AI/TLDR

9Router

Local router for coding CLIs with quota tracking, tiered fallback and token compression

Gateways & RoutingOpen source
Language
JavaScript
License
MIT
Coverage
1 story
$npm install -g 9router

Overview

9Router is a self-hosted router that sits between your AI coding tools and the providers behind them. It exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint on `http://localhost:20128/v1`, so any CLI that accepts a custom base URL — Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, Copilot, OpenCode, Antigravity, OpenClaw — points at it instead of a vendor, and gets access to 40+ providers and 100+ models behind one key.

Its purpose is to keep you from stalling mid-task. It tracks per-provider quota so a paid subscription is used up before it resets, then falls back through tiers automatically — subscription first, then cheap models, then free ones — with no downtime when one runs out. Multiple accounts per provider are rotated round-robin, tokens are refreshed automatically, and request formats are translated between the OpenAI and Claude shapes so the same downstream tool works against either.

A second lever is RTK, a token saver that compresses `tool_result` content — the git diffs, greps and directory listings that dominate an agent's context — before it is sent, which the project reports as 20-40% fewer tokens per request. A dashboard at the same port handles provider connection, quota views and key management.

What it does

  • OpenAI-compatible local endpoint any coding CLI can point at, fronting 40+ providers and 100+ models
  • Tiered auto-fallback — subscription, then cheap, then free — so an exhausted quota does not stop a session
  • Per-provider quota tracking with automatic token refresh
  • RTK token saver that compresses tool_result payloads, reported at 20-40% fewer tokens per request
  • Format translation between the OpenAI and Claude request shapes
  • Multi-account round-robin per provider
  • Web dashboard for providers, quota and keys; npm, Docker and GHCR distributions

Getting started

Install globally, open the dashboard, connect a provider, then repoint your coding CLI at the local endpoint.

Install and start

The dashboard opens at http://localhost:20128.

bashbash
npm install -g 9router
9router

Connect a provider

In the dashboard, go to Providers and connect one. Kiro AI and OpenCode Free need no signup, so you can verify the path end to end before wiring up a paid account.

texttext
Dashboard -> Providers -> Connect

Point your CLI at the router

Set the base URL and the key from the dashboard in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline or OpenClaw, then pick a model.

texttext
Endpoint: http://localhost:20128/v1
API Key:  [copy from dashboard]
Model:    kr/claude-sonnet-4.5

Or run it from source

Source and Docker are the expected local development paths.

bashbash
cp .env.example .env
npm install
PORT=20128 NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:20128 npm run dev

Production mode

Dashboard at /dashboard, OpenAI-compatible API at /v1.

bashbash
npm run build
PORT=20128 HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0 NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:20128 npm run start

Commands and code are distilled from the project's own documentation — always check the official repo for the latest.

When to use it

  • Keep a coding agent running past a provider rate limit by falling back automatically instead of stopping
  • Spend a monthly subscription quota fully before it resets, then move to cheaper models
  • Cut agent token spend by compressing the tool output that dominates the context window
  • Drive several coding CLIs through one endpoint and one key rather than configuring each separately

How 9Router compares

9Router alongside other open-source gateways & routing tools AI/TLDR tracks, ranked by GitHub stars.

ToolStarsWhat it does
OmniRoute★ 67.7kA local-first AI gateway that fronts hundreds of model providers with one OpenAI-compatible endpoint, quota-aware auto-fallback, many routing strategies and prompt compression.
LiteLLM★ 59.1kA Python SDK and proxy server that gives one OpenAI-compatible API to 100+ LLM providers, with cost tracking, budgets, fallbacks, rate limiting, and an admin UI.
Free Claude Code★ 55.4kA local proxy that points Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, Cline and other agent CLIs at 50 free, paid, subscription or local model providers, with automatic failover and an admin UI.
Kong Gateway★ 44.1kA Lua/NGINX API gateway whose AI Gateway plugins put one universal endpoint in front of OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Bedrock and other providers, with semantic routing, caching and MCP traffic governance.
9Router★ 29.2kLocal router for coding CLIs with quota tracking, tiered fallback and token compression
Apache APISIX★ 17.1kA cloud-native API gateway whose AI plugins add multi-provider LLM proxying, load balancing, retries and fallbacks, token-based rate limiting, and content moderation.
OpenCodex★ 15.3kLocal proxy that translates the Codex Responses API to 40+ providers, so Codex CLI, Claude Code and Grok Build can run on any model, with routing combos, failover and account pooling.
Portkey AI Gateway★ 13kAn LLM gateway that routes calls to 100+ providers through one API and adds logging, tracing, caching, and fallbacks for production AI traffic.