Browse all 5 articles in this editorial series. Routing, reliability, and the infrastructure choices behind a stable model gateway.
Featured starting point
Why a model gateway needs an explicit fallback path, and what it should and should not hide from your application.
Suggested learning path
01 → 05
Why a model gateway needs an explicit fallback path, and what it should and should not hide from your application.
Understand what an LLM gateway does between your application and model providers, where it adds value, and where it adds complexity.
Learn which parts of an OpenAI-compatible API are stable contracts and which parts still depend on the selected model.
A practical comparison checklist for teams evaluating an OpenRouter alternative: model coverage, compatibility, pricing visibility, reliability, and account controls.
A practical guide to understanding OpenRouter credits, prepaid balance behavior, usage records, and the checks to run before moving to another gateway.
