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Home/Categories/AI & Machine Learning/9Router
9Router icon

9Router

Open source alternative to OpenRouter, GitHub Copilot, Cursor and Portkey

  • 31.9K stars
  • MIT
  • Active this month
  • Last commit 10 days ago

Last verified Nov 5, 2026

Connect AI coding tools to 40+ providers with smart 3-tier fallback, maximizing free model quotas to eliminate rate limits.

Visit websiteGitHub31.9K stars1-click deploy on Hostinger
9Router preview
TL;DR

9Router is a local AI model router for coding tools that manages provider choice, token compression, quota tracking, and fallback across many models. It replaces manually switching API keys and subscriptions across Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Cline, and other AI coding tools. Best for developers who actively use multiple AI providers and want cost control.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ
who it's for

Who 9Router is for#

Developers using several AI coding tools

Use 9Router when you regularly switch between coding assistants and want one local control point for models, keys, quotas, and fallback.

Skip if:

Skip if you use one hosted assistant and are satisfied with its built-in model selector.

Teams watching AI API spend

It helps teams experiment with cheaper and free model paths while keeping expensive providers available for harder tasks.

Skip if:

Skip if your organization requires approved vendor routing and centralized audit controls.

the problem

The problem it solves#

AI coding workflows stall when one provider hits a quota, a subscription goes unused, or tool output burns tokens faster than expected. Developers who use several coding agents often juggle API keys, model formats, and fallback choices manually, which turns the model layer into constant operational overhead.

how 9Router solves it

How it solves it#

OpenAI-compatible local endpoint

Exposes a local `/v1` style route so AI coding tools can point at one router instead of multiple provider endpoints.

Token-saving tool output compression

The README describes RTK Token Saver as a way to reduce tool_result token usage by 20-40 percent per request.

Provider fallback and quota tracking

Routes across subscriptions, cheaper APIs, free options, and multiple accounts so coding can continue when one model path is exhausted.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Built for coding-agent traffic9Router names Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Cline, and similar tools as target clients rather than treating them as generic API callers.
  • MIT licenseThe MIT license is permissive for commercial and personal workflows where developers want to run a local routing layer.

Trade-offs

  • -Model routing adds another moving partA router can save money and reduce interruption, but it also centralizes credentials and introduces one more service to debug when requests fail.
tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScript
Frameworks
ExpressNext.jsReact
Tooling
esbuild
frequently asked

FAQ#

What does 9Router do?

9Router routes AI coding-tool requests through one local endpoint, adding token compression, quota tracking, and provider fallback.

Does 9Router work with Claude Code and Cursor?

The README lists Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Cline, Gemini, OpenCode, and other CLI coding tools as supported clients.

Is 9Router a model provider?

No. It is a router in front of model providers and subscriptions, so you still need the accounts or API keys you plan to use.

also worth a look

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by category

Open source tools in these categories#

507

AI & Machine Learning

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600

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REA (Reverse Engineer Anything), Skills for Real Engineers, superpowers
129

LLMOps & AI Tooling

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Web Development

Skills for Real Engineers, freeCodeCamp, superpowers
Hostinger

Self-host 9Router in 1 click

Keep it running 24/7, even when your laptop is off. Hostinger's 1-click template skips the server setup.

  1. 01

    Choose a plan

    Starts from $6.49/mo

  2. 02

    Apply

    Extra 10% off yearly plans

  3. 03

    9Router deploys automatically

    Installed right after checkout

  4. 04

    Start building

    Focus on the app, not the server

Deploy on Hostinger

Sponsors

Inbox Zero

Alternative toSuperhuman

AI email assistant that drafts replies and clears your inbox

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  • AGPL-3.0Licence AGPL-3.0
  • #Email

rakazo

Alternative toGrok Bot

AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.

  • 7,028 GitHub stars
  • Apache-2.0Licence Apache-2.0
  • #AI Agents

SnitchFeed

Live monitoring on LinkedIn, X, Reddit & more. Agentic social listening for startups.

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