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The OpenRouter alternative

Frontier LLMs. 1,000+ media models.
One key.

Fast, affordable Claude, GPT, Gemini and DeepSeek plus Seedance 2.5, Veo 3.1, Nano Banana Pro and 1,000+ more media models, each with its own endpoint and studio. Pay as you go.

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Why builders pick WaveSpeedAI over OpenRouter

Fast.

Blazing-fast inference on every model. Your images and videos come back fast, in the studio and through the API.

Affordable.

Images from $0.024, videos from $0.05 per run. Pay only for what you generate, with no subscription and no monthly fee.

Language models
113+
Media models
1,041+
Monthly fee
$0
LLMs and media
1 key

Brains and media, one key

One account runs Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek and Kimi plus Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1, Nano Banana Pro and GPT Image 2.5. Build the whole product on one key.

OpenRouter: A unified API across model providers.

A real endpoint per media model

Every image, video, audio and 3D model gets its own endpoint with a full input schema, examples and a live price. No guessing at parameters.

OpenRouter: Media models through the same interface as chat.

Studios, not just chat

Test any model in image, video, avatar, audio and 3D generators, with upscalers and editors right alongside.

OpenRouter: An API and a chat interface.

Media superpowers for agents

A CLI, Agent Skill and MCP server hand coding agents every media model, with setup guides for Codex, Claude Code and more.

OpenRouter: Model access for agents through its API.

Language and media

Chat and code models side by side with image, video, audio and 3D models. One key, one bill, zero juggling.

Drop-in compatible

OpenAI-compatible chat completions and Responses plus an Anthropic-compatible Messages endpoint. Swap the base URL and go.

Ready for agents

Copy-paste configs for Codex, Claude Code, OpenClaw, OpenCode and Hermes, with every request in your logs.

Pay as you go

Add credits, pay per token or per generation. No monthly fees, no commitments.

Chat with any LLM

Swap the base URL. Keep your OpenAI client. Done.

POSThttps://llm.wavespeed.ai/v1/chat/completions

curl https://llm.wavespeed.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WAVESPEED_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-5.5",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

Generate images and video

The same key unlocks 1,000+ media models.

POSThttps://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/bytedance/seedream-v5.0-pro

curl -X POST "https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/bytedance/seedream-v5.0-pro" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WAVESPEED_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "prompt": "A glass teapot on a sunlit windowsill, soft morning light"
}'

# → {"data": {"id": "<prediction id>", ...}}
curl "https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/predictions/<prediction id>/result" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WAVESPEED_API_KEY"

WaveSpeedAI vs OpenRouter

WaveSpeedAIOpenRouter
Language modelsLLM API with OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible endpointsA unified API for models from many providers
Image, video and audioDedicated endpoints for every major image, video, audio and 3D model, with browser studiosText, image, video and audio through one interface
BillingPay as you go credits, billed per token or per generationPay-as-you-go credits with a platform fee
Agent toolingAgent setup guides, a CLI, an Agent Skill and an MCP server for media modelsA unified API and a chat interface
Creative toolsImage, video, avatar, audio and 3D generators, upscalers and editors in the browserModel access through its API and chat interface

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WaveSpeedAI an OpenRouter alternative?

Yes, and then some. You get an OpenAI-compatible LLM API with models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, Moonshot and more, and the same account unlocks 1,000+ image, video, audio and 3D models.

Can I use the OpenAI SDK?

Yes. Point the OpenAI SDK at https://llm.wavespeed.ai/v1 with your WaveSpeedAI API key and pass the model id. That is the whole migration. Anthropic-compatible and Responses endpoints are there for agents that expect them.

Does it work with coding agents?

Yes. The agent setup guides give copy-paste configs for Codex, Claude Code, OpenClaw, OpenCode and Hermes, and every request shows up in your WaveSpeedAI logs.

How is it billed?

Pay per use. Add credits once: language models bill per token, media models per generation. No monthly fees, no commitments.

Can I try it for free?

Yes. Eligible new accounts get $1 in free credits to start building, with no credit card needed. Some premium models may not be available with trial credits.

One key. Ship everything.

$1 in free credits for eligible new accounts. No card needed.

OpenRouter is a trademark of its respective owner. WaveSpeedAI is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by OpenRouter. Comparisons reflect publicly available information at the time of writing and may change.