4 measured metrics · 1 study

OpenRoutervsGoogle AI Studio

No row separates them: 4 ties.

The verdict

OpenRouter and Google AI Studio share 4 reported list prices from one study. No row names a winner: a reported list price has no interval, so each gap is stated, not ranked. Prices change often; the snapshot date is in each row’s context. The rows are 4 ties; each row says why.

Headline metrics

How far apart the two sides are on the headline metrics. Length is the ratio of the two values; it is not a winner.

Bar length is the ratio of the two values on a log scale, pointing to the larger one. Larger is not better for time, tokens or cost. A bar has a side’s color only when that side is ahead in the data; gray means the data does not separate them.

n is shown per side on every row

4 headline metrics as the ratio of the two values. None of them separates the sides in the data.

Metric by metric

Both values of a row come from the same chart in the same study. Each row has its own axis. The shaded band is where the two intervals or ranges overlap: a side is ahead only when they do not.

  • OpenRouter
  • Google AI Studio
  • where the two overlap

Inference provider index: 27 models, 52 providers

4 ties
  • Gemini 3.8 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Input): OpenRouter $0.75; Google AI Studio $0.75. Tie.
  • Gemini 3.8 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Output): OpenRouter $3.75; Google AI Studio $3.75. Tie.
  • Gemini 3.5 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Input): OpenRouter $1.50; Google AI Studio $1.50. Tie.
  • Gemini 3.5 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Output): OpenRouter $9.00; Google AI Studio $9.00. Tie.

n is shown per side on every row

4 rows from 1 study. No row separates them: 4 ties.

When to pick which

Only from the rows above. A tie is not a reason to pick either side.

When to pick OpenRouter

No row in this data puts OpenRouter ahead of Google AI Studio. Pick on other grounds (price, access, the tasks you run), or measure your own workload.

When to pick Google AI Studio

No row in this data puts Google AI Studio ahead of OpenRouter. Pick on other grounds (price, access, the tasks you run), or measure your own workload.

Side by side

The study charts, showing only these two. Open a study for every configuration.

Reported
  • Input
  • Output (square)
OpenRouter
Google AI Studio (first-party list price)

Gap labels, Output vs Input: Output is x% higher (+) or lower (−) than Input, calculated from the two values shown (the change counted from Input’s value).

Third-party reported values. 2 rows, 2 series: Input, Output. Input: all at $0.75. Output: all at $3.75.

Notes

USD per million tokens, before any credit-purchase fee

OpenRouter price reported by OpenRouter’s public API, snapshot 2026-10-06. Google price from the vendor’s published list price as recorded in the product price table. OpenRouter charges a 5.5% fee when credits are bought, not per request; the markup chart shows the price with that fee.

Sources: OpenRouter public API: models and provider endpoints (snapshot), Google Gemini list prices

Reported
  • Input
  • Output (square)
OpenRouter
Google AI Studio (first-party list price)

Gap labels, Output vs Input: Output is x% higher (+) or lower (−) than Input, calculated from the two values shown (the change counted from Input’s value).

Third-party reported values. 2 rows, 2 series: Input, Output. Input: all at $1.50. Output: all at $9.00.

Notes

USD per million tokens, before any credit-purchase fee

OpenRouter price reported by OpenRouter’s public API, snapshot 2026-10-06. Google price from the vendor’s published list price as recorded in the product price table. OpenRouter charges a 5.5% fee when credits are bought, not per request; the markup chart shows the price with that fee.

Sources: OpenRouter public API: models and provider endpoints (snapshot), Google Gemini list prices

How a row is called

  • AheadThe 95% intervals do not overlap, or the run ranges or p50–p95 bands do not overlap with at least 5 runs per side.
  • TieThe values match, or both sit at the same ceiling.
  • UnclearThe intervals or ranges overlap, too few runs were recorded, no interval was recorded, or more is not better (token counts are never a win).
  • CalculationDerived from list prices and recorded counts. Not a bill and not a run.

The dataset compiler makes every call; this page only draws it. No composite score, no rank.

Questions

Which is better, OpenRouter or Google AI Studio?
OpenRouter and Google AI Studio share 4 reported list prices from one study. No row names a winner: a reported list price has no interval, so each gap is stated, not ranked. Prices change often; the snapshot date is in each row’s context. The rows are 4 ties; each row says why.
How were OpenRouter and Google AI Studio measured?
They share 4 measured metrics from 1 public study: Inference provider index: 27 models, 52 providers. Every row names its configuration, its sample size and its interval or range.
How do OpenRouter and Google AI Studio compare on gemini 3.8 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Input)?
OpenRouter: $0.75 (Gemini 3.8 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Google AI Studio: $0.75 (first-party list price · Gemini 3.8 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Same reported list price.
How do OpenRouter and Google AI Studio compare on gemini 3.8 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Output)?
OpenRouter: $3.75 (Gemini 3.8 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Google AI Studio: $3.75 (first-party list price · Gemini 3.8 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Same reported list price.
How do OpenRouter and Google AI Studio compare on gemini 3.5 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Input)?
OpenRouter: $1.50 (Gemini 3.5 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Google AI Studio: $1.50 (first-party list price · Gemini 3.5 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Same reported list price.
How do OpenRouter and Google AI Studio compare on gemini 3.5 Flash: OpenRouter vs Google list price (Output)?
OpenRouter: $9.00 (Gemini 3.5 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Google AI Studio: $9.00 (first-party list price · Gemini 3.5 Flash · list price, snapshot 2026-10-06). Same reported list price.

The studies behind this page

  • Inference
  • Providers

Inference provider index: 27 models, 52 providers

Price per million tokens for 27 models across 52 providers, the spread between them and OpenRouter’s markup over first-party prices.

265endpoints, 52 providers, 27 models · Provider endpoints in the snapshot · n = 27

34 chartsUpdated October 6, 2026

All comparisons

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