FreeTheAI vs OpenRouter
Compare FreeTheAI and OpenRouter: free credits, features, and ratings. Which one is right for you?
Category
LLM
API Platform
Rating
β 3
β 4
Free Credits
50 undefined
50 requests/day (1000 after $10 top-up)
Refresh Period
unlimited
daily
Resolution
N/A
Watermark
No
No
Commercial Use
Yes
Yes
Paid From
Completely free
$10 top-up
FreeTheAI
Free AI API gateway with 50+ models. One Discord account gets a key for GPT-5, Claude 4.5, DeepSeek R1, Gemini 3.0, Grok 4 and more. OpenAI compatible, no credit card, 30 req/min rate limit, no daily cap.
Pros
- β50+ models with one key
- βNo credit card, no billing, no daily cap
- β100% OpenAI compatible
- βFull GPT/Claude/DeepSeek/Gemini/Grok coverage
- βAPI works from China (Discord signup needs VPN)
- βKey is permanent
Cons
- βDiscord signup needs VPN
- β30 req/min rate limit, not for high concurrency
- βFree public service, no SLA
- βNot suitable for production
- βModel names need bbl/ prefix
Key Features
50+ models unified accessGPT-5/Claude 4.5 flagship modelsOpenAI compatible APIDiscord /signup for keyChat/image/video/TTS supportAPI accessible from China
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