OpenRouter vs Groq free API
| OpenRouter | Groq | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 50 requests/day, 20 RPM | 14400 requests/day, 30 RPM, 200K tokens/day |
| Models | Gemma 4, Nemotron 3, GLM-5, openrouter/free router | Llama 3.1, Llama 3.3, Mixtral |
| API style | Unified router across many providers | Single-provider LPU inference |
| Best for | Trying many free models via one API key | High daily limits and fast open-model inference |
Verdict
Groq wins on daily request limits and throughput. OpenRouter wins on model variety and a single API for multiple :free routes.