Side by side
Polyrouter vs WSO2 AI Gateway
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.
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
Choose 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 Polyrouter Free plan APILinuxMac+3
WSO2 AI Gateway combines provider access, policy controls, analytics and MCP governance in one gateway. Its trial limits and paid Growth tier should be weighed against deployment and usage requirements.
Visit WSO2 AI GatewayThe facts
| Polyrouter | WSO2 AI Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Growth: $119 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | polyrouter.app | wso2.com |
| On llm gateway software | #14 of 33 | #18 of 33 |
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.
WSO2 AI Gateway: what it does well
- Supports OpenAI, Mistral AI and Azure OpenAI
- Includes PII masking and schema validation
- Monitors request and token rate limits
- Offers semantic caching and usage analytics
- Provides SaaS and self-hosted options
What to know first
- Growth starts at $119 a month
- Trial is SaaS-only
- Trial limits events and managed APIs
- Enterprise pricing is custom
Alternatives to Polyrouter Alternatives to WSO2 AI Gateway The whole list