Three of eight AI API routers charge nothing for routing, and only one adds a markup at all

Asked:

“make a list of cheap ai model api router as a service companies”

Eight hosted multi-provider AI API routers and gateways with low-cost entry points, verified from eight official company pages as of 2026-10-21 — the complete verified shortlist. “Free” here means the routing layer or a trial allowance; the underlying model-token charges from providers still apply and are not compared.

What getting started costs, by router

Sorted cheapest-first by routing-layer cost. Hover or tap a row for exact pricing language, free credits and routing features.

Free router, 0% markup No inference markup, fee only on credit purchases Small markup on inference (5%) Usage-based platform pricing with a free tier

Helicone is the only router that is entirely free with a 0% markup and cost-optimized routing to the cheapest available provider. helicone.ai

Vercel AI Gateway adds no token markup or platform fee and every team account includes $5/month in credits on the free tier. vercel.com

OpenRouter and Cloudflare pass provider list prices through unchanged, but both charge when you buy credits — Cloudflare’s Unified Billing fee is 5% (a $100 purchase bills $105). openrouter.ai · developers.cloudflare.com

Requesty is the only shortlisted router with an inference markup (5%, no hidden fees), offset by $10 in trial credits with no credit card required. requesty.ai

The full shortlist

Company	Product	Pricing (exact language)	Free entry	Models and providers	Routing	Source

Method: 8 hosted multi-provider AI API routers/gateways screened for a unified API spanning multiple providers, public low-cost or free-entry pricing, and routing or fallback features; verified from 8 official pages on 8 independent company hosts (one URL per row), 2026-10-21. Cost tier reflects the routing layer’s own fees, not per-model token prices, which vary by provider and are not compared. Routing descriptions are condensed in the chart tooltip for space.

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