# OpenRouter AI SDK provider review

> OpenRouter AI SDK provider is a TypeScript package that connects the Vercel AI SDK to models on the OpenRouter chat and completion APIs.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/openrouter-provider/

## TL;DR

OpenRouter AI SDK provider lets Vercel AI SDK apps call large language models through OpenRouter. It is for TypeScript developers who want one provider for text generation, embeddings, reranking and evaluation. The current release line supports ai@^7.0.0, with legacy versions for AI SDK v6 and v5.

## OpenRouter AI SDK provider at a glance

- **Category:** [Model SDKs and gateways](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/model-sdks-and-gateways/)
- **Maintained by:** OpenRouter (organization, [@OpenRouterTeam](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam) on GitHub)
- **License:** Apache 2.0
- **Language:** TypeScript, Shell
- **Repository:** [github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider)
- **Website:** [www.npmjs.com/package/@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider)
- **npm package:** [@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider) 3.1.0
- **Latest release:** [3.1.0](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider/releases/tag/3.1.0) on GitHub, Sep 19, 2026
- **First published:** Jul 18, 2024

## What OpenRouter AI SDK provider does

- OpenRouter AI SDK provider exposes OpenRouter models to AI SDK functions such as generateText and streamText through the openrouter provider instance.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider creates embeddings with embed and embedMany using openrouter.textEmbeddingModel, for semantic search and RAG pipelines.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider supports rerank models that reorder documents by relevance to a query through openrouter.rerankingModel.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider implements the AI SDK evaluation model contract on the OpenRouter Decisions API via decisionModel() and evaluationModel().
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider passes extra request body fields through providerOptions.openrouter, model-level extraBody, or factory-level extraBody.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider forwards multimodal options such as imageDetail for images and videoProcessing for video file parts.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider supports Anthropic prompt caching options and Anthropic beta headers such as fine-grained tool streaming.

### How it works

You install the npm package and import the openrouter instance, or call createOpenRouter with an API key, headers or a custom baseURL. You then pass a model ID such as 'openai/gpt-4o' to Vercel AI SDK functions. Requests go to the OpenRouter chat and completion APIs. Evaluation requests go to the Decisions API at https://openrouter.ai/api/alpha.

## How to install OpenRouter AI SDK provider

**With npm**

```
npm install @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider
```

**With pnpm**

```
pnpm add @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider
```

**With yarn**

```
yarn add @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider
```

### Requirements

- Node.js 22 or newer
- Vercel AI SDK ai@^7.0.0 for the current release line; experimental_evaluate needs ai@7.0.103 or newer
- An OpenRouter API key passed to createOpenRouter
- An ESM project, since the package is ESM-only

### First steps

1. Install @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider alongside the ai package version 7.
2. Import the provider with import { openrouter } from '@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider', or call createOpenRouter with your API key.
3. Call generateText from 'ai' with model: openrouter('openai/gpt-4o') and a prompt.
4. Check the OpenRouter models page for current model IDs, including models that support tools.

## Who OpenRouter AI SDK provider is for

- TypeScript developers building on the Vercel AI SDK who want many models through one provider
- Teams building RAG or semantic search that need embeddings and reranking in the AI SDK
- Developers routing AI SDK evaluation requests through OpenRouter instead of the default gateway

### Limitations

- OpenRouter AI SDK provider's current line is ESM-only and requires Node.js 22 or newer.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider's Decisions API support is alpha, and request and response shapes may change.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider's model list may include models that are not compatible with the AI SDK.
- OpenRouter AI SDK provider's AI SDK v5 and v6 users must pin legacy versions 1.5.4 and 2.9.1.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #215 overall, #12 in Model SDKs and gateways, momentum score 43
- Downloads that week: 4.3M (+14% vs 4-week average)
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 2; Aug 16: 2; Aug 23: 7; Aug 30: 0; Sep 6: 4; Sep 13: 2; Sep 20: 2; Sep 27: 0; Oct 4: 2; Oct 11: 2; Oct 18: 1; Oct 25: 3

## OpenRouter AI SDK provider alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [thinking-orbs](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/jakubantalik-thinking-orbs/) | 3.9k | 1.4M |
| #2 | [Headroom](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/headroomlabs-ai-headroom/) | 78.5k | 125.8k |
| #3 | [LiteLLM](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/litellm/) | 62.5k | 23.1M |
| #4 | [Honcho](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/plastic-labs-honcho/) | 7.9k | – |
| #5 | [Anthropic SDK](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/anthropic-sdk/) | 4k | 111M |
| #6 | [Hugging Face Hub](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/hf-hub/) | 4k | 68.3M |

## OpenRouter AI SDK provider FAQ

### Is OpenRouter AI SDK provider free and open source?

Yes. OpenRouter AI SDK provider's source code is on GitHub (OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free.

### How do I install OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

Run `npm install @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider`. It needs Node.js >=22. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is OpenRouter AI SDK provider still maintained?

Yes. The OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider repository was last updated on Oct 21, 2026, and the latest release, 3.1.0 on GitHub, came out on Sep 19, 2026.

### How popular is OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

OpenRouter AI SDK provider has 693 GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 3 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 2 a week. Its main package had about 4.3M downloads that week, +14% against its own 4-week average. That made it #12 among LLM SDKs and gateways on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### What are the best alternatives to OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

Other LLM SDKs and gateways on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: thinking-orbs (#1), Headroom (#2), LiteLLM (#3), Honcho (#4), Anthropic SDK (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### What is the OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

The OpenRouter AI SDK provider is the OpenRouter provider for the Vercel AI SDK. It gives AI SDK apps access to models on the OpenRouter chat and completion APIs. It also supports embeddings, reranking and evaluation.

### What is the npm package name for the OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

The npm package is @openrouter/ai-sdk-provider. Version 3.1.0 requires Node.js 22 or newer.

### Where is the OpenRouter AI SDK provider on GitHub?

The OpenRouter AI SDK provider lives in the OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider repository on GitHub. It is written in TypeScript and published under the Apache-2.0 license.

### Which OpenRouter AI SDK provider version works with AI SDK v5 or v6?

Use version 2.9.1 for AI SDK v6 and version 1.5.4 for AI SDK v5. The current release line targets ai@^7.0.0.

### Can I use a custom baseURL or proxy with the OpenRouter AI SDK provider?

Yes. createOpenRouter accepts a baseURL. The Decisions URL is derived by replacing a trailing /v1 with /alpha. If your baseURL does not end in /v1, set decisionsBaseURL, or decisionModel() throws a LoadSettingError.

## Sources

1. [OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider on GitHub](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider)
2. [OpenRouter AI SDK provider README](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider/blob/main/README.md)
3. [@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@openrouter/ai-sdk-provider)
4. [Release 3.1.0 (Sep 19, 2026)](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider/releases/tag/3.1.0)
5. [Release 3.0.0 (Jul 6, 2026)](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider/releases/tag/3.0.0)
6. [Release 2.9.1 (Jun 10, 2026)](https://github.com/OpenRouterTeam/ai-sdk-provider/releases/tag/2.9.1)
7. [Hacker News: Claude Code 2.0](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45416228)
8. [Hacker News: Show HN: Ez FFmpeg – Video editing in plain English](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46400251)
9. [Hacker News: Svelte 5 Released](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41889674)
10. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)