Ready configs for coding tools
The coding tools page has a copy-paste config for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cline, OpenCode, Continue and Aider. One key and one bill across the whole catalog.
Coding tools →Comparison
An OpenRouter alternative built for coding agents
Same OpenAI-compatible API. Switching is a base URL and a key — about a minute in either direction.
Prices you can check
Every model's price is published, and leading models are priced at or below their official list prices. Where a model's route supports prompt caching, cached input bills at the cache-read price published for that model — at or below the official cache-read price, DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Kimi K3 excepted — with no cache-write surcharge.
Pay like a business
Card via Stripe, USDT, or Wise bank transfer in USD. Every top-up gets an invoice automatically, with the header you set in the console.
BoostRail vs OpenRouter
OpenRouter is the reference point in this category, and for a lot of teams it is the right answer. This page lays out where the two differ so you can tell quickly which one fits your case — including the parts where we are not the better option.
Side by side
| OpenRouter (published) | BoostRail | |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog size | Far larger — 500+ models across 80+ providers | 74 text, image and video models from 15 labs |
| Inference pricing | Pass-through of the routed provider's pricing, no markup | Every per-token price published; leading models at or below their official list prices |
| Top-up fee | 5.5% (min $0.80) on the Standard plan, 5% via crypto | 5.5% (min $0.80) by card via Stripe — the same; 1% (min $0.10) by USDT |
| Payment methods | Card, AliPay, or crypto (USDC) | Card, USDT, or Wise bank transfer in USD |
| BYOK | First $25,000/month of usage (at list-price cost) free, then 5% of the equivalent cost | 1,000,000 free BYOK requests/month, then a flat monthly plan |
| Subscription | None — pay-as-you-go credits | None for platform usage — prepaid credits |
| Invoicing | Available in-product | Invoice issued automatically for every top-up, header set in the console |
OpenRouter figures below are quoted from their own published documentation and pricing page (openrouter.ai/docs/faq, openrouter.ai/pricing), checked 2026-10-03. Terms on either side can change; check both before you commit.
Why we do not claim to be cheaper
OpenRouter routes a model across several providers and passes through whichever one it picks, so for some models it can land below the model maker's own list price. A blanket claim that we are cheaper would not survive contact with a real price list.
What we do state is checkable: every model's price is published, and leading models are priced at or below their official list prices. Cache reads are at or below the official cache-read price, except on DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Kimi K3, and cache writes carry no surcharge. Compare per model at the moment you buy — both catalogs are public.
When OpenRouter is the better choice
Straightforwardly, these are cases where we would point you there:
- You need breadth — niche, experimental, or long-tail models that a 74-model catalog will not carry.
- You want provider-level routing choice and a marketplace of competing providers per model.
- You are picking on track record and scale: they have years of operating history and a very large user base. We are new, and that is a real difference in risk.
- You pay by AliPay or in USDC.
When BoostRail fits better
The cases we are built for:
- You pay by bank transfer or USDT: Wise transfer in USD and USDT at a 1% fee both work, with an invoice issued automatically for every top-up.
- You bring your own keys at volume: BYOK is counted in requests, with a free monthly allowance and then a flat monthly plan, rather than as a percentage of what the usage would cost.
FAQ
Is this comparison neutral?
It is written by us, so read it accordingly. What we can commit to: every figure about OpenRouter is quoted from their own published documentation with the date we checked it, and we list the cases where they are the better choice rather than pretending there are none. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Can I use both?
Yes, and plenty of teams should. Both are OpenAI-compatible, so pointing different workloads at different base URLs is normal — for example a broad experimentation workload on one and a steady coding-agent workload on the other.
What happens to my data?
Request and response contents are used only to serve the call; usage metadata is kept for billing. The Privacy Policy sets out what is stored for billing and support and for how long.
Switching either way costs about a minute
Both are OpenAI-compatible, so moving is a base URL and a key — no SDK change, no code rewrite. That cuts both ways: if we do not work out for you, going back is just as quick. There is no lock-in on either side, which is the point of an OpenAI-compatible API.
Last updated: 2026-10-04