DEV Community: SH-YYZ

api

SH-YYZ — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 02:49:38 +0000

api

SH-YYZ — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:24:26 +0000

How I Built an AI API Gateway That Cuts Costs by 80% Without Changing Code

SH-YYZ — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 11:02:24 +0000

How I Built an AI API Gateway That Cuts Costs by 80% Without Changing Code

A few months ago, I was building a side project that relied heavily on OpenAI's API. The bills were adding up fast. I needed a cheaper alternative, but I didn't want to rewrite my code for every new provider.

That's when I discovered Chinese LLMs like Zhipu GLM-4. The quality was comparable to GPT-3.5, but the cost was significantly lower — about 80% less per token.

The catch? Each provider has its own API format, authentication method, and SDK. Switching providers meant rewriting code.

So I built a unified API gateway.

The Solution

I used an open-source tool called One API to create a gateway that translates standard OpenAI-style requests into calls to Chinese LLM providers.

Here's the architecture:

Developer → API Gateway → One API → Zhipu AI

The flow is simple:

Developer sends a request in OpenAI format
API Gateway (aitokenshub.net:3000) receives it
One API translates it to the target provider's format
Zhipu GLM-4 processes the request and returns the result

The best part: the response comes back in the exact same format as OpenAI. Your code doesn't change.

Quick Demo

Here's how to test it with a simple curl command:


bash
curl http://aitokenshub.net:3000/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_token_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "glm-4-flash",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, introduce yourself"}]
  }'

How I Cut My AI API Costs by 80% Without Changing My Code

SH-YYZ — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 17:24:44 +0000

When I first started using OpenAI API, I was paying around $X per month for my side projects. It wasn't terrible, but it was enough to make me look for alternatives.

I discovered Chinese LLM providers like Zhipu GLM-4 — similar quality, but at a fraction of the cost. The problem? Each provider has its own API format.

So I built a unified API gateway using One API. It translates OpenAI-style requests into calls to Zhipu GLM-4. The result: ~80% lower cost per token, with comparable performance.

The best part: I didn't have to change any code. Just swapped the API endpoint and kept the same format.

Check out my full tutorial here: [Link to your first Dev.to article]

Let me know if you've tried alternative LLM providers! Open to questions.

How I Built a Cost-Effective AI API Gateway for Chinese LLMs in 10 Minutes

SH-YYZ — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:59:02 +0000

How I Built a Cost-Effective AI API Gateway for Chinese LLMs in 10 Minutes

As an indie developer, I've been looking for ways to reduce API costs without sacrificing quality. OpenAI is great, but the cost adds up quickly.

I started exploring Chinese LLMs — they offer similar quality at a much lower price. But there's a problem: each provider has its own API format, payment system, and sometimes requires a Chinese phone number to register.

So I built a unified API gateway using an open-source tool called One API. It translates standard OpenAI-style requests into calls to various Chinese model providers.

Quick Demo

Here's what I did:

Deployed One API on a VPS
Added a channel for Zhipu AI (Chinese provider)
Generated an API key
Tested it with curl

Here's a sample call:


bash
curl http://aitokenshub.net:3000/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "glm-4-flash",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, introduce yourself"}]
  }'