OpenRouter

OpenRouter is a unified gatewaythat lets you access 200+ providers’ chat models with one key (GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, DeepSeek, etc.), billed by token usage, suitable for users comparing multiple models or unable to register accounts for each provider one by one.

Get API Key

• Go to OpenRouter Register account
• Settings → Keys → Create Key, copy sk-or-... key
• Top up any amount (minimum $1)

Configure in Cherry Studio

• After opening Settings → Model Services, find OpenRouter Provider to enter the details page
• API key enter sk-or-...
• API Address By default https://openrouter.ai/api, no need to modify
• Click Get model list, OpenRouter will return hundreds of available models

Recommended usage

OpenRouter model IDs look like <vendor>/<model>:

Model ID examples	What it actually is
openai/gpt-4o	OpenAI GPT-4o
anthropic/claude-sonnet-4	Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4
google/gemini-2.0-flash	Google Gemini Flash
meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct	Meta Llama 3.3 70B
deepseek/deepseek-chat	DeepSeek V3
x-ai/grok-4	xAI Grok

Applicable scenario

• Multi-model A/B comparison: freely switch models under the same Cherry Studio Provider, no need to switch Providers
• Avoid registering one by one: one key and one invoice can use 200+ models
• Niche models: many smaller vendors are only available on OpenRouter (such as Cohere, Reka, etc.)

Native web access and URL reading

OpenRouter’s chat models can use native web search and URL content reading. When selecting a model, look for the 🌐 icon next to the name, and enable 🌐 in the chat input box.

If [Settings] → [Web Search] → [Prefer configured search services] remains enabled, Cherry Studio will prioritize external search services; after turning off this option, it will prioritize OpenRouter’s native model capabilities. Providers may charge separately for network requests, and actual costs are subject to the OpenRouter bill.

Relationship with the Anthropic protocol

By default, OpenRouter wraps all upstream models in the OpenAI protocol format. This means:

• ✅ General chat, knowledge base, and quick assistants all work
• ⚠️ Cherry Agent It is recommended to use Anthropic / CherryIN directly, and not go through OpenRouter (Agent requires Anthropic’s native protocol)

• OpenRouter adds a small markup on top of the original provider price (usually 5-10%), in exchange for "one account for all"
• Some models can use the "free" version (free but rate-limited); when filtering, pay attention to entries with the (free) suffix
• See the detailed pricing table at OpenRouter Models

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Get help and submit feedback

If you encounter any questions, bugs, or have suggestions for feature improvements during configuration or use, please refer to Feedback and Suggestions for the official channels provided.