Side by side
LiteLLM vs Polyrouter
Both stand on llm gateway software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose LiteLLM if your platform team needs a shared gateway for many providers, with routing and spend controls. The free plan covers self-hosted gateway features; teams needing Enterprise access controls, audit logs, or dedicated support should consider Enterprise, whose price is sized to usage.
Visit LiteLLMChoose Polyrouter if you need one endpoint for multiple model providers and want routing, fallback, and budget controls in a free, self-hosted gateway. It requires a Docker Compose deployment and separate provider charges; managed cloud hosting is not yet described as available.
Visit PolyrouterThe facts
| LiteLLM | Polyrouter | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | API, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | litellm.ai | polyrouter.app |
| On llm gateway software | #9 of 34 | #13 of 34 |
LiteLLM: what it does well
- One OpenAI-compatible API for 140+ providers and 1,800+ models.
- Routes requests by load balance, cost, or prompt simplicity.
- Tracks spend across keys, users, teams, and other entities.
- Supports hard budgets, rate limits, and fallback routing.
- Can be self-hosted, including in air-gapped environments.
What to know first
- The free Open Source plan is self-hosted.
- Enterprise pricing is sized to usage and has no listed price.
Polyrouter: what it does well
- Routes requests by model, headers, tiers, or optional automatic rules.
- Uses ordered fallbacks and provider-specific circuit breakers.
- Sets spend budgets globally or per agent across three time windows.
- Translates between OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible APIs.
- Metadata-only request logs are the default.
What to know first
- Self-hosting requires Docker with Compose v2, PostgreSQL 16, and Redis.
- Polyrouter Cloud is described as coming soon, with a waitlist.
- Provider charges are paid directly by the user.
Alternatives to LiteLLM Alternatives to Polyrouter The whole list