OpenRouter vs Groq
Routes requests across multiple upstream model providers behind a single API. LPU-based inference optimised for very low time-to-first-token.
Data notice: This page compares structural differences only. Live token prices are not published here yet — check each provider's official pricing page linked in the table before making a purchasing decision.
Structural comparison
| Dimension | OpenRouter | Groq |
|---|---|---|
| Provider type | Aggregator | Inference cloud |
| Model coverage | Many providers, one endpoint | Selected open models |
| Billing model | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-token |
| API format | OpenAI-compatible | OpenAI-compatible |
| Region | Global | US / Global |
| Official pricing | official page → | official page → |
How to choose
- Model coverage — confirm the exact model and version you need is served.
- API format — OpenAI-compatible endpoints let you switch by changing the base URL and key.
- Billing — prepaid top-ups suit predictable budgets; pay-per-token suits spiky workloads.
- Region — measure time-to-first-token from your own network, not from a vendor's benchmark.
- Settlement — check invoicing, payment rails and entity before procurement sign-off.
* AIO Keys is operated by LOCOM, which also operates APIvs. It is marked explicitly so you can weigh that bias.
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