AI has permeated every aspect of our work and entertainment. Whether it's the big three overseas—OpenAI, Gemini, and Claude—or domestic players like DeepSeek, Zhipu AI, Tongyi Qianwen, and Kimi, various manufacturers offer powerful AI models.
However, a nagging 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 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, lacking popular choices like OpenAI and Claude.
Is there a platform that can provide both domestic and international mainstream AI models and be convenient for users? The answer is yes, and that is OpenRouter.ai!
The advantages of OpenRouter.ai:
- Directly accessible domestically with stable speed: No special network environment is required for smooth use.
- Complete models: Includes mainstream 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 log in directly with your Google account.
- If not, click "Sign up" to register using your email.
After registering, 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 in the figure below.
You will see many models with the (free) label, which are 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 that interests you 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 of 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-featured DeepSeek-R1 inference model that is 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 practical applications:
- 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".
