OpenRouter Alternatives in 2026, Compared by Same-Model Price
By LanoX Team · Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data as of 2026-11-02. Originally published at lanox.ai. We compared 14 models listed on both LanoX and OpenRouter by their public prices per 1M tokens. On 202
By LanoX Team · Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data as of 2026-11-02. Originally published at lanox.ai.
We compared 14 models listed on both LanoX and OpenRouter by their public prices per 1M tokens. On 2026-11-02, LanoX had the lower output price on 12 of the 14 and the lower input price on 9; the median gap was −67.4% on output and −56.6% on input. It is not cheaper on every model, so check the model-level table before you switch.
Key points
- Same model ID on both sides, same unit: USD per 1M input and output tokens from each public price list.
- LanoX output price lower on 12 of 14 models, input price lower on 9 of 14 (data as of 2026-11-02).
- Biggest saving in the set: gpt-6-sol and gpt-6-luna, −83.3% on both input and output (gpt-6-sol output $1.67 on LanoX vs $10.00 on OpenRouter).
- LanoX output price higher on 2 models: deepseek-v4-flash-0731 and glm-5.3-flash. Input price higher on 5, led by kimi-k3 (+681.2%).
- OpenRouter says it adds no markup on inference but charges a fee when you buy credits. That fee is not in these figures.
This article is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Credit LanoX, link to this page and state the data date (2026-11-02).
Source: LanoX Team, “OpenRouter Alternatives in 2026, Compared by Same-Model Price” (https://lanox.ai/en/blog/openrouter-alternatives-2026), data as of 2026-11-02. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
How the comparison works
We match each model by its ID on both platforms and compare list prices in USD per 1M tokens. OpenRouter prices come from its public models API; LanoX prices come from the public models and pricing page. No login, coupons or enterprise prices are used.
Prompt caching, batch and long-context prices are left out. LanoX prices use the default group on its pricing page and the first (base) tier. The index page notes this per model. Gap = (LanoX price − OpenRouter price) ÷ OpenRouter price.
Where LanoX costs less
Five of the 12 models where the LanoX output price was lower:
USD per 1M output tokens. Data as of 2026-11-02, LanoX price gap index.
| Model | LanoX output | OpenRouter output | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-6-sol | $1.67 | $10.00 | −83.3% |
| gpt-6-luna | $0.0835 | $0.50 | −83.3% |
| gemini-3.8-flash | $0.75 | $4.125 | −81.8% |
| grok-4.7 | $1.50 | $6.00 | −75.0% |
| claude-sonnet-5 | $2.99 | $10.00 | −70.1% |
Where LanoX costs more
On these two models the OpenRouter output price was lower. If most of your traffic goes to them, OpenRouter is the cheaper option on list price. On input price LanoX was higher on 5 models: kimi-k3 (+681.2%), glm-5.3 (+349.4%), deepseek-v4-pro-0813 (+250.5%), deepseek-v4.1-flash (+99.1%) and glm-5.3-flash (+26.0%). We keep these rows in the index on purpose.
USD per 1M output tokens. Data as of 2026-11-02, LanoX price gap index.
| Model | LanoX output | OpenRouter output | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| deepseek-v4-flash-0731 | $0.3583 | $0.238 | +50.5% |
| glm-5.3-flash | $0.1258 | $0.0923 | +36.3% |
Prices move, so date every comparison
On 2026-11-02 the OpenRouter API price for glm-5.3 changed within a few hours, from $0.0699 input and $1.40 output per 1M tokens to $0.08 and $3.60; our 2026-11-03 snapshot still showed $0.08 and $3.60. A comparison without a check date goes stale quickly, which is why the index states the date and time of its data.
Other kinds of alternatives
- Official provider APIs set the reference price. For Claude, our Claude API pricing page puts Anthropic’s list price next to the LanoX price, with the discount per model.
- Open-source gateways you host yourself, such as LiteLLM and Portkey Gateway on GitHub. You run the software, so the token price depends on the upstream account you connect.
- Hosted multi-model APIs such as OpenRouter and LanoX. Compare the per-model list price, any top-up fee and the ways you can pay.
Checklist before you switch
- Match the exact model ID on both platforms.
- Compare input and output prices separately, weighted by your own input/output mix.
- Write down the check date for every price.
- Add any fee charged when you top up or buy credits.
- Confirm the API format: the LanoX docs list OpenAI-compatible and Claude Messages formats for text models.
FAQ
Is LanoX cheaper than OpenRouter on every model?
No. On 2026-11-02 LanoX had the lower output price on 12 of 14 shared models and the higher one on 2; on input price it was higher on 5. The price gap index lists every row.
Does OpenRouter mark up model prices?
Its FAQ (checked 2026-11-03) says it passes provider pricing through without an inference markup and charges a fee when you purchase credits. Our comparison uses list prices only.
Can I reuse this comparison?
Yes. The index and its CSV are published under CC BY 4.0. Credit LanoX, link to the page and state the data date.
Sources
- LanoX LLM API price gap index — checked 2026-11-02
- OpenRouter public models API — checked 2026-11-03
- OpenRouter FAQ: pricing and fees — checked 2026-11-03
- LanoX models and pricing — checked 2026-11-03
- LanoX docs — checked 2026-11-03
- LiteLLM on GitHub — checked 2026-11-03
- Portkey Gateway on GitHub — checked 2026-11-03
Originally published by Dev.to WebDev. Aggregated on AIWithGhost for educational purposes — full credit and traffic to the original publisher.