3 OpenRouter alternatives to prioritize evaluating in 2026

Merge's article discusses the evolving landscape of AI gateway solutions, focusing on the decision-making process for selecting between tools like OpenRouter, Merge Gateway, LiteLLM, and Portkey. As companies build AI features, they often leverage multiple large language models (LLMs) to strike a balance between cost, reliability, and performance. Merge Gateway is highlighted as a comprehensive control plane for production AI, offering features such as routing logic, cost controls, unified observability, and consolidated billing. The article contrasts this with OpenRouter, which primarily facilitates multi-model access and routing. Other options like LiteLLM, which provides a self-hosted proxy for OpenAI-compatible interfaces, and Portkey, which emphasizes operational controls and governance, are also explored. These solutions cater to various needs, from enterprise-grade controls and fine-grained cost management to deep observability and compliance requirements.