Best tool for · Chatbots & agents
What's the best LLM APIs tool?
Pay-per-token model access.
First hour with OpenAI API: setup checklist in the profile.
Short comparison
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | Pay as you go | No | $2.00 input / $10.00 output per 1M tokens | 3/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Building AI features into your own app |
| Claude API | Pay as you go | No | See official site | 3/5 | – | Long-context and coding features in apps |
| Gemini API | Pay as you go | Yes | See official site | 3/5 | – | Cheap experiments with a free tier |
| OpenRouter | Pay as you go | Yes | See official site | 3/5 | – | Switching between models without new accounts |
| Ollama | Free, open source | Yes | Free | 2/5 | – | Private, offline models |
| Groq | Pay as you go | Yes | See official site | – | – | Low-latency open-model inference |
Ranked by fit for solo businesses: tools we profile in depth first, then those used in our research notes, then the rest. Affiliate status never changes the order. See all 7 LLM APIs tools with a ranked shortlist.
Quick answers
What's the best LLM APIs tool?
Our overall pick is OpenAI API: Building AI features into your own app.
What's the best free LLM APIs tool?
Gemini API, which has a free plan or free version. Cheap experiments with a free tier.
Which LLM APIs tool is easiest for beginners?
Ollama, rated 2/5 to learn.