpenAI-compatible endpoints or the OpenRouter Client and Agent SDKs with your key

Velokey

Get Started

1
Create your API Key
Sign up and generate an API key from the Velokey console.
2
Update your Base URL
Point your existing SDK to the Velokey endpoint.
3
Select a Model
Choose from available text, image, and video models for use.

Support & Global Availability

OpenRouter

Global Regions

Global — routes to providers across multiple regions for optimal latency

Support

Community support on the Free plan, email support on Standard and Business, dedicated support team on Enterprise; documentation and Discord community

Velokey

Support

Documentation and integration guides, Discord community, Reddit, GitHub, and email support at support@velokey.ai