---
title: OpenRouter
url: https://arcana.otnelhq.com/docs/providers/openrouter
---

# OpenRouter



OpenRouter is a unified API gateway that gives you access to 100+ models from multiple providers with a single API key. Great for trying different models without managing multiple provider accounts.




## Setup



```bash
# 1. Get your API key from https://openrouter.ai/keys
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...

# 2. Verify detection
arcana doctor

# 3. Run
arcana run "hello"
```




## Available Models



OpenRouter provides access to models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, and many more. Some highlights:



| Model | Provider | Context | Best For |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openai/gpt-4o` | OpenAI | 128K | General purpose |
| `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4` | Anthropic | 200K | Coding, long context |
| `google/gemini-2.5-pro` | Google | 1M | Large context analysis |
| `meta-llama/llama-3.1-405b-instruct` | Meta | 128K | Open-weight, free tier |
| `deepseek/deepseek-chat` | DeepSeek | 128K | Very cheap coding |




## Config File



```json
{
  "provider": "openrouter",
  "model": "openai/gpt-4o"
}
```



Note: OpenRouter model IDs include the provider prefix (e.g., `openai/gpt-4o`).




## Environment Variables



| Variable | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` | Your OpenRouter API key (required) |




## Pricing Notes



OpenRouter charges the same as the underlying provider plus a small markup (typically 5-10%). Some models have free tiers. Check [openrouter.ai/models](https://openrouter.ai/models) for current pricing.




## Tips



- Use OpenRouter to try multiple providers without creating separate accounts
- The free tier includes access to some open-weight models
- Model IDs include the provider prefix (e.g., `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4`)
- Great for experimentation — switch models mid-session with `/providers`