Managing multiple AI API keys is the new "dependency hell." You've got OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, DeepSeek — each with their own SDK, billing, rate limits, and quirks.
AI API proxies sit between your app and these providers, giving you a single endpoint, unified billing, and often better pricing. Some also add caching, logging, fallback routing, and access control.
Here are the 10 best options in 2026, split into three categories: commercial, open-source, and self-hosted.
Commercial AI API Proxies
1. OpenRouter
URL: openrouter.ai
Models: 300+ | Markup: 10-30% | Free tier: Yes
The most popular AI API gateway. Aggregates models from every major provider into a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Great model variety, active community, solid documentation.
Strengths: Largest catalog, OAuth for user-facing apps, free models available
Weaknesses: Markup adds up at scale, no self-hosting, rate limits on free tier
2. Crazyrouter
URL: crazyrouter.com
Models: 300+ | Markup: Negative (~55% of official prices) | Free tier: Yes
A cost-focused gateway that matches OpenRouter's model count but at significantly lower prices. Full OpenAI SDK compatibility. Works particularly well with self-hosted AI assistants like OpenClaw, LobeChat, and NextChat.
Strengths: Cheapest option tested, 300+ models, regional nodes for low latency, great for self-hosted setups
Weaknesses: Smaller community, newer platform
3. Portkey
URL: portkey.ai
Models: 200+ | Markup: Varies | Free tier: 10K requests/month
Enterprise-focused AI gateway with built-in observability, guardrails, and governance. SOC 2 compliant. More than just a proxy — it's a full production stack.
Strengths: Enterprise features, automatic fallback, LLM caching, compliance
Weaknesses: Complex for simple use cases, limited free tier
4. Martian
URL: withmartian.com
Models: 50+ | Markup: ~10% + routing fee | Free tier: Yes
Intelligent model router that automatically selects the cheapest model capable of handling your request. Saves money by avoiding overkill models for simple tasks.
Strengths: Smart routing, cost optimization, simple integration
Weaknesses: Smaller model catalog, routing logic is a black box
5. Unify AI
URL: unify.ai
Models: 80+ | Markup: ~0% | Free tier: Yes
Benchmark-driven gateway that routes requests based on quality/speed/cost scores for each model on specific task types.
Strengths: Data-driven model selection, transparent benchmarks, clean API
Weaknesses: Limited provider coverage, benchmarks may not match your use case
Open-Source AI API Proxies
6. LiteLLM
URL: github.com/BerriAI/litellm
Models: 100+ providers | Cost: Free | Language: Python
The most popular open-source LLM proxy. Translates between different provider APIs and exposes a unified OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Includes cost tracking, budgeting, and a management UI.
Strengths: Free, 100+ providers, active community, good docs
Weaknesses: Python-only, requires self-hosting, no built-in smart routing
# Quick start
pip install litellm
litellm --model gpt-4o --api_key sk-xxx
7. One API
URL: github.com/songquanpeng/one-api
Models: 30+ providers | Cost: Free | Language: Go
Popular in the Chinese developer community. Provides a web dashboard for managing multiple API keys, with load balancing and quota management. Lightweight and easy to deploy.
Strengths: Clean web UI, multi-user support, channel management, Docker deploy
Weaknesses: Documentation primarily in Chinese, fewer Western providers
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 \
-v /data/one-api:/data \
justsong/one-api
8. New API
URL: github.com/Calcium-Ion/new-api
Models: 40+ providers | Cost: Free | Language: Go
A fork of One API with additional features: Midjourney support, billing system, model pricing configuration, and more provider integrations.
Strengths: More providers than One API, Midjourney/DALL-E support, billing system
Weaknesses: Fork maintenance risk, Chinese-first documentation
9. Helicone (Open Core)
URL: helicone.ai / github.com/Helicone/helicone
Models: BYOK | Cost: Free tier (100K requests) | Language: TypeScript
Primarily an observability platform, but functions as a proxy. One-line integration — just change your base URL. Excellent logging, analytics, and caching.
Strengths: Best-in-class analytics, one-line setup, caching, open source core
Weaknesses: Not a model aggregator (BYOK), observability-first
# One-line integration
client = OpenAI(
api_key="sk-your-key",
base_url="https://oai.helicone.ai/v1",
default_headers={"Helicone-Auth": "Bearer your-helicone-key"}
)
Self-Hosted Combo
10. OpenClaw + API Gateway
URL: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
Models: Depends on gateway | Cost: Free | Language: Node.js
OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant framework (146K+ GitHub stars) that turns any API gateway into a full-featured AI assistant. Connect it to Crazyrouter, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, then access your AI through Telegram, Discord, Slack, Feishu, or DingTalk.
Strengths: Full AI assistant (not just a proxy), 10+ chat platform integrations, memory system, skill plugins, one-click deploy script
Weaknesses: More than just a proxy — requires setup, Node.js dependency
# One-command deploy (Linux/macOS)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xujfcn/crazyrouter-openclaw/main/install.sh | bash
Comparison Matrix
| Proxy | Type | Models | Pricing | OpenAI Compatible | Self-Host | Smart Routing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | Commercial | 300+ | 1.1-1.3x | ✅ | ❌ | Basic | Model variety |
| Crazyrouter | Commercial | 300+ | 0.55x | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Cost savings |
| Portkey | Commercial | 200+ | Varies | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Enterprise |
| Martian | Commercial | 50+ | ~1.1x | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Auto-optimization |
| Unify AI | Commercial | 80+ | ~1.0x | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Benchmarks |
| LiteLLM | Open Source | 100+ | Free | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Full control |
| One API | Open Source | 30+ | Free | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Multi-user mgmt |
| New API | Open Source | 40+ | Free | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | MJ + billing |
| Helicone | Open Core | BYOK | Free tier | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Observability |
| OpenClaw | Open Source | Any | Free | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | AI assistant |
How to Choose
Start here:
- Just want cheap access to all models? → Crazyrouter or OpenRouter
- Need enterprise compliance? → Portkey
- Want full control, no fees? → LiteLLM or One API
- Want analytics on your AI usage? → Helicone
- Want a complete AI assistant, not just an API? → OpenClaw + any gateway
- Want automatic cost optimization? → Martian or Unify AI
The good news: All of these are OpenAI-compatible. Switching between them is literally a two-line code change (base URL + API key). There's no lock-in.
Switching Is Easy
from openai import OpenAI
# Switch gateway by changing these two lines
client = OpenAI(
api_key="your-key",
base_url="https://gateway.example.com/v1"
)
# Your code stays exactly the same
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)
Using a proxy I didn't cover? Drop it in the comments — I'm always looking for new options to test.
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