# Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models vs Vercel AI Gateway (slim)

> Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models scores 80 (A) to Vercel AI Gateway's 67.8 (B) for llm inference. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-openai-vs-vercel-ai-gateway.md (~7,550 tokens) · this version ~3,780 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-openai-vs-vercel-ai-gateway.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/azure-openai-vs-vercel-ai-gateway
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-11-07
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Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models scores 80 (A) on agent readiness against Vercel AI Gateway's 67.8 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do llm inference.

- Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models: A 80, rank #14 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/azure-openai.min.md
- Vercel AI Gateway: B 67.8, rank #302 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vercel-ai-gateway.min.md
- Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models, good for Teams on Azure that need OpenAI models with Entra ID, private networking, EU or US data zones or FedRAMP scope, and one resource that also serves DeepSeek, Llama, Mistral and Grok models. Ahead on Schema & documentation, 87 against 74; Agent ergonomics, 98 against 83; Security & auth, 95 against 79; Maintenance & community, 86 against 79; Transparency & trust, 83 against 71. Also Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better; No incidents deducted, where Vercel AI Gateway loses 3 points for them.
- Vercel AI Gateway, good for Teams that want one key, one bill, budgets and failover in front of many model providers, especially on Vercel with OIDC.

| Category | Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models | Vercel AI Gateway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 80 | 79 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 87 | 74 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 98 | 83 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 95 | 79 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 20 | 20 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 86 | 79 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 83 | 71 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models | Vercel AI Gateway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | Model router |
| Vendor | Microsoft | Vercel Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://<resource>.openai.azure.com/openai/v1` | `https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/v1` |
| Licence | Proprietary service under the Microsoft Product Terms. The v1 OpenAPI spec is MIT, and the OpenAI SDKs the docs use are Apache-2.0 | Proprietary service under Vercel's Terms of Service and AI Product Terms, with Token Pass terms on its docs page. Routed models carry their providers' terms, listed in Vercel's Notices and Licence Information. The `@ai-sdk/gateway` provider is Apache-2.0 |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-26 | 2026-10-30 |
| Terms last updated | no date given | 2026-06-01 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-09-01 | 2026-06-01 |
| Customer content may train models | yes | yes, with an opt-out |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | yes |
| Popularity | 454k npm/wk | 29.6M npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (4) |

Why the edge:
- Security & auth, Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models +16: Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models 95 (Model reading. Microsoft Entra ID tokens with Azure roles (the Cognitive Services OpenAI User role for calls), managed identities, and key authentication that can be disabled per resource, or two regenerable resource keys in the `api-key` header. No documented route puts the key in a URL query string (30). Prompts, completions, embeddings and training data aren't used to train foundation models without the customer's permission or instruction, per the data privacy page updated 4 August 2026 (20). Flagged prompts and completions may be stored in the customer's geography for human abuse review, with no retention period stated, and approved customers can turn that storage off through modified abuse monitoring. Responses API data is kept 30 days by default unless `store` is false (12 of 15). Azure Monitor resource logs and the subscription activity log, as read in the Foundry fine-tuning dossier (15). MSRC coordinated disclosure policy and Microsoft's bounty programme, both named in microsoft.com's security.txt, and Azure OpenAI is listed in FedRAMP High and DoD IL2 scope in Azure public regions. The security.txt passed its Expires date on 2026-09-23 and was still expired on 6 November, which the Bedrock and S3 dossiers mark down by 2, applied here too (18 of 20, down from 20 on 6 October for consistency).); Vercel AI Gateway 79 (Router, read on the model lines. AI Gateway API keys belong to a team, can be limited to one project and given an expiry and a budget, are deactivated when their creator leaves the team, and can be revoked without authentication by reporting a leaked key. Keys carry no per-model or read-only scope apart from the Token Pass key type. On Vercel, project OIDC tokens replace long-lived keys (24 of 30). Vercel says it does not train on prompts, and the AI Product Terms make that a warranty only for Enterprise subscriptions. Provider training is filtered only when `disallowPromptTraining` or ZDR is set, the filter does not apply to BYOK, and the terms say Stealth Model providers may train on inputs (12 of 20). The gateway does not keep prompt or response content. Provider ZDR is free per request on Pro and Enterprise and not available on Hobby, and BYOK keys are skipped under ZDR unless marked (12 of 15). Per-request logs record status, provider attempts, tokens, cost and authentication method, with routing details kept 30 days and Trace Drains and spend reports on paid plans (13 of 15). Valid security.txt with HackerOne (re-read on 1 November, expires 28 September 2027), SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001:2022 as Vercel states them, and a public bulletin for the April 2026 incident, closed on 16 October 2026 (18 of 20).)
- Agent ergonomics, Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models +15: Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models 98 (Model reading of the checklist (tool use, structured output, caching, context, batch, SDKs, errors). Tool use with parallel calls and a forced call by naming the function in `tool_choice`, 18 of 20 because `gpt-6.1-sol` calls tools only through the Responses API (18). Strict structured outputs (15). Prompt caching from 1,024 tokens, cached input at 0.1x on GPT-6 ($1 per million on Astra) and cache writes at 1.25x from GPT-5.6 on, with explicit breakpoints (15). 1,050,000-token context on GPT-6 and GPT-6.1, input capped at 922,000 (15). Batch at 50% off Global Standard with a 24-hour target (10). The docs use OpenAI's own SDKs for Python, JavaScript, C#, Go and Java against the v1 endpoint (10). 429 and quota errors documented with retry headers (15). Calls name a deployment rather than a model, so each model must be deployed in the resource first, which the model checklist doesn't score.); Vercel AI Gateway 83 (Router, read on the model lines. Tool calling is documented on all six surfaces and 303 of 498 models carry the tool-use tag on 1 November, with behaviour depending on the model routed (16 of 20). Structured output is documented per surface and tagged on 278 models (13 of 15). `caching: 'auto'` adds Anthropic cache markers, `cache_ttl` asks for one-hour entries, `x-session-affinity` keeps a conversation on one provider, and cache-read prices are listed per model (14 of 15). 162 models list a context of one million tokens or more, a judgement call since a router has no default model (15). The SDK source has a `gateway-batch.ts` file, but no batch endpoint or batch discount was found in the docs (2 of 10). The AI SDK for TypeScript, the AI SDK for Python in beta, and the OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs with a changed base URL (10). Errors return `message` and `type`, an exceeded budget answers 402 apart from a 429, the SDK has ten typed `Gateway*Error` classes, and the FAQ maps each status to a fix (13 of 15).)
- Schema & documentation, Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models +13: Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models 87 (OpenAPI 3.2 spec for the v1 data plane in Azure/azure-rest-api-specs (`azure-v1-v1-generated.json`, 71 paths and 852 schemas), linked from the v1 API page (25). No llms.txt at learn.microsoft.com (404). Learn pages offer Copy Markdown and the Markdown sources are public in MicrosoftDocs/azure-ai-docs, last merged 5 October (5 of 10). The models page lists each model's capabilities, context and API support, but the model choice guide, dated 19 May 2026, doesn't cover GPT-6 (15 of 20). Structured outputs with `strict: true` on schemas and function tools, though not together with parallel function calls (15). Examples in Python, C#, JavaScript, Go, Java and REST, and an error table on the quotas page with a fix for 429 and other codes (15). The v1 path replaces monthly `api-version` values, with preview capabilities opted into by header, a dated API version changelog and dated model versions. On 6 November the Foundry what's new still covered August, though updated on 5 November, and no Azure OpenAI what's new was found at learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/foundry/openai/whats-new, which answered 404 (12 of 15).); Vercel AI Gateway 74 (Router, scored on the API lines. Vercel's OpenAPI 3.0.3 document has AI Gateway management paths (budgets, routing rules, virtual model configs, routers) and `POST /api-keys`. It does not cover the inference routes on ai-gateway.vercel.sh or `/v1/models`, `/v1/credits`, `/v1/generation` and `/v1/report`, which follow the OpenAI and Anthropic formats and the REST reference page (12 of 25). Every docs page is served as Markdown, and vercel.com/llms.txt lists AI Gateway and the keyless model list (10). The docs say when to use AI Gateway, which API format suits which client, and what each control leaves out, such as BYOK spend outside budgets (16 of 20). `providerOptions.gateway` fields are documented in tables with types, and the model list names each model's supported parameters. The request bodies have no published schema of their own (9 of 15). cURL, TypeScript and Python examples on most pages, and error tables in the FAQ, the REST reference and the Token Pass pages. The Chat Completions error list omits 402 (13 of 15). Paths carry `/v1`, the changelog is dated, with 95 entries naming AI Gateway from 3 August to 30 October 2026, and `@ai-sdk/gateway` keeps a CHANGELOG. The changelog sitemap dates one AI Gateway entry to 25 March 2025, before the alpha (14 of 15).)
- Transparency & trust, Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models +12: Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models 83 (Closed service under the Microsoft Product Terms, with the v1 spec under MIT and the OpenAI SDKs under Apache-2.0 (15). The data privacy page agrees with the product terms on no training and states where data is processed and stored by deployment type, but gives no retention period for the human-review store and sits beside a 30-day default for Responses data (24 of 30). A published lifecycle policy and a retirement schedule with dates and replacements, but on 6 November the schedule listed `gpt-realtime-mini` 2025-10-06 and 2025-12-15 twice each with different retirement dates, and no GPT-6 model yet (18 of 20, down from 20). Data locations stated for Standard, Data Zone and Global deployments, and a public sub-processor list per the 5 October Azure Speech check, not re-read (20).); Vercel AI Gateway 71 (Closed service under the Terms of Service last updated 19 October 2026, the AI Product Terms with an AI Gateway section, and Token Pass terms on its docs page. Routed models carry the terms of 64 providers listed in the Notices and Licence Information, and the SDK is Apache-2.0 (18 of 30). The FAQ, the ZDR page and the logs page agree that prompt and response content is not kept. The terms place content sent to providers under the providers' own terms, give the no-training warranty only to Enterprise and bar sensitive personal information in Input. The DPA covers Pro and Enterprise, not Hobby, and the privacy notice gives retention criteria, not periods (17 of 30). No deprecation policy found. Model retirements carry dates in the model list, and the AI Product Terms let Vercel change fees, change or end anything in beta without notice, and end Token Pass with a pro-rata refund (8 of 20). Provider terms are listed per provider and regional inference names four regions, while the gateway itself may process a request in any Vercel region. The subprocessor list on security.vercel.com was not read (12 of 20).)
- Maintenance & community, Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models +7: Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models 86 (Model reading. GPT-6.1 Terra released on Azure on 26 October 2026 and a `gpt-chat-latest` preview of 7 October was added, after GPT-6.1 Sol on 29 September (30). GA models get a retirement date 18 months after launch, set at release and readable through the Models API, with at least 60 days' email and Service Health notice, and previews at least 30 days, so a GA retirement is known more than six months ahead (12 of 12). Many shutdown dates in the 90 days to 6 November, most of them previews or partner models, among them DeepSeek-R1 (13 August), MAI-Image-2 and 2e (15 August), model-router previews (30 August), MAI-Transcribe-1 (15 September), MAI-Image-2.5 previews (1 October), the 2025-03-20 audio models and sora-2 (15 October), a Cohere Command A Plus preview (16 October) and gpt-image-1 (23 October), each in the schedule with a replacement where one exists (4 of 8). The Foundry what's new page, still on August when read on 6 November, plus Microsoft Q&A and paid support; no Azure OpenAI what's new was found (10 of 15). The SDKs are OpenAI's repositories, replies not sampled (5 of 10). Current official SDKs, `openai` 3.46.0 on PyPI (5 November) and 7.53.0 on npm, plus Microsoft's `@azure/openai` 2.0.0 companion (15). Supported runtimes stated, Python 3.9 or later and Node.js 20 or later, though `openai` 3.46.0 requires Python 3.10 (10).); Vercel AI Gateway 79 (Closed service, read on the model lines. The newest changelog entry naming AI Gateway is dated 30 October 2026 (30). Twelve models in the model list carry a `deprecated_at` date on 1 November, from 5 November 2026 (4 days ahead) to 26 February 2027. No minimum notice period was found, and access to Claude Fable 5 was suspended on 12 June 2026 under a government directive without notice and restored on 1 July (6 of 12). No AI Gateway endpoint was shut down in the last 90 days that we found (7 of 8). 95 changelog entries name AI Gateway from 3 August to 30 October 2026, and support runs from the dashboard (13 of 15). Replies to issues on vercel/ai were not read, because GitHub's pages refuse our reader (3 of 10). `@ai-sdk/gateway` is at 4.0.132 in vercel/ai, versioned on 30 October 2026, and had 29,597,661 npm downloads in the week to 12 October per the 17 October check. The Python SDK is in beta (14 of 15). Three runtime dependencies and a test file beside most modules. CI was not checked (6 of 10).)