TrustedRouter (our page) gives you one interface to call any AI model, with "privacy with proof" as its pitch. It's paid only — no free tier — charging usage-based fees of 5.5% markup on text/embeddings (minimum $0.01 per million tokens) and 20% markup on video generation, with no subscription required and support for prepaid credits or BYOK.
If you want to try model routing without paying anything upfront, here are the listed alternatives that offer a genuine free tier or are free entirely.
Comparison Table
| Product | Free tier | Starts at | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astrai | Yes (GREEN tier) | $29/mo (GOLD) | Users who want cashback-style paid tiers with a free entry point |
| polyrouter | Yes, fully free | Not stated | Self-hosters who want zero markup and full control |
| Alternative Open-Source Openrouter | Yes, no card required | Not stated | Trying many models free before paying per-token |
| SubRouter | Yes, free trial credit | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go users comfortable with Yuan-denominated pricing |
| PrivacyCore™ | Yes, free | Not stated | Regulated/enterprise teams needing intent routing |
Astrai — Private Intelligent AI Router
Astrai (our page) is a private, smart LLM router built so data stays under your control. It suits users who want a freemium structure: the GREEN tier is free (5% cashback, digital card only), while GOLD ($29/month) gives 15% cashback and PLATINUM ($99/month) gives up to 25% cashback, with an invitation-only tier above that. The cashback framing is unusual for an LLM router and isn't explained in the brief beyond the tier names, so it's worth confirming exactly how it applies to routing costs before committing.
polyrouter
polyrouter (our page) is an open-source, self-hosted LLM gateway offering one endpoint for every model. It's a fit for developers comfortable running their own infrastructure and paying providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) directly, since polyrouter itself adds zero markup. It's free entirely, with no stated pricing beyond provider costs. The limitation: there's no hosted version mentioned, so you're responsible for setup, uptime, and maintenance yourself.
Alternative Open-Source Openrouter
This llmgateway.io project (our page) is an open-source router giving access to 200+ models across 40+ providers. It suits people who want to explore multiple providers before paying, since the free plan needs no credit card and includes 3 rate-limited free models. Paid usage is per-token at provider rates plus a 5% platform fee. The limitation is that the free tier is rate-limited to just 3 models, so heavier use will require moving to paid usage.
SubRouter
SubRouter (our page) offers one API for every AI model with smart routing, on a pay-as-you-go basis with no monthly subscription. A free trial credit is available, making it a fit for users who want to test routing before spending. Prices vary by provider and are shown in Chinese Yuan (¥), with ¥1 ≈ $1 noted as the conversion. The limitation: exact free credit amount and ongoing free-tier limits aren't stated, and the Yuan pricing display may be an adjustment for some users.
PrivacyCore™ — AI Control Plane
PrivacyCore™ (our page) handles intent routing for regulated AI agents and is aimed at enterprise or compliance-heavy teams, with a production fleet reportedly already running. It's listed as free, but no pricing details are publicly disclosed beyond that, which is a real limitation if you need to budget or compare costs before adopting an enterprise-scale product.
How to choose
If you want zero cost and don't mind managing your own server, polyrouter is the most direct free option. If you want to sample many models before paying anything, Alternative Open-Source Openrouter's no-card free plan is the easiest starting point. If cashback-style paid tiers appeal to you, look at Astrai. For regulated or enterprise use cases, PrivacyCore™ is worth investigating despite the pricing gap, and SubRouter fits pay-as-you-go testing with a trial credit.
FAQ
Does TrustedRouter have a free tier? No — it's paid only, using usage-based markups with no subscription.
Which alternative is truly free with no paid tiers at all? polyrouter is free entirely, since it's self-hosted and only provider costs apply.
Which alternative has the most models on its free tier? Alternative Open-Source Openrouter's free plan gives access to 200+ models, though only 3 are unlimited-rate free models.