/guides/openrouter

OpenRouter

Configure free-claude-code to use OpenRouter. Access hundreds of models including free tier options.

OpenRouter

OpenRouter provides access to hundreds of models from multiple providers through a single API. Many models have a free tier; others are pay-per-use.

Get an API key

  1. Visit openrouter.ai/keys
  2. Create an account or sign in
  3. Generate a new API key
  4. Copy the key (starts with sk-or-)

Configure the proxy

Edit your .env file:

OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-your-key-here"

MODEL_OPUS="open_router/deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528:free"
MODEL_SONNET="open_router/openai/gpt-oss-120b:free"
MODEL_HAIKU="open_router/stepfun/step-3.5-flash:free"
MODEL="open_router/stepfun/step-3.5-flash:free"

Model format

OpenRouter models use the format:

open_router/organization/model-name

Add :free suffix for free tier models:

open_router/deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528:free

Free tier models

Popular free options as of the latest release:

ModelIdentifierStrengths
DeepSeek R1open_router/deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528:freeReasoning, math, coding
GPT-OSS 120Bopen_router/openai/gpt-oss-120b:freeGeneral knowledge
Step-3.5 Flashopen_router/stepfun/step-3.5-flash:freeFast responses
Trinity Largeopen_router/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:freeCoding tasks

Browse all free models at openrouter.ai/collections/free-models.

Per-model routing

Mix free and paid models for different Claude tiers:

# Use free models for lighter tasks
MODEL_HAIKU="open_router/stepfun/step-3.5-flash:free"

# Use paid models for heavy lifting
MODEL_OPUS="open_router/anthropic/claude-3-opus"
MODEL_SONNET="open_router/anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet"

# Fallback to free
MODEL="open_router/stepfun/step-3.5-flash:free"

Rate limits and quotas

Free tier rate limits vary by model:

  • Some: 10 requests per minute
  • Others: 20 requests per minute
  • Limits reset on different schedules

Check OpenRouter’s dashboard for current quota usage.

Configure proxy-side limits:

PROVIDER_RATE_LIMIT=15
PROVIDER_RATE_WINDOW=60
PROVIDER_MAX_CONCURRENCY=2

Proxy configuration

If you need to route OpenRouter requests through a proxy:

OPENROUTER_PROXY="http://username:password@host:port"

Troubleshooting

“Insufficient credits” errors: You are using a paid model without adding funds. Switch to a :free suffix model or add credits.

“Model not available” errors: The specific model may be temporarily offline. Check openrouter.ai/models for status.

Slower than NVIDIA NIM: Free tier models on OpenRouter may have higher latency. For fast responses, consider NVIDIA NIM’s free tier or OpenRouter’s paid tier.

When to use OpenRouter

Use OpenRouter when:

  • You need model variety for different tasks
  • You want to experiment with cutting-edge models
  • NVIDIA NIM doesn’t have the specific model you need
  • You are willing to pay for premium models occasionally

Consider alternatives when:

  • You need guaranteed low latency (NVIDIA NIM free tier is often faster)
  • You want completely offline operation (use LM Studio or llama.cpp)
  • You want predictable costs (NVIDIA NIM free tier has hard limits)