8.4 KiB
Providers Guide: Connect AI Models to OmniRoute
TL;DR: A provider is a connection to an AI service (like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google). You need at least one provider to use OmniRoute.
What Is a Provider?
Think of a provider like a phone carrier. Just as you need a phone carrier to make calls, you need an AI provider to use AI models. OmniRoute is like a phone that works with all carriers — you can switch between them automatically.
Types of Providers
| Type | What It Is | Examples | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | No payment required | Kiro, OpenCode Free, Pollinations | $0 |
| API Key | You need an API key | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google | Pay per use |
| OAuth | Login with your account | Claude Code, GitHub Copilot | Subscription |
| Web Cookie | Uses your browser session | ChatGPT Web, Gemini Web | $0 (uses your account) |
Quick Start: Connect Your First Provider
Option A: Free Provider (No Credit Card)
- Open the dashboard at
http://localhost:20128 - Go to Providers → Add Provider
- Select one of these free providers:
- Kiro AI — Free Claude models (no auth needed)
- OpenCode Free — Free GPT models (no auth needed)
- Pollinations — Free GPT-5, Claude, Gemini (no key needed)
- LongCat — 10M tokens free (one-time grant, requires account + KYC)
- Cloudflare AI — 50+ models, 10K neurons/day
- Click Connect
- Done! You now have free AI access.
Option B: API Key Provider (Paid)
- Get an API key from the provider's website:
- OpenAI: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
- Anthropic: https://console.anthropic.com/
- Google: https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
- DeepSeek: https://platform.deepseek.com/
- Groq: https://console.groq.com/
- Open the dashboard at
http://localhost:20128 - Go to Providers → Add Provider
- Select your provider
- Paste your API key
- Click Connect
- Done! You now have access to that provider's models.
Option C: OAuth Provider (Subscription)
- Open the dashboard at
http://localhost:20128 - Go to Providers → Add Provider
- Select your provider (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot)
- Click Connect with OAuth
- Login with your account
- Done! You now have access to your subscription models.
Best Free Providers
These providers offer free access with no credit card:
| Provider | Free Quota | Models | How to Connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiro AI | 50 credits/month | Claude Sonnet 4.5, Haiku 4.5, Opus 4.6 | No auth needed |
| OpenCode Free | Unlimited | GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini | No auth needed |
| Pollinations | No key needed | GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama 4 | No auth needed |
| LongCat | 10M one-time | LongCat-2.0 | API key + KYC |
| Cloudflare AI | 10K neurons/day | 50+ models | No auth needed |
| NVIDIA NIM | ~40 RPM | 129 models | API key needed |
| Cerebras | 1M tokens/day | Qwen3 235B, GPT-OSS 120B | API key needed |
| Qwen | Unlimited | Qwen3-coder-plus/flash/next | No auth needed |
| Qoder | Unlimited | Kimi-K2, DeepSeek-R1, Qwen3-coder | No auth needed |
Tip: Connect multiple free providers for unlimited free AI with automatic fallback!
Best Paid Providers
These providers offer high-quality models with API keys:
| Provider | Best Models | Cost | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-5, GPT-4o | $2.50-$10/1M tokens | $5 free credits |
| Anthropic | Claude Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.6 | $3-$15/1M tokens | $5 free credits |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro, Flash | $0.075-$1.25/1M tokens | 1,500 req/day free | |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek V4 | $0.14-$0.28/1M tokens | 5M free tokens |
| Groq | Llama 4, Mixtral | $0.05-$0.27/1M tokens | 30 RPM free |
| xAI | Grok 3 | $0.30-$0.60/1M tokens | — |
How to Connect a Provider (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Open the Dashboard
Go to http://localhost:20128 in your browser.
Step 2: Go to Providers
Click Providers in the sidebar.
Step 3: Click Add Provider
Click the + Add Provider button.
Step 4: Select Your Provider
Browse the list or search for your provider. Click on it.
Step 5: Enter Credentials
- Free providers: No credentials needed — just click Connect
- API key providers: Paste your API key
- OAuth providers: Click Connect with OAuth and login
Step 6: Test the Connection
Click Test Connection to verify it works.
Step 7: Done!
Your provider is now connected. You can use it with model: "auto" or specify the provider directly.
Using Multiple Providers
OmniRoute works best with multiple providers. This gives you:
- Automatic fallback — If one provider fails, OmniRoute tries the next
- Cost optimization — OmniRoute picks the cheapest provider for each request
- Speed optimization — OmniRoute picks the fastest provider for each request
- Quality optimization — OmniRoute picks the best provider for each task
Recommended Setup
Connect at least 3 providers for the best experience:
- One free provider (Kiro, OpenCode Free, or Pollinations) — Always available
- One fast provider (Groq, Cerebras) — For quick responses
- One quality provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) — For complex tasks
Then use model: "auto" and OmniRoute will automatically pick the best one for each request.
Provider-Specific Setup
OpenAI
- Get API key: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
- In OmniRoute: Providers → Add Provider → OpenAI
- Paste API key → Connect
Anthropic
- Get API key: https://console.anthropic.com/
- In OmniRoute: Providers → Add Provider → Anthropic
- Paste API key → Connect
Google (Gemini)
- Get API key: https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
- In OmniRoute: Providers → Add Provider → Gemini
- Paste API key → Connect
DeepSeek
- Get API key: https://platform.deepseek.com/
- In OmniRoute: Providers → Add Provider → DeepSeek
- Paste API key → Connect
Groq
- Get API key: https://console.groq.com/
- In OmniRoute: Providers → Add Provider → Groq
- Paste API key → Connect
Common Questions
"Do I need to pay to use OmniRoute?"
No! OmniRoute is free and open-source. You can use free providers (Kiro, OpenCode Free, Pollinations) without paying anything. You only pay if you choose to use paid providers.
"Which provider should I start with?"
Start with Kiro AI — it's free, requires no API key, and gives you access to Claude models. Then add more providers as needed.
"Can I use multiple providers at once?"
Yes! That's the whole point of OmniRoute. Connect multiple providers and use model: "auto" to let OmniRoute pick the best one for each request.
"What if a provider goes down?"
OmniRoute automatically skips failed providers and tries the next one. You don't need to do anything.
"How do I disconnect a provider?"
Go to Providers → click on the provider → click Disconnect.
"Can I use my existing API keys?"
Yes! If you already have API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc., you can use them in OmniRoute. Just paste them when connecting the provider.
What's Next?
- Auto-Combo Guide — Let OmniRoute pick the best AI for you
- Free Tiers Guide — Get free AI with no credit card
- Troubleshooting — Fix common issues
- Provider Reference — Full list of 226 providers