Best LLM API Providers for Claude Code

OpenRouter is a unified AI inference platform that lets developers connect to a large catalog of models without integrating separately with every model provider. Through one API, users can access models from major AI companies including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, Mistral, DeepSeek, Qwen, xAI, and numerous independent providers. The service supports multimodal workloads involving text, images, video, and audio. Developers can use a single account, credit balance, and API key across supported models instead of maintaining separate billing relationships and credentials. OpenRouter's routing infrastructure can prioritize providers based on factors such as price, latency, and reliability. Requests can also be redirected to alternate providers when a preferred endpoint becomes unavailable, helping applications maintain higher uptime. Organizations can configure data policies that restrict prompts to approved models and infrastructure providers. The platform provides benchmarks, model rankings, usage information, documentation, and developer tools for evaluating and deploying different models. OpenRouter is OpenAI API compatible, making it easier for teams to add broad model access to existing AI applications with limited integration changes.

Claude is an advanced AI assistant created by Anthropic to help users think, create, and work more efficiently. It is built to handle tasks such as content creation, document editing, coding, data analysis, and research with a strong focus on safety and accuracy. Claude enables users to collaborate with AI in real time, making it easy to draft websites, generate code, and refine ideas through conversation. The platform supports uploads of text, images, and files, allowing users to analyze and visualize information directly within chat. Claude includes powerful tools like Artifacts, which help organize and iterate on creative and technical projects. Users can access Claude on the web as well as on mobile devices for seamless productivity. Built-in web search allows Claude to surface relevant information when needed. Different plans offer varying levels of usage, model access, and advanced research features. Claude is designed to support both individual users and teams at scale. Anthropic’s commitment to responsible AI ensures Claude is secure, reliable, and aligned with real-world needs.

Grokified serves as a cloud-hosted API gateway compatible with OpenAI, allowing users to access Grok models via a unified API endpoint. This platform is designed for developers and AI engineers, facilitating chat interactions and coding tasks, along with handling requests related to images, videos, voice, and various tools. Among its features are API key management, model selection, streaming capabilities, function calling, and tools for tracking usage and costs, alongside management of prepaid balances. Users of OpenAI SDK clients and aligned editors can easily connect by setting up the Grokified base URL and their credentials, while a supplementary command-line interface is available for configuring supported agents. Each request utilizes credits from prepaid accounts, with usage rates that are more affordable than standard pricing, making it an efficient choice for developers. Additionally, Grokified continues to evolve, with ongoing updates that enhance its functionality and integration options.

LunaRoute serves as a hosted AI inference gateway and API tailored for developers and teams managing coding agents, personal assistants, applications, and automation tasks. It efficiently directs requests to a select collection of open-weight models via endpoints compatible with OpenAI and Anthropic, complemented by a command-line interface and setup documentation to facilitate the integration of coding tools and agent frameworks. Subscription plans offer enhanced concurrent inference capabilities, overflow management, model accessibility, API keys, usage analytics, and administrative controls based on the chosen package. Additionally, users have the option to utilize a hosted MCP server that enables web search functionalities, document conversion with OCR, as well as image generation and editing features. For enterprises, specialized offerings introduce dedicated deployment solutions, customizable routing options, and policy enforcement capabilities. LunaRoute is designed specifically for software developers and engineering teams looking for a streamlined method to link their existing AI clients to model inference services while ensuring scalable performance. This comprehensive approach allows teams to focus on innovation while relying on LunaRoute for their AI integration needs.

UncensoredLLM serves as a comprehensive API gateway compatible with OpenAI, designed for utilizing uncensored, modified, and roleplay-optimized language models. Developers have the flexibility to choose models by their unique IDs and integrate them seamlessly into their applications, whether through code or compatible chat, writing, and coding clients, utilizing a straightforward base URL and API key for access. The extensive catalog features various builds from model families, including DeepSeek, GLM, Qwen, Gemma, Kimi, and Llama, each with distinct input and output token pricing structures. Additionally, the same API key grants users access to endpoints for generating images and videos, with costs incurred per image or per second of video. Users are billed based on a prepaid balance, and there's a browser-based playground that allows a limited number of free interactions with selected models each day. Publicly available model pages provide insights into catalog details and pricing, while each model undergoes a daily fixed-prompt verification process to ensure accuracy in reported input-token usage, enhancing the reliability of the service. This systematic approach not only improves transparency but also builds user trust in the platform’s capabilities.

BetterToken serves as a hosted API gateway for language models, enabling access to a variety of providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Moonshot, Z.ai, DeepSeek, Alibaba Cloud, and MiniMax through unique account keys. It features endpoints that are compatible with both OpenAI and Anthropic models, along with a Responses-compatible configuration for Codex, allowing developers to seamlessly link coding tools, applications, agents, and automation workflows via a personalized base URL. Users can explore a dynamic model catalog, monitor their token consumption and associated fees within the workspace, and make payments through either a prepaid balance or monthly subscription plans. The costs associated with different models depend on the input, output, and whether cached or media tokens are utilized. Comprehensive setup guides are available for tools such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Dify, and n8n. Ultimately, BetterToken is designed to assist developers and teams in incorporating hosted language models into their software solutions and automated processes efficiently. With its user-friendly interface and variety of features, BetterToken aims to simplify the integration of advanced language technologies into everyday applications.

CheapTokens offers a pay-as-you-go API service tailored for developers who are creating AI agents, coding workflows, and applications utilizing open-weight language models. The platform features a model catalog that highlights various families, including DeepSeek, GLM, and MiniMax. It supplies API endpoints that are compatible with both OpenAI and Anthropic, allowing developers to utilize existing tools seamlessly. By using a CheapTokens API key, a base URL, and a model ID, developers can easily connect to the supported resources. The billing operates from a prepaid USD balance, charging separate rates for input and output tokens, and eliminates the need for a monthly subscription. Pricing is transparently outlined per million tokens used. Additionally, the website offers comprehensive API documentation, practical request examples, and detailed integration guides for various coding assistants and agent tools, ensuring developers have the resources they need for effective implementation. This combination of accessible pricing and robust support makes CheapTokens an appealing choice for many in the developer community.