UnoRouter vs LiteLLM: hosted gateway or self-hosted proxy
LiteLLM is the most popular self-hosted LLM proxy. UnoRouter is a hosted gateway with a built-in chat client. The real choice is whether you want to run the infrastructure yourself.
LiteLLM is the go-to open-source proxy: an MIT-licensed Python server you run yourself. UnoRouter solves the same problem, hosted, with a client on top. The choice is simple: run the proxy, or just call an endpoint.
Self-hosted or hosted
LiteLLM is software you deploy, run, and scale. Total control, no middleman, which is what a platform team wants. UnoRouter is the opposite: nothing to deploy or keep alive. You get an endpoint and a key, and uptime, routing, and failover are our problem.
Setup
LiteLLM means a config file, every provider's keys, a running server, and upgrades you own forever. With UnoRouter you sign up and point your client at https://api.unorouter.com/v1. No config, no provider keys, no server to babysit.
No LiteLLM to chat in
LiteLLM is headless by design: you bring every interface. UnoRouter adds a built-in chat and character client (personas, lorebooks, presets, SillyTavern card import), and the same key drops into SillyTavern, Janitor.AI, or Chub. One key runs a coding agent and a place to actually chat.
Cost
LiteLLM takes no markup, but you pay each provider and carry the infra plus DevOps time. That wins at high volume with a team. UnoRouter is pay-as-you-go across 200+ models, one balance, credits that never expire, no servers to pay for. Below serious scale, hosted is usually cheaper once you count the hours.
How to pick
Have a platform team and want zero markup? LiteLLM. Want one key with nothing to deploy that works in your coding agent and a chat client? UnoRouter.
Want a gateway with nothing to deploy? Create a free account or browse the models.
Nevika takes any OpenAI-compatible endpoint as a custom proxy. Here is the one minute setup, which model to pick, and the two errors people hit.
SpicyChat is a zero-setup RP site whose memory and context are gated behind paid tiers. UnoRouter keeps the easy start but adds 200+ models you choose, deep lorebooks, and a key that also runs coding agents.
Agnai is an open-source RP frontend whose standout is true multiplayer: several humans and several bots in one chat. UnoRouter has single-user RP depth hosted, where the key is the account and also runs coding agents.