NanoGPT and OpenRouter are both AI aggregators that give you access to multiple models with pay-per-use pricing. They solve the same problem: instead of juggling subscriptions to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others, you get one account with access to everything.

But they take different approaches. Here's how they compare.

Pricing model

Both platforms charge per token with no monthly subscription. You deposit credit and pay as you go.

NanoGPT displays pricing transparently on its pricing page with a built-in calculator. Rates are competitive and include a small markup over provider costs.

OpenRouter also charges per token and lists rates publicly. Pricing varies — some models are priced at cost, others with a markup.

In practice, rates are close for most popular models. The difference per conversation is fractions of a cent. Neither platform has a meaningful pricing advantage across the board — it varies model by model.

Model availability

Both platforms offer access to hundreds of models. The core lineup is similar:

• OpenAI (GPT-4o, o1, o3-mini)
• Anthropic (Claude Opus, Sonnet, Haiku)
• Google (Gemini Pro, Flash)
• Meta (Llama 3.x)
• DeepSeek, Mistral, Qwen, and many others

Where NanoGPT differs:

• Image and video generation — NanoGPT offers image and video generation through models like DALL-E, Flux, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Kling, and more directly in the chat interface.
• Audio and TTS — Text-to-speech and audio models are available alongside text and image models.
• Web search — Built-in web search through multiple providers (Perplexity Sonar, Tavily, GPT-4o search). Available both in the app and via API.
• Multi-model prompting — Send the same prompt to multiple models simultaneously and compare outputs side by side. Useful for evaluating which model handles a specific task best.
• 400+ models — One of the largest model catalogs available, spanning text, image, video, audio, and search.

Where OpenRouter differs:

• Model routing features that automatically select models based on criteria.
• OAuth support for third-party app integrations where users bring their own keys.

The chat interface

This is the biggest practical difference.

NanoGPT is a full-featured chat application. You get:

• A polished web UI for conversations
• Model switching mid-conversation
• Image generation inline
• File uploads and document analysis
• Web search integration
• Shared chats
• Team features with shared billing

OpenRouter is primarily an API. It has a basic chat playground for testing, but it's not designed as a daily-driver chat interface. Most OpenRouter users pair it with a third-party frontend like TypingMind, LibreChat, or Open WebUI.

If you want a ready-to-use chat experience without setting up additional tools, NanoGPT is the more complete product. If you're purely looking for an API to plug into your own frontend or application, both work well.

Developer experience

Both offer OpenAI-compatible APIs, meaning you can use existing OpenAI SDKs and just swap the base URL.

NanoGPT API:

• Base URL: https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1/
• OpenAI-compatible (/chat/completions, /embeddings, /images/generations)
• Works with Cursor, Cline, Claude Code, and other tools out of the box
• MCP server available (@nanogpt/mcp)
• Same account for web app and API usage

OpenRouter API:

• Base URL: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/
• OpenAI-compatible
• More extensive API documentation
• OAuth support for third-party app integrations
• Usage analytics in the dashboard

Both APIs are straightforward to integrate. NanoGPT's advantage is the unified account — you don't need separate billing for "app" vs "API" usage.

Payment options

NanoGPT accepts:

• Credit/debit cards
• Cryptocurrency (Nano/XNO with zero fees, Bitcoin via Lightning Network, USDC, and others)
• No minimum deposit (as low as $0.10)

OpenRouter accepts:

• Credit/debit cards
• Cryptocurrency (limited options)

NanoGPT's crypto support is notably deeper, with instant settlement and no transaction fees on Nano payments. This is relevant if you're in a region where card payments are difficult or if you prefer crypto payments.

Who should use which

Choose NanoGPT if you:

• Want a complete chat app + API in one platform
• Need image/video generation alongside text models
• Want to compare models side by side easily
• Prefer crypto payment options
• Want a simple, unified account for everything

Choose OpenRouter if you:

• Only need an API (no chat UI needed)
• Want the widest possible model catalog including niche fine-tunes
• Need OAuth integration for building apps where users bring their own keys
• Already use a third-party frontend like TypingMind that integrates with OpenRouter

Bottom line

Both are solid platforms for accessing multiple AI models without subscriptions. NanoGPT is the better choice if you want a full product — chat UI, image generation, video generation, audio, TTS, web search, and API all in one. OpenRouter is the better choice if you're purely API-focused and want the widest model selection.

Try NanoGPT at nano-gpt.com — deposit any amount and start using models immediately.