Comparison
FreeModel vs OpenRouter
Two ways to reach many models through one key. The difference is not who is better — it is who picks the model when you do not.
The short answer
Pick OpenRouter if you want the widest catalogue and a paid path you can rely on. 445 public models, mature billing, and it is the name most existing tools already integrate with.
Pick FreeModel if your work is agent-driven and you want
Anthropic-compatible endpoints with free-first routing — no :free
suffix, no per-model opt-in.
Side by side
| OpenRouter | FreeModel | |
|---|---|---|
| Public models | 445 | 477 (317 text and multimodal, 160 image generation) |
| How free models work | Opt in per request with a :free suffix | Default — routing tries free capacity first |
| Who picks the model | You do, by name | The router does, by task |
| Anthropic-compatible endpoint | Primarily OpenAI format | Both OpenAI and Anthropic Messages formats |
| Model list readable without a key | Yes | Yes |
| Credit purchase fee | 5.5%, $0.80 minimum | — |
| Vendor | $1.3B valuation; Stripe acquisition confirmed, price undisclosed (reported) | — |
Where OpenRouter is the better choice
This section is the part of this page worth trusting. If it reads like a pitch, the rest of the page is worth less.
1. The model you need is probably there
445 public models against our 120. If you need a specific model and it is not in our
list, theirs almost certainly has it. Check both lists before you commit —
GET /v1/models works without a key on either service.
2. You want to know exactly which model you are on
Both services draw free capacity from upstream supply — neither runs its own free
inference. The difference is who chooses. OpenRouter makes you name the :free
model explicitly, so you always know which one you are using and what its quota is.
FreeModel's routing makes that choice for you: simpler to use, but you are not the one
picking.
3. You are plugging into an existing tool
Most third-party tools, tutorials and Stack Overflow answers assume OpenRouter. If you are following someone else's setup guide, sticking with it means fewer surprises.
4. You want a published fee model
5.5% on credit purchases, $0.80 minimum, documented on their FAQ. You can model the cost before you commit.
Where FreeModel is the better choice
1. You run Claude Code, Cursor, or anything expecting Anthropic format
Point the base URL at us directly. No translation layer in between, and no second endpoint to maintain.
2. You do not want to think about :free
OpenRouter's free models are a whitelist you opt into on every request. Ours are the default — a request goes to free capacity if there is any, and falls through when there is not.
3. You are orchestrating agents, not just calling a model
Four agent clients ship preset — Claude Code, Codex CLI, Hermes and OpenClaw — with task dispatch and an approval step for consequential actions. That layer is the product; the gateway is underneath it.
4. You want to try before you pay
No credit purchase required to start.
Switching in either direction
From OpenRouter to FreeModel
base_url https://freemodel.online/v1 (OpenAI format)
https://freemodel.online/api/gateway (Anthropic format)
model names drop the :free suffix — routing is free-first by default,
with no per-model opt-in.
list models first: GET /v1/models (readable without a key)From FreeModel to OpenRouter
base_url https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
model names add :free explicitly, or the request will not use a free
model — the opposite of how FreeModel behaves.Last updated 2026-09-20. Model counts and fees verified on the dates linked above; check both services before making a decision.