Cohere Chat API (Command models) vs RouterPlus

Cohere Chat API (Command models)

A public OpenAPI file, Markdown twins of every docs page and SDKs in four languages make the Chat API easy for an agent to read. Production keys do not cover the four newest Command models, whose limits are set by sales, and the SaaS agreement lets Cohere share API data with third parties.

RouterPlus

The docs are written for agents, every model price is public, and each response carries its own cost. No terms of service, privacy policy, status page or changelog were found. Signup adds no free credit, and the chat catalogue is Claude and GPT only.

Cohere Chat API (Command models)

1. Call POST https://api.cohere.com/v2/chat with Authorization: bearer <key>. model and messages are the only required fields
2. Use command-a-03-2025, command-r-08-2024, command-r-plus-08-2024 or command-r7b-12-2024 for production traffic. Newer variants stay at trial limits on a production key
3. Keep a trial key under 20 chat requests a minute and 1,000 calls a month, and do not use it for commercial work
4. Set response_format with a json_schema for structured output, and tell the model to produce JSON when using json_object without a schema
5. Ask the account Owner to turn off training under Data Controls in the dashboard before sending confidential prompts

RouterPlus

1. Send max_tokens on every request. Without it the balance hold assumes up to 32,768 output tokens and can return insufficient_quota on a small balance
2. Switch on error_type. Retry rate_limit after retry-after, and stop on insufficient_quota, which needs a person to add credit or raise a cap
3. Don't add a retry loop on top of the SDK's. There is no idempotency key, so a retry that reaches a provider is billed again
4. Copy model ids from GET /v1/models or /api/models.json. An unknown id is a 404 and the gateway never substitutes one
5. Use /v1/messages for Claude when you need thinking or server tools, and /v1/chat/completions with response_format only for GPT ids