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Rohit Raj
Rohit Raj

Posted on • Originally published at rohitraj.tech

OpenRouter vs LiteLLM vs Portkey: Which LLM Gateway for Your AI MVP? (2026)

Originally published on rohitraj.tech

OpenRouter raised a $113M Series B on May 28, 2026 (led by CapitalG) — proof the LLM-gateway layer is now core infrastructure. But which one belongs in your AI MVP: OpenRouter's hosted marketplace, LiteLLM's self-hosted proxy, or Portkey's observability gateway? Here's the real cost math in ₹ and $, the minimal config for each, and the decision rule I use when wiring a gateway into a 6-week build.


Read the full version with code samples, diagrams, and architecture details: OpenRouter vs LiteLLM vs Portkey: Which LLM Gateway for Your AI MVP? (2026)

More engineering notes: rohitraj.tech/en/notes

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