KairosRoute vs LiteLLM
LiteLLM is an SDK you run. KairosRoute is a hosted gateway. Different ops models, different on-call burdens.
Managed OpenAI-compatible API. Quality-gated routing, multi-key provider pool, per-request receipts, signal-loop tuning. We carry the on-call.
Open-source Python SDK + optional self-hosted proxy. You bring your own infra, your own pager, your own provider keys, and your own routing logic on top.
Side-by-side
| KairosRoute | LiteLLM | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Managed SaaS | Self-host (SDK + proxy) |
| Routing strategy | Quality-gated classifier + signal-loop | Manual fallback rules + load balancers |
| On-call | Us | You |
| Per-request audit receipts | Yes | You build it (logs only by default) |
| Provider key cooling/rotation | Yes (built-in) | You build it (or via Redis fallbacks) |
| Adapts to your traffic | Yes (Business+) | You build it |
| Source code visibility | Closed | Open source (good!) |
| Best for | Teams that want routing + observability without operating it | Teams that want full control |
Where LiteLLM wins
- Open source. You can read the code, fork it, audit it, run it on-prem.
- No vendor lock-in beyond the SDK. If you self-host their proxy, no third party sees your prompts or keys.
- Free if you self-host (compute costs aside). No per-request fee.
- If you already operate Redis, Postgres, and observability infra, integrating LiteLLM is straightforward.
Where KairosRoute wins
- Managed routing. Quality bar, classifier, signal-loop tuning, multi-key cooling — all running, no on-call from you.
- Per-request audit receipts out of the box. You see why a model was picked, not just "it picked one".
- Provider key pool with cooling. You don't set up the Redis script that puts a rate-limited OpenAI key in timeout — we did, and it's tested under fire.
- Signal-loop tuning. The routing weights drift toward your workspace's observed quality + latency over time. Self-rolled solutions tend to be static.
- BYOK on every tier with zero markup. You bring keys, we don't mark up tokens — but the routing/receipts/audit still apply.
Migrating from LiteLLM
If you're running LiteLLM in production today and your bill is climbing fast, consider whether you're paying for the right thing. KairosRoute is a managed alternative when you'd rather have us do the routing + on-call. Both speak OpenAI; migrate by swapping base URLs.
from litellm import completion
response = completion(
model='gpt-4o',
messages=[{'role': 'user', 'content': 'Hello'}],
fallbacks=['claude-3-5-sonnet', 'mistral-large']
)from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
base_url='https://api.kairosroute.com/v1',
api_key=os.environ['KAIROSROUTE_API_KEY']
)
# kr-auto handles fallbacks + routing for you:
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model='auto',
messages=[{'role': 'user', 'content': 'Hello'}]
)Try the playground
21 curated prompts, full routing decision and cost comparison live in the browser. No signup, no card. Or sign up for the free tier and run your own traffic through the gateway.