Cline.bot API vs OpenRouter
Compare Cline.bot API and OpenRouter: free credits, features, and ratings. Which one is right for you?
Category
LLM
API Platform
Rating
β 3.5
β 4
Free Credits
3 models free forever, no credit consumption, 1M context
50 requests/day (1000 after $10 top-up)
Refresh Period
unlimited
daily
Resolution
N/A
Watermark
No
No
Commercial Use
Yes
Yes
Paid From
$0.5 on signup (for paid models)
$10 top-up
Cline.bot API
Cline's official API platform. 3 free models (MiniMax-M3, Xiaomi MiMo-v2.5, DeepSeek-V4-Flash) all with 1M context. OpenAI compatible. $0.5 signup bonus, free models don't consume credits. Google/GitHub login, no credit card.
Pros
- β3 models completely free, no credit consumption
- β1M ultra-long context, no file truncation
- βOpenAI compatible, easy config
- βExclusive free access to MiniMax-M3 and Xiaomi MiMo
- βOne-click Google/GitHub login
- βNative integration with Cline VS Code plugin
Cons
- βOnly 3 models available
- βPlatform rules may change
- βNew platform, long-term stability TBD
Key Features
3 free models, 1M contextMiniMax-M3 strong general capabilityXiaomi MiMo strong reasoningDeepSeek-V4-Flash fast speedOpenAI compatible APINative Cline/CC Switch support
OpenRouter
API aggregation platform β one endpoint to access them all. 27 free models, accessible from China without VPN. Switch between backends by just changing the model name. Free tier: 50 requests/day, unlock 1000/day with $10 top-up.
Pros
- βAccessible from China without VPN
- β27 free models available
- βOpenAI-compatible format, switch models by changing name
- βDiverse model selection across providers
Cons
- βFree tier limited to 50 requests/day
- βUnlocking 1000/day requires $10 top-up
- βFree model quality varies
Key Features
27 Free ModelsChina Direct AccessOpenAI-Compatible APIUnified Model SwitchingDeepSeek/Qwen/Llama Support