LLM APIs tools
Pay-per-token model access. 7 tools we track, checked .
Short answer page: What's the best llm apis tool?
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.
- 1
OpenAI API
Pick this if you want building AI features into your own app.
Pay-per-token API for OpenAI models (GPT, image, speech and embeddings).
Pay as you go · Free plan: No · $2.00 input / $10.00 output per 1M tokens · Difficulty 3/5
- 2
Claude API
Pick this if you want long-context and coding features in apps.
Pay-per-token API for Anthropic's Claude models.
Pay as you go · Free plan: No · Difficulty 3/5
- 3
Gemini API
Pick this if you want cheap experiments with a free tier.
Google's API for Gemini models through AI Studio, with a free tier.
Pay as you go · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 3/5
- 4
OpenRouter
Pick this if you want switching between models without new accounts.
One API for hundreds of models from many providers.
Pay as you go · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 3/5
- 5
Ollama
Pick this if you want private, offline models.
Runs open models locally on your computer.
Free, open source · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 2/5
- 6
Groq
Pick this if you want low-latency open-model inference.
Very fast inference API for open models.
Pay as you go · Free plan: Yes
- 7
Together AI
Pick this if you want running and fine-tuning open models.
Inference and fine-tuning for open-source models.
Pay as you go · Free plan: No
Side-by-side
| 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 |
| Together AI | Pay as you go | No | See official site | – | – | Running and fine-tuning open models |
"Starting price" is shown only for tools we profile in depth, where we read the official pricing page on . For the others, check the official site.