AI has permeated every aspect of our work and entertainment. Whether it's the overseas giants OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude, or domestic players like DeepSeek, Zhipu AI, Tongyi Qianwen, and Kimi, major vendors offer powerful AI models.
However, a significant problem is that for each platform's model we want to use, we need to register an account and even bind a payment method. Want to use ChatGPT? You need an OpenAI account. Want to experience Gemini? You need a Google account.
Of course, there are also some AI aggregation platforms on the market, such as Alibaba Cloud's Bailian and ByteDance's Volcano Engine. However, they mainly focus on their own models and lack top international models. Silicon Flow provides some international models, but it is not comprehensive and lacks popular choices like OpenAI and Claude.
Is there a platform that can provide both domestic and international mainstream AI models, and is also convenient for domestic users to use? The answer is yes, and that is OpenRouter.ai!
Advantages of OpenRouter.ai:
- Direct access in China with stable speed: No special network environment is required for smooth use.
- Complete models: Covering major AI models at home and abroad, including OpenAI, Google, Claude, Deepseek, Qwen, etc.
- Free quota: Provides a daily free request quota, allowing you to easily experience various models.
1. Free Registration and Login
Visit the OpenRouter.ai official website: https://openrouter.ai
- If you have a Google account, you can directly log in with your Google account.
- If not, click "Sign up" to register using your email.
After registration, open your email and click the link in the verification email to log in.
2. Create API Key
After logging in, go to the API key management page: https://openrouter.ai/settings/keys
Click "Create Key" to create a new API key.
Copy the generated API key and keep it safe.
3. Explore Free Models
Visit the OpenRouter.ai model list page: https://openrouter.ai/models
Filter out all free models as shown below.
You will see many models with the (free) label, which are all free to use, including the full version of DeepSeek:R1.
Free Quota Description:
OpenRouter.ai provides each user with a daily free request quota of 200 times.
4. Use OpenRouter.ai to Replace OpenAI
Select a model you are interested in and copy the Model Name.
Now, you can use OpenRouter.ai in any application or code that supports the OpenAI API format in the following ways:
- API Address:
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 - API Key (SK): The OpenRouter.ai API key you copied earlier
- Model Name: The model name you just copied
5. Special Recommendation: Free Experience with Full Version DeepSeek-R1
OpenRouter.ai also provides a special model: deepseek/deepseek-r1:free
Visit: https://openrouter.ai/deepseek/deepseek-r1:free
This is a full version DeepSeek-R1 inference model, completely free to call!
6. Example: Using OpenRouter.ai in pyVideoTrans
Taking pyVideoTrans, a video translation software, as an example, demonstrate how to use OpenRouter.ai in a practical application:
- Open the software and go to "Menu" -> "OpenAI ChatGPT API".
- In "API URL", fill in:
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 - In "SK", fill in your OpenRouter.ai API key.
- In "Fill in all available models", paste the model name you copied.
- Click "Save".
