# OpenAI API vs OpenRouter (slim)

> OpenAI API has a score of 82.8 (A) against OpenRouter's 68.8 (B). Both do llm inference. The largest gap is security & auth, 40 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-openrouter.md (~1,450 tokens) · this version ~330 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-openrouter.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-openrouter
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · Updated: 2026-10-05

OpenAI API has a score of 82.8 (A) against OpenRouter's 68.8 (B). Both do llm inference. The largest gap is security & auth, 40 points.

- OpenAI API: A 82.8, rank #2 of 452 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-api.min.md
- OpenRouter: B 68.8, rank #119 of 452 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openrouter.min.md
- Pick OpenAI API for reliability (+15), schema & documentation (+10), agent ergonomics (+13), security & auth (+40), maintenance & community (+7), transparency & trust (+11). Pick OpenRouter for payments & pricing (+10).

| Category | OpenAI API | OpenRouter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 70 | 55 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 100 | 90 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 98 | 85 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 100 | 60 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 30 | 40 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 91 | 84 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 85 | 74 |