Is Open Router really open? I see their "main" repo as archived and various smaller projects.
Is it just the API client bindings that are open and the core routing service is closed!
Is it just the API client bindings that are open and the core routing service is closed!
If they lead the market, they'll extract value in lots of ways that an open company could at least be compelled not to. Plus there won't be competition.
They're probably selling your data to LLM companies and you don't even see what they're doing.
Without competition, they'll raise their rates.
If they were open, you could potentially run the offering on-prem. You could bolt on new providers or use it internally for your own routing.
Lots of reasons.
I think it's just called OpenRouter because the founder previously started OpenSea (an NFT marketplace), and also probably to sound a bit similar to OpenAI. It's like companies calling their products "natural" or "organic" or "artisan" when they can get away with it, just a marketing strategy of using words that conjure up vaguely positive connotations in your mind.
It's a frictionless marketplace connecting inference providers and customers, creating a more competitive market. Or a more open market if you play a bit fast and loose with terminology