OpenRouter vs Official API: Routing vs Direct Access
OpenRouter exposes Claude Sonnet 4.6 at the same headline price as direct ($3 input / $15 output per 1M) while adding one API across many providers with fallback. Go direct for exact cache/batch economics; use OpenRouter for routing flexibility and provider redundancy.
Choose OpenRouter if you want one API key across many models, automatic fallback, and easy provider switching.
Choose the official API when you need exact cache-read/write and batch pricing and first-party reliability.
Side by side
| OpenRouter | Official API | |
|---|---|---|
| Sonnet 4.6 input | $3.00/1M | $3.00/1M |
| Sonnet 4.6 output | $15.00/1M | $15.00/1M |
| Cache pricing | Not separately listed | $0.30/1M read + write tiers |
| Routing | Many providers + fallback | Single provider |
| Best for | Flexibility, redundancy | Exact economics, control |
OpenRouter is an aggregator: one API and key that routes requests across many model providers, with fallback if a provider is degraded. For Claude Sonnet 4.6, the headline price matches the direct Anthropic API at $3.00/$15.00 per 1M.
The trade-off is precision. The direct API exposes exact cache-read and cache-write tiers and batch pricing, which matter for cost-optimized agents. OpenRouter prioritizes flexibility and redundancy over that granular control, and doesn't separately list every cache tier. Use it when portability across models matters more than squeezing cache economics.
FAQ
Is OpenRouter more expensive than going direct?
Why use OpenRouter?
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