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Machine Learning · head to head

OpenRouter vs Together AI

OpenRouter logo

OpenRouter

Machine Learning

Unified API gateway routing requests across 500+ models from 80+ providers

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Together AI logo

Together AI

AI

Open-source AI at scale

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenRouter no free tier; all usage incurs cost; Together AI free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenRouter and Together AI actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenRouter and Together AI differ
AttributeOpenRouterTogether AI
PlatformsAPI, WebApi, Cloud
CategoryMachine LearningAI
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in OpenRouter

Nothing recorded that Together AI does not also cover.

Only in Together AI

  • Open-source models
  • Fine-tuning
  • Fast inference
  • Embeddings
  • REST API
  • Python SDK
  • OpenAI compatible
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

OpenRouter

  • Multi-model applications optimising for cost or performancenot Together AI
  • Provider-agnostic deployments avoiding vendor lock-innot Together AI
  • Enterprise applications with custom data policies and provider requirementsnot Together AI
  • Development workflows testing multiple models without code changesnot Together AI

Together AI

  • LLM inference for production AI applicationsnot OpenRouter
  • Content generation at scalenot OpenRouter
  • Code execution and embeddingsnot OpenRouter
  • Model fine-tuning and trainingnot OpenRouter
  • Startup and enterprise AI deploymentnot OpenRouter

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OpenRouter

  • No free tier; all usage incurs cost
  • Pricing varies by model; specific rates not published on main site without account access
  • Adds latency through additional routing layer compared to direct provider APIs
  • Dependent on upstream provider uptime and API compatibility

Together AI

  • Free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • Pricing varies significantly by model and use case
  • Requires account setup for production access
  • Batch API discounts apply only to non-urgent workloads

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenRouter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 requests per day
    • Access to 25+ free models across 4 providers
    • Community support
  • Pay-as-you-go$null/variable
    • 5.5% platform fee on inference costs
    • Access to 500+ models across 80+ providers
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Negotiable platform fees
    • 200,000 USD of list price inference per month with no fees, then 5% fee after
    • SSO/SAML support

Together AI

Free
  • Serverless Inference$0.03/1M input tokens
    • Chat and Vision models
    • Image generation
    • Video generation
  • Provisioned Throughput$21600/month
    • Up to 83% savings vs commercial alternatives
    • Reserved capacity
    • Guaranteed throughput
  • Dedicated Inference$5.49/hour
    • H100 GPU instance
    • Single-tenant deployment
    • No resource sharing
  • GPU Clusters$3.99/GPU-hour
    • On-demand capacity
    • Volume discounts available
    • Reserved options with up to 35% savings

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenRouter if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on API, Web.
OpenRouter review

Choose Together AI if

  • You need open-source models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want fine-tuning.
Together AI review

Questions people ask

Is OpenRouter or Together AI better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenRouter starts at Free and Together AI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenRouter or Together AI?
OpenRouter starts at Free and Together AI at Free.
Does OpenRouter or Together AI run on more platforms?
OpenRouter runs on API, Web. Together AI runs on Api, Cloud.
Can I use OpenRouter for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenRouter best used for?
OpenRouter is most often used for multi-model applications optimising for cost or performance, provider-agnostic deployments avoiding vendor lock-in, enterprise applications with custom data policies and provider requirements, development workflows testing multiple models without code changes. Of those, multi-model applications optimising for cost or performance and provider-agnostic deployments avoiding vendor lock-in are not what Together AI is typically brought in for.
What can OpenRouter do that Together AI cannot?
Together AI covers Open-source models, Fine-tuning, Fast inference, Embeddings.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenRouter: How much does OpenRouter charge?

OpenRouter charges a 5.5% platform fee on top of the actual inference costs from selected models. Customers purchase credits on a pay-as-you-go basis with no subscriptions or minimum spend requirements.

Source
Together AI: Does Together AI offer a free tier?

Yes, Together AI advertises 'Start for free, scale on demand,' but specific free tier usage limits are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
OpenRouter: Is there a free tier?

Yes. OpenRouter offers a free tier with 50 requests per day and access to 25+ free models across 4 providers. The free tier provides community support only.

Source
Together AI: What are Together AI's highest model prices?

Serverless inference pricing ranges from free for base models up to $4.40 per 1M input tokens for premium models. Video generation costs $0.14 to $3.20 per video depending on resolution.

Source
OpenRouter: What does the Enterprise plan include?

The Enterprise plan includes 200,000 USD of list price inference per month at no cost, with a 5% platform fee applied to usage above that threshold. It also includes SSO/SAML support, contractual SLAs, and dedicated support with a shared Slack channel.

Source
Together AI: How much can I save with Provisioned Throughput?

Together AI offers up to 83% savings compared to commercial alternatives when using their Provisioned Throughput option with reserved capacity.

Source
Together AI: What is Together AI's fine-tuning pricing?

Standard fine-tuning costs $0.48 to $2.90 per 1M tokens depending on model size, with a minimum charge of $4.00 per job.

Source
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