OpenRouter developers shift to cheaper AI models as prices fall

Most tokens on the routing platform now flow through non-frontier models that cost a fraction of premium options AI token costs have dropped from $5.63 to $0.21. Developers on OpenRouter have noticed, and they are voting with their API keys. The platform’s traffic now leans heavily toward cheaper, “good enough” models rather than the flashiest frontier releases. Venture capitalist Tomasz Tunguz has analyzed OpenRouter’s usage. He found that 84% of the tokens processed on the platform run through non-frontier models. According to Tunguz’s analysis, they deliver about 77% of the performance of leading models at just 2.5% of the price.

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