OpenRouter vs GitHub Models
Free API comparison
| OpenRouter | GitHub Models | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI models and chat | AI models and chat |
| API key | Needed, free | Needed, free |
| Pricing | Free models are limited to 20 requests per minute and 50 per day, or 1,000 per day once you have bought at least 10 credits; other models are paid per token. | Free for every GitHub account, with daily and per-minute request limits per model that depend on your Copilot plan; paid usage is available for more. |
| From the browser | Yes (CORS) | Yes (CORS) |
| Formats | JSON | JSON |
| Interface | REST, MCP | REST |
| Provider | openrouter.ai | docs.github.com |
| Last checked | Not stated | Working on November 1st, 2026 |
| MCP server | Yes, official | No |
Which one to choose
GitHub Models lets anyone with a GitHub account try models from OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, Mistral and others, with limits that depend on the Copilot plan; it is meant for prototypes and experiments. OpenRouter is built for apps: one OpenAI-compatible API for hundreds of models, a few of them free with a daily limit. Prototype on GitHub Models; move to OpenRouter when the app needs many models in production.
Each service's own page has its full description, a code example and what visitors report: OpenRouter, GitHub Models.