9Router Review: One API for 18 AI Providers

July 10, 2026 · 10 min read

What Is 9Router?

9Router is an open-source AI provider router. Instead of managing separate API keys, endpoints, and SDKs for each AI provider, you run 9Router locally and point all your tools to one localhost endpoint. It handles routing, fallback, and load balancing across 18+ AI providers.

Why I Use It

I run my entire AI stack from an Android phone. Before 9Router, I had to manage multiple API keys, write provider-specific code, and deal with downtime when one provider went offline. 9Router solved all of that.

Supported Providers

• OpenRouter — 5 models routed
• Groq — Fast inference, great free tier
• Gemini — Google's best models
• Cloudflare AI — 61+ models, 10k free req/day
• GitHub Copilot — Free tier works
• Cerebras — Fast inference
• Mistral AI — European provider
• OpenAI-compatible nodes — Custom endpoints via Tor

Installation

One command, works everywhere including Termux on Android:

curl -sL https://9router.com/install.sh | bash

Daily Usage

All my tools use the same endpoint:

http://localhost:20128/v1/chat/completions

Just change the model name to switch providers:

# Use Groq's Llama
model: "groq/llama-3.3-70b-versatile"

# Use Cloudflare AI's Qwen
model: "cf/@cf/qwen/qwen2.5-coder-32b-instruct"

# Use Gemini
model: "gemini/gemini-2.5-pro"

What I Love

• One API key — All providers behind one auth token
• Automatic fallback — If one provider is down, it tries the next
• Free tier first — Uses free providers when available
• Lightweight — Runs on low-end hardware (Android phone!)
• Open source — Full transparency, no vendor lock-in

What Could Be Better

• Setup complexity — Some providers need OAuth which is manual
• Documentation — Could be more beginner-friendly
• Provider stability — Some free tiers are unreliable

Verdict

9Router is essential if you self-host AI tools. It saves hours of configuration and keeps your stack provider-agnostic. The free tiers alone make it worth installing. I've been running it for months without issues.

Rating: 9/10 — Points off for setup complexity, but the value is unmatched.

Try it yourself: 9router.com