One API can free you from many model vendors while becoming the dependency that matters, so test whether your workflow can leave it
On August 19, Stripe agreed to acquire OpenRouter. OpenRouter says it processes more than 10 trillion tokens a day and offers access to 400+ models. It also says its user-driven routing commitment will remain unchanged.
A gateway can reduce model lock-in while concentrating aliases, fallback rules, logs, cost history and billing in one control plane.
Test yours with 20 safe requests: freeze authorized inputs, replay them through a direct provider or second gateway, then compare task success, schema, latency, cost per successful task and exportable evidence. Rate the workflow PORTABLE, PORTABLE WITH KNOWN LOSS, GATEWAY-BOUND or UNKNOWN.
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