OpenRouter vs LiteLLM vs Portkey vs a Managed OpenAI-Compatible Gateway

Short summary

Choose LLM gateways (OpenRouter, LiteLLM, Portkey, TackleKey) based on operational problems—model discovery, self-hosted control, enterprise governance, or cost visibility—rather than features. Test each with identical small requests, tracking base URL, API keys, pricing, logs, and error clarity to evaluate real workflow fit.

• •Different LLM gateways solve different operational problems, not just feature gaps
• •Decision matrix: model discovery (OpenRouter), self-hosted control (LiteLLM), enterprise governance (Portkey), cost-visible managed access (TackleKey)
• •Evaluation framework: run identical test requests through candidates, comparing base URLs, pricing transparency, logs, and error clarity

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