OpenRouter Provider

OpenRouter is a unified API gateway that provides access to 300+ models from multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, and more) through a single API key and billing account.

Get an API Key

1. Go to openrouter.ai/keys
2. Create an account or sign in
3. Create a new key and copy it

Configure VibeCody

Option 1: Environment variable (recommended)

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
vibecli --provider openrouter

Option 2: Config file (~/.vibecli/config.toml)

[openrouter]
enabled = true
api_key = "sk-or-v1-..."
model = "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet"

Model Selection

OpenRouter gives you access to 300+ models. Use the provider/model naming convention:

Default: anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet

Override from the CLI:

vibecli --provider openrouter --model openai/gpt-4o

Browse all available models at openrouter.ai/models.

Pricing

OpenRouter uses pay-per-token pricing that varies by model. Prices are transparently listed on each model’s page. OpenRouter adds a small markup over the provider’s native price for the convenience of unified billing.

Best For

• Model comparison – quickly switch between models to compare quality
• Single billing – one API key and invoice for all providers
• Access to restricted models – some models are easier to access through OpenRouter
• Fallback routing – OpenRouter can automatically route to alternative models

Verify Connection

vibecli --provider openrouter -c "Explain the difference between async and threads in Rust"

Troubleshooting

Invalid API key

Error: 401 Unauthorized

• Verify the key starts with sk-or-
• Check your key at openrouter.ai/keys

Model not found

Error: 404 - model not found

• Use the full provider/model format (e.g., anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet)
• Check openrouter.ai/models for current model names

Insufficient credits

• Add credits at openrouter.ai/credits