{
  "data": {
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      "slug": "groq",
      "name": "GroqCloud",
      "vendor": "Groq",
      "vendorUrl": "https://groq.com",
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      "category": "inference",
      "summary": "OpenAI-compatible inference API serving open-weight models on Groq's processors.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/groq",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/groq.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/groq.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/groq.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/groq/groq-python",
      "license": "Apache-2.0 (SDKs)",
      "transports": [
        "http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://api.groq.com/openai/v1",
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "pypi",
          "name": "groq"
        },
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "groq-sdk"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "api-key",
      "authNotes": "Bearer key from the GroqCloud console.",
      "pricing": "freemium",
      "pricingNotes": "Free with no card at 30 requests a minute and 1,000 a day. The Developer plan is postpaid by card, bank or SEPA. Cached input half price on gpt-oss only, batch half price (https://groq.com/pricing).",
      "priceSummary": "from $0.075 / 1M in",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 619,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
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      "docsUrl": "https://console.groq.com/docs",
      "rateLimitsUrl": "https://console.groq.com/docs/rate-limits",
      "llmsTxt": "https://console.groq.com/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "inference.llm",
        "inference.fast",
        "inference.open-weights"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "model",
        "fast",
        "free-tier",
        "no-card",
        "llms-txt"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-09-21",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 75.7,
        "grade": "BB",
        "agentReady": true,
        "rank": 31,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 3,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 80,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 100,
          "schema": 64,
          "security": 77,
          "transparency": 86
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "Free plan with no card, at 30 requests a minute and 1,000 a day on gpt-oss. Four model shutdown dates between 2026-07-17 and 2026-09-21, with no stated minimum notice.",
        "strengths": [
          "Free plan with no card, at 30 requests a minute and 1,000 a day on gpt-oss",
          "Per-model limits published, `x-ratelimit-*` headers on every response and `retry-after` on 429",
          "API keys scoped to a project, with per-project request limits, model permissions and request logs",
          "No retention by default and zero retention as a self-serve setting, and 5xx errors aren't charged",
          "Strict structured outputs, a half-price Batch API and a 99.9% SLA on the Performance Tier"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Four model shutdown dates between 2026-07-17 and 2026-09-21, with no stated minimum notice",
          "131,072-token context on every self-serve model",
          "No OpenAPI document, and the SDK metadata carries no spec URL",
          "Cached input is half price on the three gpt-oss models only",
          "The deprecations page still names qwen/qwen3.6-27b as a Llama 3.3 70B replacement, and that model shut down on 2026-09-14"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Call `/models` at start-up. Four model ids stopped working this quarter",
          "Read `retry-after` on a 429 and the `x-ratelimit-remaining-tokens` header before the next call",
          "Free plan allows 8,000 tokens a minute on gpt-oss, so keep prompts small or batch them",
          "Don't build on Qwen 3.8 27B. It's a preview and previews can go at short notice",
          "Treat a 498 as Flex capacity and retry later; 5xx responses aren't billed"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 8,
        "avgRating": 3.5,
        "history": [
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            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "BB",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
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              "tasks"
            ],
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        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 80,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 100,
          "schema": 64,
          "security": 77,
          "transparency": 71
        },
        "provenanceScore": 100
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "pip install groq   # or: npm i groq-sdk",
        "http": "curl https://api.groq.com/openai/v1/chat/completions \\\n  -H \"Authorization: Bearer $GROQ_API_KEY\" -H \"content-type: application/json\" \\\n  -d '{\"model\":\"openai/gpt-oss-120b\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":\"hello\"}]}'"
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      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.llm",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/groq"
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      "area": "models",
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Groq LLC",
        "domain": "groq.com",
        "domainRegistered": "2007-07-22",
        "domainNote": "groq.com was registered in 2007, before Groq existed. Customers in the EEA contract with Groq UK Limited.",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": true,
        "terms": "https://console.groq.com/docs/legal/services-agreement",
        "privacy": "https://groq.com/privacy-policy",
        "statusPage": "https://groqstatus.com",
        "changelog": "https://console.groq.com/docs/changelog",
        "securityTxt": "valid",
        "checked": "2026-09-26",
        "score": 100
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/groq.json",
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        "slug": "groq",
        "probe": {
          "target": "https://api.groq.com/openai/v1",
          "method": "get",
          "lastAt": "2026-10-04T23:32:48.045086238Z",
          "lastOk": true,
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          "samples30d": 2051,
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              "probes": 132,
              "ok": 132
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            {
              "date": "2026-09-28",
              "probes": 285,
              "ok": 285
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-09-29",
              "probes": 286,
              "ok": 286
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            {
              "date": "2026-09-30",
              "probes": 286,
              "ok": 286
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            {
              "date": "2026-10-01",
              "probes": 276,
              "ok": 276
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            {
              "date": "2026-10-02",
              "probes": 248,
              "ok": 248
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            {
              "date": "2026-10-03",
              "probes": 271,
              "ok": 271
            },
            {
              "date": "2026-10-04",
              "probes": 267,
              "ok": 267
            }
          ]
        },
        "vendorStatus": {
          "page": "https://groqstatus.com",
          "indicator": "none",
          "summary": "All Systems Operational",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T23:27:49.882506997Z"
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        "versions": [
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            "registry": "github",
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            "released": "2026-08-26",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:29:18.203035455Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "groq-sdk",
            "version": "1.6.0",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:29:17.397090834Z"
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          {
            "registry": "pypi",
            "name": "groq",
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            "released": "2026-08-26",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:29:17.209705681Z"
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        "githubStars": 621,
        "npmWeekly": 1066721,
        "pypiWeekly": 4627754,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://groq.com/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "valid",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:49.828484463Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://console.groq.com/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:17:51.633684707Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "groq.com",
          "registered": "2007-07-22",
          "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/groq.com",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:05:20.535748109Z"
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        "pages": [
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            "url": "https://console.groq.com/docs/deprecations",
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            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:42:12.476136914Z",
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            "url": "https://groq.com/pricing",
            "kind": "pricing",
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            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:44:57.558519986Z",
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          {
            "url": "https://groq.com/privacy-policy",
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            "url": "https://console.groq.com/docs/legal/services-agreement",
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        "models": {
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            "tools": true,
            "structuredOutputs": true,
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            "reasoning": true,
            "input": [
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            "promptCaching": false,
            "contextTokens": 131072,
            "maxOutput": 117964,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T21:56:15.872733218Z"
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            "openrouterId": "openai/gpt-oss-20b",
            "tools": true,
            "structuredOutputs": true,
            "jsonMode": true,
            "reasoning": true,
            "input": [
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            "promptCaching": true,
            "contextTokens": 131072,
            "maxOutput": 32768,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T21:56:15.872733218Z"
          },
          "qwen/qwen3.8-27b": {
            "openrouterId": "qwen/qwen3.8-27b",
            "tools": true,
            "structuredOutputs": true,
            "jsonMode": true,
            "reasoning": true,
            "input": [
              "image",
              "text",
              "video"
            ],
            "promptCaching": true,
            "contextTokens": 1000000,
            "maxOutput": 131072,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T21:56:15.872733218Z"
          }
        },
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-04T23:32:48.045086238Z"
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    "b": {
      "slug": "openrouter",
      "name": "OpenRouter",
      "vendor": "OpenRouter",
      "vendorUrl": "https://openrouter.ai",
      "kind": "router",
      "category": "inference",
      "summary": "One OpenAI-compatible API in front of 80+ model providers, at the providers' own token prices, with fallbacks and routing controls.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openrouter.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/typescript-sdk",
      "license": "Apache-2.0 (SDKs)",
      "transports": [
        "http"
      ],
      "remoteUrl": "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@openrouter/sdk"
        },
        {
          "registry": "pypi",
          "name": "openrouter"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "api-key",
      "authNotes": "Bearer key. OAuth PKCE lets an app get a key on a user's behalf.",
      "pricing": "usage",
      "pricingNotes": "No markup on tokens. The fee is on credit top-ups, 5.5% by card ($0.80 minimum) and 5% in crypto, 8% on Business. Bring your own key free up to $25,000 a month, then 5%. 25+ free models at 20 requests a minute and 50 a day, 1,000 a day after a $10 purchase (https://openrouter.ai/pricing).",
      "priceSummary": "5.5% fee",
      "where": "hosted",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "Credits can be bought in USDC through Coinbase, but requests are paid from a prepaid balance, not per call.",
        "endpoints": []
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      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 226,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-09-26"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://openrouter.ai/docs",
      "rateLimitsUrl": "https://openrouter.ai/docs/api_reference/limits",
      "llmsTxt": "https://openrouter.ai/docs/llms.txt",
      "openapi": "https://openrouter.ai/docs/openapi/openapi.yaml",
      "capabilities": [
        "inference.llm",
        "inference.router"
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      "tags": [
        "hosted",
        "router",
        "free-tier",
        "no-card",
        "openapi",
        "llms-txt",
        "crypto-topup"
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      "lastRelease": "2026-10-01",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 68.8,
        "grade": "B",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 119,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 6,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 85,
          "maintenance": 84,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 55,
          "schema": 90,
          "security": 60,
          "transparency": 74
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "Public OpenAPI document, llms.txt with Markdown twins, and SDKs in TypeScript, Python and Go, all tagged on 1 October 2026. No machine payment. USDC top-ups go to a prepaid balance.",
        "strengths": [
          "Public OpenAPI document, llms.txt with Markdown twins, and SDKs in TypeScript, Python and Go, all tagged on 1 October 2026",
          "Per-request routing controls, fallback `models` lists, provider ordering, `zdr` and `max_price`",
          "429, 503 and some 402 responses carry `Retry-After`, and the SDKs honour it",
          "OpenRouter stores no prompts or responses unless you opt in",
          "Free models with no card, and Management API keys for minting and rotating keys in code"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "No machine payment. USDC top-ups go to a prepaid balance",
          "`data_collection` defaults to 'allow', which admits providers that may store and train on prompts",
          "Mid-stream failures arrive inside a 200 response, and upstream providers may charge for prompt processing on a failed call",
          "No published SLA, and the status page gave us no readable history",
          "API changelog silent since 19 August 2026"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Set `provider.data_collection: \"deny\"` or `provider.zdr: true` when the prompt holds anything private",
          "Pass a `models` list so a failed provider falls through to the next one",
          "Honour `Retry-After` on 429 and 503, and check the stream body for errors even on a 200",
          "Set `max_price` so a routed request can't land on an expensive provider",
          "Free models allow 50 requests a day until $10 of credit has been bought. Check `GET /api/v1/key` for what's left"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "remote",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 2,
        "avgRating": 3,
        "history": [
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            "basis": "public evidence",
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            "grade": "B",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
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        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 85,
          "maintenance": 84,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 55,
          "schema": 90,
          "security": 60,
          "transparency": 55
        },
        "provenanceScore": 92
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "npm i @openrouter/sdk   # or any OpenAI client with base URL https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
        "http": "curl https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions \\\n  -H \"Authorization: Bearer $OPENROUTER_API_KEY\" -H \"content-type: application/json\" \\\n  -d '{\"models\":[\"anthropic/claude-opus-5-5\",\"openai/gpt-6-sol\"],\"provider\":{\"zdr\":true},\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":\"hello\"}]}'"
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/inference.llm",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/openrouter"
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      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Card top-up fee",
          "unit": "pct",
          "usd": 5.5,
          "note": "$0.80 minimum"
        },
        {
          "item": "Crypto top-up fee",
          "unit": "pct",
          "usd": 5
        },
        {
          "item": "Bring your own key over $25,000 a month",
          "unit": "pct",
          "usd": 5
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "OpenRouter, Inc.",
        "domain": "openrouter.ai",
        "domainRegistered": "2023-04-17",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": true,
        "terms": "https://openrouter.ai/terms",
        "privacy": "https://openrouter.ai/privacy",
        "statusPage": "https://status.openrouter.ai",
        "changelog": "https://openrouter.ai/docs/changelog",
        "securityTxt": "valid",
        "checked": "2026-09-26",
        "score": 92
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter.json",
      "live": {
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        "probe": {
          "target": "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
          "method": "get",
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          "lastOk": true,
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              "ok": 286
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              "probes": 286,
              "ok": 286
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              "date": "2026-10-01",
              "probes": 276,
              "ok": 276
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              "date": "2026-10-02",
              "probes": 248,
              "ok": 248
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              "date": "2026-10-03",
              "probes": 271,
              "ok": 271
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            {
              "date": "2026-10-04",
              "probes": 267,
              "ok": 267
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          ]
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        "vendorStatus": {
          "page": "https://status.openrouter.ai",
          "indicator": "unknown",
          "summary": "no machine-readable status found",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T21:40:21.803807847Z"
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  "markdown": "GroqCloud has a score of 75.7 (BB) against OpenRouter's 68.8 (B). Both do llm inference. The largest gap is reliability, 45 points.\n\n- GroqCloud: grade BB, 75.7/100, rank #31 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/groq.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/groq.json\n- OpenRouter: grade B, 68.8/100, rank #119 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openrouter.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\nPick GroqCloud for reliability (+45), security \u0026 auth (+17), transparency \u0026 trust (+12).\n\nPick OpenRouter for schema \u0026 documentation (+26), agent ergonomics (+5), maintenance \u0026 community (+12).\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | GroqCloud | OpenRouter | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 100 | 55 | GroqCloud +45 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 64 | 90 | OpenRouter +26 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 85 | OpenRouter +5 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 77 | 60 | GroqCloud +17 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 40 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 84 | OpenRouter +12 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 86 | 74 | GroqCloud +12 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **75.7 · BB** | **68.8 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | GroqCloud | OpenRouter |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Model API | Model router |\n| Vendor | Groq | OpenRouter |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.groq.com/openai/v1` | `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | API key | API key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 (SDKs) | Apache-2.0 (SDKs) |\n| Tools exposed | none | none |\n| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |\n| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| MCP registry | not listed | not listed |\n| Last release | 2026-09-21 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Popularity | 619 stars | 226 stars |\n| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (8) | 3/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**GroqCloud.** Free plan with no card, at 30 requests a minute and 1,000 a day on gpt-oss. Four model shutdown dates between 2026-07-17 and 2026-09-21, with no stated minimum notice.\n\n**OpenRouter.** Public OpenAPI document, llms.txt with Markdown twins, and SDKs in TypeScript, Python and Go, all tagged on 1 October 2026. No machine payment. USDC top-ups go to a prepaid balance.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### GroqCloud\n\n1. Call `/models` at start-up. Four model ids stopped working this quarter\n2. Read `retry-after` on a 429 and the `x-ratelimit-remaining-tokens` header before the next call\n3. Free plan allows 8,000 tokens a minute on gpt-oss, so keep prompts small or batch them\n4. Don't build on Qwen 3.8 27B. It's a preview and previews can go at short notice\n5. Treat a 498 as Flex capacity and retry later; 5xx responses aren't billed\n\n### OpenRouter\n\n1. Set `provider.data_collection: \"deny\"` or `provider.zdr: true` when the prompt holds anything private\n2. Pass a `models` list so a failed provider falls through to the next one\n3. Honour `Retry-After` on 429 and 503, and check the stream body for errors even on a 200\n4. Set `max_price` so a routed request can't land on an expensive provider\n5. Free models allow 50 requests a day until $10 of credit has been bought. Check `GET /api/v1/key` for what's left\n\n## Other comparisons with GroqCloud or OpenRouter\n\n- [Claude API vs GroqCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anthropic-api-vs-groq.md)\n- [Claude API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anthropic-api-vs-openrouter.md)\n- [BlockRun.AI vs GroqCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blockrun-ai-vs-groq.md)\n- [BlockRun.AI vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blockrun-ai-vs-openrouter.md)\n- [DeepSeek API vs GroqCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-api-vs-groq.md)\n- [DeepSeek API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-api-vs-openrouter.md)\n- [Gemini Developer API vs GroqCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-api-vs-groq.md)\n- [Gemini Developer API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-api-vs-openrouter.md)\n- [GroqCloud vs Mistral AI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/groq-vs-mistral-api.md)\n- [GroqCloud vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/groq-vs-openai-api.md)\n- [Mistral AI API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-api-vs-openrouter.md)\n- [OpenAI API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-openrouter.md)\n",
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    "description": "GroqCloud has a score of 75.7 (BB) against OpenRouter's 68.8 (B). Both do llm inference. The largest gap is reliability, 45 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.",
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    "title": "GroqCloud vs OpenRouter for AI agents, BB 75.7 vs B 68.8",
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