GateLLM vs OpenRouter
OpenRouter is a convenient managed aggregator — one API for 500+ models, but not self-hostable, it adds fees, and model identity rests on trust. GateLLM is a self-hosted BYOK gateway: keys go straight to vendor APIs, no token markup, data never leaves your network.
Migrating from OpenRouter
Swap your SDK base_url from OpenRouter to your GateLLM gateway (OpenAI-compatible, with /v1) — no other code changes. Configure each vendor API key into the gateway (BYOK); existing routing carries over, then enable Composition / Ensemble / cross-provider fallback as needed.
BYOK vs Managed Aggregator
OpenRouter adds a fee on every token (typically 5%+) and your requests traverse its servers — keys, prompts, and outputs are exposed to it, and there is no way to verify the model has not been swapped. GateLLM is licensed per instance / memory with never a token markup; requests go from your gateway straight to vendor APIs with no third party in the path — no room for model substitution, degradation, or the operator disappearing.