I'm currently using OpenRouter for my A/B testing, but it's becoming quite costly, especially with their pay-as-you-go model and those fees when topping up. I need recommendations for more affordable alternatives that still offer a good range of models. I've looked into Zenmux and Portkey but would love to hear other suggestions or real user experiences. Any insights would be appreciated!
5 Answers
Have you considered going directly with vendors like OpenAI or Anthropic? It might save you the extra fees that aggregators charge. Just a thought!
You're on the right track! Portkey is great for control and visibility, but keep an eye on costs as you scale up. I’ve heard Zenmux has some hype, but be cautious about that—could just be marketing. If cost is your main pain point, look into self-hosted solutions or something like Litellm. It might require more setup but offers more control over expenses.
You might want to check out DeepInfra and NanoGPT as alternatives. I'm not sure why your costs are so high, though! Maybe there's some optimization you can do in your setup?
I've had a good experience with Zenmux. I'm on their $100/month plan, and it feels worth way more since they have a vast selection of models and they add new ones quickly—plus, no extra fees. Definitely a solid choice!
It's a classic trade-off. Using aggregators gives flexibility but usually at a cost. If cost predictability is key for you, going direct with just a couple of models might be the best route. I've seen many users over-test models that they don't even need, which can inflate costs.
Totally agree! Zenmux has been great for me too, and the lack of extra fees really helps with budgeting.