# Y-API vs OpenRouter — Y-API

> A side-by-side comparison of Y-API and OpenRouter: what a top-up converts into, which fees apply, how request content is handled, and how model coverage differs. Every OpenRouter fact is cited from its own documentation.

This is the markdown representation of https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/vs/openrouter. OpenRouter details verified 2026-08-26 against the sources listed at the bottom of this page. Terms change — check their site before deciding. Generated by `scripts/generate-seo-assets.mjs` from the same copy the page renders — do not edit by hand.

## Summary

Both are OpenAI-compatible gateways: one base_url, one key, many models. They differ in what your money turns into and in how wide the catalog is. The table below states each side's terms as its own documentation states them.

## Side by side

Y-API and OpenRouter compared across billing, privacy, and model coverage

| Dimension | Y-API | OpenRouter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| API protocol | OpenAI Chat Completions. Swap base_url and api_key; the rest of your code is unchanged. | OpenAI Chat Completions. Its docs describe OpenRouter as a drop-in replacement for OpenAI. |
| What a top-up converts to | Limited-time: $1 becomes $20 of account credit (reverts to 1:10 afterwards), at the same rate for any amount. | $1 becomes $1 of credits, plus a 5.5% purchase fee with an $0.80 minimum. Crypto payments are charged 5%. |
| Model pricing | Each model has its own rate in USD credit per 1M tokens, input and output counted separately. | Provider list prices passed through with no markup — the same rate you would pay the provider directly. |
| Monthly fee & minimum spend | None, and no subscription threshold. Any top-up amount converts at the same rate. | None either. OpenRouter states it does not currently offer volume discounts. |
| Credit on sign-up | $1 on sign-up, no card required. Trial accounts are capped at 500 requests per day (shared across all models); limit removed after first top-up. | A small free allowance for new users. Free model variants are capped at 50 requests per day, or 1,000 per day once you have purchased at least $10 of credits. |
| Credit expiry | The terms set no expiry date on credit. | OpenRouter reserves the right to expire unused credits one year after purchase. |
| Refunds | Generally not offered once credit has been granted; duplicate charges and system faults are corrected after verification. | Refundable within 24 hours of purchase. Platform fees are non-refundable, and crypto payments are never refundable. |
| Request content | Never stored. Logs keep only metadata: time, model, token counts, latency, and credit deducted. | Not logged by default. There is an opt-in that logs prompts and completions in exchange for a 1% usage discount. |
| Model coverage | 16 callable model IDs, including models from DeepSeek, Qwen, Z.ai, Moonshot AI, Tencent, Xiaomi, Anthropic, and OpenAI, listed in full on the models page. Google models are not in the catalog. | Frontier models from the major labs across a much larger catalog, including many models Y-API does not carry. |

## Which one fits

**Choose Y-API if**

- The models you call are in its catalog — DeepSeek, Qwen, Z.ai, Moonshot AI, Tencent, Xiaomi, Anthropic, and OpenAI cover your workload.
- You want every dollar topped up to go further, and you do not want a percentage taken at purchase time.
- You want per-call accounting without a subscription, and an account that costs nothing while idle.

**Choose OpenRouter if**

- You need models Y-API does not carry — Gemini, or any of the long tail from the major labs.
- You want automatic fallback across multiple inference providers for the same model.
- You want to bring your own provider keys (BYOK) and keep rate limits with the provider.

## Questions people ask when comparing the two

### Can I move from OpenRouter to Y-API without changing my code?

Both speak the OpenAI Chat Completions protocol, so the migration is the same two lines either way: point base_url at https://api.y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/v1 and swap the key. What you do have to check is the model field — the two services use different model IDs, and Y-API only carries the models on its own catalog page.

### Which one is cheaper, Y-API or OpenRouter?

It depends on the model, and the two quote in different units, so a headline number would be misleading. OpenRouter passes through provider list prices and adds a 5.5% fee when you buy credits. Y-API converts $1 into $20 of credit, then deducts that credit at each model's own rate. To compare honestly, take one model you actually use, look up its rate on each service, and divide Y-API's rate by 20 to get the dollars you would pay.

### Does the limited-time "$1 becomes $20" mean Y-API is 5% of official pricing?

No. The current limited-time rate is 1:20 (reverts to 1:10 afterwards). Credit is a metering unit inside the service, and each model burns it at its own multiplier, which varies widely between models. Treat the deductions in the request log as the real cost rather than assuming a fixed discount off any provider's list price.

### Does Y-API carry GPT, Claude, or Gemini models?

The catalog you can call today is 16 model IDs, including models from DeepSeek, Qwen, Z.ai, Moonshot AI, Tencent, Xiaomi, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Gemini is not in the catalog — if your application depends on it, OpenRouter is the one that covers it.

## Sources

OpenRouter's terms are quoted from its own documentation. Y-API's are on its terms and pricing pages.

- [OpenRouter FAQ — pricing and fees](https://openrouter.ai/docs/faq#pricing-and-fees)
- [OpenRouter FAQ — credit and billing systems](https://openrouter.ai/docs/faq#credit-and-billing-systems)
- [OpenRouter FAQ — privacy and data logging](https://openrouter.ai/docs/faq#privacy-and-data-logging)
- [Y-API — Terms of Service](https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/terms)
- [Y-API — Pricing & billing](https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/pricing)

## Links

- HTML version of this page: https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/vs/openrouter
- Site index for agents: https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/llms.txt
- Full reference (single file): https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/llms-full.txt
- OpenAPI 3.1 spec: https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/openapi.json
- Model catalog (JSON, no key needed): https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/models.json
- API base URL: `https://api.y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/v1`
- Contact: support@bestvirtualgoods.com
- All providers in one table: https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/compare/prices
- Cost calculator for your own volume: https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/calculator
- Pricing (markdown): https://y-api.bestvirtualgoods.com/pricing.md