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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › docs › api › reference › authentication
API Authentication | OpenRouter OAuth and API Keys | OpenRouter | Documentation
API keys on OpenRouter are more powerful than keys used directly for model APIs. They allow users to set credit limits for apps, and they can be used in OAuth flows. To use an API key, first create your key.
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › docs › api-reference › api-keys › create-keys
Create a new API key | OpenRouter | Documentation
August 24, 2025 - Type of limit reset for the API key (daily, weekly, monthly, or null for no reset).
Discussions

Can anyone help me understanding how Open Router / API key works?..
Costs are per million tokens and usually vary between input and output. NanoGPT has a page that lays it all out for you with an example . Pricing usually differs between providers, even for the same models, so if you're willing to pay, then look around for the best deal for the model you want. Are there any subscription for Open Router? No. OR simply provides access to different providers on one unified platform and does not host any models itself. How much does it cost per message Depends on the model and, if not using OR, the provider. OR pricing is based on the model and is the same regardless of provider. If you directly go to the provider and pay their sub, will this rather be cheaper in case I dont mind using one model Highly dependent. For NanoGPT, Deepseek V3 chat is more than 50% cheaper than the official API. You have to look around and familiarize yourself with the prices of different providers. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/SillyTavernAI
7
3
May 25, 2025
OpenRouter Error: "API key disabled or exhausted"
Yeah OR has become 101% more useless now. I know OR probably has nothing to do with it and it's just annoying corpos over at OAI forcing this change, but to me, this service has just became completely useless. The only worthwile uncensored model left on that website is Mythomax and i can get that either running via Kobold or for free via Mencer. Openrouter is just as dead as Poe is right now. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/SillyTavernAI
30
17
August 24, 2023
ELI5: how does Openrouter work?
Still i don’t understand why someone would pay a fee on the api. All major ai providers offer api access. Why should I pay someone in the middle ? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ChatGPTCoding
39
72
September 10, 2024
DeepSeek-R1 Free API key
Azure has free pricing for DeepSeek-R1 endpoints right now too if anyone want to try it out. It's slow but I imagine a lot of people are trying it out. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/datascience
17
101
January 31, 2025
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › docs › features › provisioning-api-keys
Provisioning API Keys | Programmatic Control of OpenRouter API Keys | OpenRouter | Documentation
Manage OpenRouter API keys programmatically through dedicated management endpoints. Create, read, update, and delete API keys for automated key distribution and control.
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Kerlig
kerlig.com › help › integrations › open-router › get-api-key
Get API key - OpenRouter - Kerlig™ Help
Click the Create Key button and give it a descriptive name, and optionally, a credit limit. Note that you won't be able to view the key again once you leave this page, so make sure to save it somewhere safe.
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai
OpenRouter
250k+ apps using OpenRouter with 4.2M+ users globallyView all ... Create an account to get started. You can set up an org for your team later. ... Credits can be used with any model or provider. ... Create an API key and start making requests.
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Roo Code
docs.roocode.com › openrouter
Using OpenRouter With Roo Code | Roo Code Documentation
1 week ago - Select Provider: Choose "OpenRouter" from the "API Provider" dropdown. Enter API Key: Paste your OpenRouter API key into the "OpenRouter API Key" field.
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Optimize Smart
optimizesmart.com › what-is-openrouter-api-and-how-to-use-it
What is OpenRouter API and how to use it. - Optimize Smart
September 22, 2025 - Think of OpenRouter as a universal booking counter at an airport.
Address   Southampton, GB
Find elsewhere
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Home Assistant
home-assistant.io › integrations › open_router
OpenRouter - Home Assistant
The API key is used to authenticate requests to OpenRouter. To generate an API key take the following steps: ... Go to the API Keys section in your account settings. To generate a new key, select Create API Key.
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Lumetrium
lumetrium.com › definer › wiki › sources › ai › api-keys › openrouter
How To Get An OpenRouter API Key | Definer Wiki
First, head over to Openrouter.ai ... account, look for and click on the "Keys" option in the navigation menu. On the Keys page, locate and click the "Create Key" button to start generating your API key....
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › docs › use-cases › byok
BYOK | Use Your Own Provider Keys with OpenRouter | OpenRouter | Documentation
Learn how to use your existing AI provider keys with OpenRouter. Integrate your own API keys while leveraging OpenRouter's unified interface and features.
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › announcements › bring-your-own-api-keys
Bring Your Own API Keys
BYOK is available for 5% of the upstream provider's cost, while giving you all the other benefits of OpenRouter. Ready to get started? Head to Settings to add your keys.
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OpenRouter
openrouter.ai › docs › faq
OpenRouter FAQ | Developer Documentation | OpenRouter | Documentation
Credits are simply deposits on OpenRouter that you use for LLM inference. When you use the API or chat interface, we deduct the request cost from your credits. Each model and provider has a different price per million tokens. Once you have credits you can either use the chat room, or create API keys and start using the API.
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n8n
docs.n8n.io › integrations › builtin › credentials › openrouter
OpenRouter credentials | n8n Docs
Select Create new secret key to create an API key, optionally naming the key. Copy your key and add it as the API Key in n8n. Refer to the OpenRouter Quick Start page for more information.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/sillytavernai › can anyone help me understanding how open router / api key works?..
r/SillyTavernAI on Reddit: Can anyone help me understanding how Open Router / API key works?..
May 25, 2025 -

Hi, I'm pretty new to the AI chat... I am paying like 60-70 usd per month to chat website such as SC, Y***ayo because I had no idea about how API key works and wanted a convenient solution.

However, I want to now try using Open Router and try different models they dont offer from their website and also because of larger context memory. But when I firstly logged in to Open Router, I am a bit overwhelmed how the pricing is and how much it will cost.

I understand what token and context memory is and it seems like they are charging per request which seems to be basically one message?... I would like to estimate the cost but as a just ai bot RP user (not coding or smth), i have no idea how much it will cost per message.

so the questions are (i.e. I want to use sonnet):

  • Are there any subscription for Open Router?

  • How much does it cost per message

  • If you directly go to the provider and pay their sub, will this rather be cheaper in case I dont mind using one model

Thank you so much in advance!...

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Snyk
snyk.io › articles › openrouter-in-python-use-any-llm-with-one-api-key
OpenRouter in Python: Use Any LLM with One API Key | Snyk
July 21, 2025 - Please set OPENROUTER_API_KEY in your .env file.") You'll need to create a .env file with your OpenRouter API key:
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Puter
developer.puter.com › tutorials › free-unlimited-openrouter-api
Free, Unlimited OpenRouter API
2 days ago - With OpenRouter, you can access models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, and many other providers through one consistent interface. Puter.js is completely serverless and works without any API keys or server-side setup.
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TypingMind
typingmind.com › guide › use-openrouter-api-key-to-chat-with-ai
How to use OpenRouter API Key for AI chat | TypingMind
September 29, 2025 - OpenRouter uses pass-through pricing at exact provider rates plus a 5% platform fee (5.5% on credits), offers 13+ free models with daily limits, consolidated analytics dashboards, and enterprise-grade privacy controls with no code changes needed to switch between models like GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Llama, and DeepSeek. First, you'll need to obtain an API key from OpenRouter.