OpenRouter vs Portkey: Which LLM Gateway for Your Team?

Compares OpenRouter, a managed routing network distributing requests across 70+ providers with automatic failover, against Portkey, a control plane adding governance and observability over keys you already hold. It weighs five decision points including model count (300+ for OpenRouter vs 1,600+ for Portkey) and pricing (OpenRouter’s 5.5% platform fee vs Portkey’s free tier then $49/month for production), and notes Palo Alto Networks acquired Portkey in 2026.