Groq vs OpenRouter
Compare Groq and OpenRouter: free credits, features, and ratings. Which one is right for you?
Category
API Platform
API Platform
Rating
β 5
β 4
Free Credits
1000 requests/day
50 requests/day (1000 after $10 top-up)
Refresh Period
daily
daily
Resolution
Watermark
No
No
Commercial Use
Yes
Yes
Paid From
Pay-as-you-go
$10 top-up
Groq
Groq uses custom LPU chips for inference, delivering speeds several times faster than standard GPUs. Free tier offers 1000 requests/day with Llama, Qwen, and other open-source models. If you need real-time response speed for chat or streaming, Groq is currently the fastest free inference service available.
Pros
- βExtremely fast inference with custom LPU hardware
- βGenerous free tier: 1000 requests/day
- βSupports popular open-source models (Llama, Qwen, etc.)
- βOpenAI-compatible API format
Cons
- βRequires VPN from China
- βOnly open-source models, no GPT/Claude
- βFree tier has concurrency and TPM limits
Key Features
LPU Hardware Inference17 Free ModelsOpenAI-Compatible APIStreaming OutputWhisper Speech-to-Text
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