AI API Relay Comparison 2026
These reviews are independently written and edited — we currently have no commercial partnership with any provider listed below, and the order reflects our own rating, not a paid placement. Some figures come from providers' own marketing materials; always check the official site for current pricing. Each card shows its own last-verified date.
📌 English rollout in progress: we've translated in-depth reviews for 153 of the 153+ relay providers tracked on the Chinese side of this site, and are adding more over time. Looking for a provider that isn't here yet? Browse the full Chinese-language comparison board →
Provider comparison
Sorted by our editorial rating, highest first.
Kling AI
Kuaishou's official Kling open platform, an industry-benchmark video generation model, full text-to-video/image-to-video coverage
DeepSeek
DeepSeek's official API, with V4-series pricing that upended the market and strong reasoning ability
Zhipu AI GLM
Official Zhipu API — GLM-4.7-Flash permanently free, 200K context + 59.2% SWE-bench, mainland direct connect
Krea AI
Proprietary Krea 2 models plus aggregated Nano Banana/Seedance/Kling/Veo access, $83M raised, led by a16z and Bain
Groq Cloud
Powered by purpose-built LPU chips, among the fastest inference speeds in the world, a generous free tier for open-source models
Helicone
0% markup pass-through, built-in LLM observability, open-source and self-hostable, full logging/cost/session tracking
nexos.ai
Founded by the Nord Security team, €30M Series A, an enterprise security/compliance AI gateway
PixVerse
AIsphere's short-video generation model, a unicorn valued at over $2B, backed by Alibaba and CDH
Runware
Lowest-priced image/video generation API on the market, $50M Series A, millisecond-scale inference infrastructure
Alibaba Cloud Bailian
Alibaba Cloud's official AI platform, enterprise-grade SLA, Alibaba's proprietary Qwen model series
Cloudflare AI Gateway
Free AI traffic control layer — caching, rate limiting, monitoring, edge acceleration
Fal AI
Ultra-fast Flux-series image generation, LoRA fine-tuning, the top choice for creative AI workflows
LingyaAI
Mainland dedicated line, 600+ models unified, corporate VAT invoicing available — built for long-running production and enterprise compliance
Moonshot AI (Kimi)
Kimi's official API — 256K ultra-long context, standout document processing and coding ability
NoneLinear
480+ models, 99.99% SLA, the top choice for production-grade enterprise use
OpenRouter
A cross-vendor multi-model aggregator — 400+ models across 70+ providers, one API key to call OpenAI/Anthropic/Google/Meta/Mistral and more
Portkey
A full LLMOps suite, 1600+ models covered, 50+ guardrail rules, a production-grade AI gateway
SiliconFlow
Domestic open-source model cloud hosting — DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM and 100+ models, an in-house inference engine plus domestic chip support
Together AI
Large-scale open-source model compute aggregation — 100+ models behind one API, suited to both research and enterprise use
TokenRiver
Enterprise-grade AI large-model intelligent gateway, 650+ models, ¥1=$1 exchange-rate advantage, multi-channel automatic failover, redirect destination for the former ShiyunApi
Vercel AI Gateway
0% markup, $5 free credit, zero data retention (ZDR), the top choice for frontend developers
Fireworks AI
Enterprise-grade inference for open-source models, deep Function Calling optimization, ultra-low-latency SLA
Jina AI API
One key, one token pool for Embeddings + Reranker + Reader — 10M free tokens, no credit card required
Lambda Labs
GPU cloud compute plus inference API, 60-70% cheaper than AWS/GCP — a top pick for AI research
Laozhang API
A well-known, long-established Chinese Claude relay, priced at parity with official rates, with a strong reputation for stability — a solid first choice if you don't want to deal with headaches
n1n.ai
Enterprise unified LLM API gateway — one key for 400+ models, ¥20 free credit for new users
Requesty
EU-friendly, 400+ models, GDPR-compliant, 20ms failover
Weelinking
99.9% SLA, multi-layer redundancy — a stable first choice for enterprise production environments
4SAPI / Starlink 4SAPI
Enterprise-grade "self-healing routing system" + enterprise account pool, focused on low latency and high concurrency — frequently tops reviews for AI coding assistants and multimodal use cases
AnPin AI
1Gbps dedicated line + multi-node routing, 99.99% stability promise, admin responds in real time on X
API Yi
Long-established AI API aggregator, 300K monthly visits, broad frontier-model coverage
Zhipu AI (BigModel)
Zhipu's official GLM-5 flagship, multimodal AI, top-tier Chinese-language capability — API pricing rose starting February 2026
Cohere API
Embeddings, reranking, and text generation in one — a top pick for RAG engineers
DeepInfra
Low-latency inference for open-source models, extremely transparent low pricing, supports crypto payment, includes image-generation models
EasyRouter
From Fu Sheng, 15% off storewide, 40+ model providers, DeepSeek discounts up to 75% off
HuggingFace Inference API
One-click access to hundreds of thousands of open-source models, the go-to for the ML community
hvoy.ai
A relay-station directory and review aggregator — not a relay itself, it helps you find the right one
Lepton AI
Built by an ex-Meta team, minimalist deployment for open-source models, low-cost inference platform
01.AI (Lingyi Wanwu)
Founded by Kai-Fu Lee, dual open/closed-source Yi series, standout multilingual capability
Martian
A pioneer of commercial LLM routing, dynamic cost x quality trade-offs, a top pick for production optimization
Mistral AI API
Europe's leading open-source AI player, GDPR-compliant, low-priced Codestral code generation
Modal
On-demand serverless GPU, minimal-friction deployment for custom model inference
ModelScope
Alibaba's open-source model community, with a free inference tier for Qwen/DeepSeek
Not Diamond
Industry-leading SOTA intelligent routing, automatically picks the best model, cuts cost while preserving quality
Novita AI
200+ open-source models, dedicated image generation, low-cost global inference
PackyAPI
An early domestic relay optimized specifically for Claude Code, an active community, a $1 new-user bonus, a top pick for coding workflows
Perplexity API
Search-augmented AI, real-time web retrieval, built-in citations
PoloAPI
Balances stability with multi-model coverage, built around "set it up once and let it run," with enterprise governance features like usage stats and auditing
Replicate
Open-source model aggregation + custom model deployment, a leading platform for image/video generation, supports publishing private models
RunPod
Per-second billed GPU cloud, community compute pool, 70% cheaper than AWS
Segmind
Flux/SD image generation from as low as $0.001/image, a top pick for high-volume creative generation
Unify AI
Neural-network-based intelligent routing, 70+ models, balancing cost/speed/quality
Unity2.ai
30 billion+ tokens processed daily, a top pick for high-concurrency enterprise relay
Vidu
Shengshu Technology's Vidu video-generation model, one of the first domestic Sora-class video models with an official open API
WaveSpeedAI
1000+ image/video generation models accelerated in one platform, sub-second output, Flux/Seedance/Kling all in one place
Anyscale
From the team behind the Ray framework, enterprise-grade high-concurrency deployment and fine-tuning for open-source models
Eden AI
Single API aggregating OpenAI/Anthropic/Google, with built-in fallback routing
FlintAPI
Smart-routing SaaS — subscription + usage overage, 30+ Chinese LLMs under one API, $5 free credit for new users
FlowBar
Dual coverage of domestic + global models, 80+ model routes, 50,000 trial tokens for new users, USD pay-as-you-go, production-grade reliability
Inworld Router
200+ models at 0% markup, deeply optimized for gaming/entertainment AI, smart complexity-based request routing
lxg2it ModelRouter
7+ providers at 0% markup, auto-routes to the cheapest available model, OpenAI-compatible
Privnode
$10 signup credit, deep Claude Code integration, focused on coding models
ProAI API
Rated by multiple communities as the most balanced, trustworthy choice — solves connectivity problems while keeping costs in check, with three-way Claude/GPT/Gemini coverage
RightCode
Coding-focused, top up from ¥1, clear documentation, Sonnet as low as ¥0.9/M
RunAPI
A mainland OpenRouter alternative — 150+ models with smart routing, Claude Code/OpenClaw support, fast direct connect
AIAPIpk
Real-time comparison of pricing and availability across relay platforms, a competitive-ranking tool
AIFast.club
572+ models with mainland direct connect, volume discounts, a real-time status monitoring dashboard, unified single-key management
AiHubMix
Developer-friendly integration, permanent free testing tier, Prompt Caching support, solid documentation
Atlas Cloud
Multimodal aggregation focused on image/video generation, enterprise-grade pricing, for creative AI application scenarios
AzAPI
Multimodal creative-model aggregator, MJ/Suno/Luma/Kling/Flux/Udio, registered .com.cn domain, Claude at ¥2.5/USD
Baidu Qianfan
Official Baidu platform, ERNIE model family, enterprise-grade SLA, supports model fine-tuning
ByteCat
Built for code engineers — full Codex Linux/Windows setup guides, mainland direct connect, AI coding model specialist
CloseAI
Self-described largest enterprise-grade AI relay platform in Asia, native support for the OpenAI/Claude/Gemini protocols, DPA data agreements available
JiekouAI
Full model coverage, subscription plans + pay-as-you-go, dedicated Cloud Code product, 30-second integration
LinkAi
Clear documentation, high bonus ratio on large top-ups — ¥100 gets you ¥30 free — covers both Claude and GPT
MegaLLM
70+ models aggregated through official channels, stable and highly available, a global AI API relay for mid-to-high-end needs
MoleAPI
Single API unifying GPT-4o/Claude/Gemini, <50ms direct-connect latency, OpenAI-format compatible, free credit for new signups
OAIPro
Official-channel relay, priced at parity with official rates, high stability
ofox.ai
Unified LLM gateway covering 100+ models including GPT/Claude/DeepSeek, built around Claude compatibility and undegraded official direct-source access
OpenClaw
One-click Claude deployment companion, dedicated low-latency direct connect for Claude Code users
Huawei Cloud Pangu
Huawei's in-house large model, a top choice for high-compliance finance/government/healthcare scenarios
Relaydance
Specialized relay for Grok and Doubao models, plus Claude and GPT coverage, three payment methods
UnoRouter
Specialized for roleplay use cases, 200+ models, low-latency routing, 0% markup
WinToken
Generous new-site bonus, roughly ¥113 in new-user trial credit, dual subscription/pay-as-you-go modes, broad model coverage
Xingtu API
Enterprise-grade multi-model aggregation with invoicing, flexible access to domestic and international large models
XycAi (Xingdao Intelligence)
Compliance-certified + Kling AI, a domestic/international mixed-model enterprise relay
YKH.AI
Minimalist pricing, Lite tier at ¥0.25/M tokens, performance-first positioning
Getimg.ai
All-in-one image generation + editing SaaS, bootstrapped and profitable for years, 3.5M+ monthly visits, creator-friendly
MiniMax Open Platform
MiniMax's official open platform — text, image, video, speech and music all behind one API
AI21 Labs API
Jamba hybrid architecture, low-cost long context, enterprise NLP specialization
AICloud Feiyun
50 free Sonnet calls given away daily, low-price direct connect to Claude
35.AIGCBEST
OpenAI-focused relay, Azure pricing structure, exchange rate around 1.5¥/USD, stable and reliable
AIMLAPI
400+ models behind one unified endpoint, a top pick for international developers wanting multi-model aggregation
Banana AI
Lightweight GPU inference, fast custom-model deployment, low cold-start time, developer-friendly
ChatFire
Low-price multimodal aggregation, ¥0.5-1/USD exchange rate, a mix of domestic and international models, includes image and video generation
Claude API
Focused Claude relay, launched April 2026, supports image generation, ¥1 trial credit, competitively priced Opus access
DigitalOcean Gradient
An AI inference platform for the DigitalOcean developer ecosystem, pay-as-you-go open-source models
DMXAPI
480+ model multimodal aggregator, one-stop coverage of text/image/video, enterprise-grade stability
DuckCoding
$1 signup credit, tiered pricing, corporate invoicing supported, focused on coding use cases
Tencent Cloud Hunyuan
Tencent's official Hunyuan model, deeply integrated with the Tencent Cloud ecosystem
IKunCode
A coding-focused relay with an active QQ community, pure pay-as-you-go with no plans, GPT 5.5 from as low as ¥1/6 per million tokens
NodAPI
Fast multi-model aggregation, low-latency mainland direct connect, a top pick for real-time scenarios
Poixe AI
Operating since 2024, 7+ providers covered, tiered member discounts based on top-up amount
UU API
MAX account pool, image generation at ¥0.04/image, ¥1 new-user bonus
iFlytek Spark
iFlytek's official platform — strong on both speech and text, the new Astron MaaS platform, vertical strength in education and healthcare
ModelsLab
One API replacing 10+ image/video/speech vendors, 10,000+ community models, claimed 99.9% uptime
302.AI
Pay-as-you-go with zero monthly fee — an enterprise-grade AI resource platform offering "one-stop access to every mainstream model," with balances that never expire
B.AI
Full model lineup + USDT/crypto payment, privacy-friendly, no real-identity binding required
Bob API
Solo-developer style, high-quality mainland direct connect, mainstream models, good for personal projects
Cooper-API
Clean interface, friendly to individual developers, mainland direct connect to mainstream models
Glama AI Gateway
An AI gateway with transparent price comparison, quick multi-vendor switching for experiments
GPTAPI.US
Dual US-China regions, PayPal + Alipay dual-currency payment, stable direct connect to GPT/Claude/Gemini
KoalaAPI
Specializes in integrating mainstream overseas models (Gemini/ChatGPT/Claude), claims 99.7%+ success rate for Claude 4.5
Meshs One
An international node for accessing mainland Chinese models from overseas, built on an AI API Gateway architecture
MNAPI
Cross-vendor quality monitoring, all-in-one aggregation, competitive leaderboard comparisons
Poe API
From Quora, subscription-based multi-model API, quick access to mainstream AI capabilities
SBGPT
Exchange rate of ¥0.4-0.6/USD, Azure-grouped, a top pick for rock-bottom pricing
Sub2API
A subscription-pooling relay station, group-buy-style low-cost shared access to Claude Max capacity
Sulian AI
Low-latency multi-line backup, disaster-recovery architecture, stable direct connect for production
UiUiAPI
300+ large-model aggregation, enterprise-grade high-concurrency design, claims official-channel sourcing with transparent, quantified discount rates
XJAI
OpenAI-focused, Azure-grouped, attractive pricing at a 0.9¥/USD exchange rate
Yinhe API
$0.4 signup bonus, dedicated Claude Code optimization, a good pick for lightweight testing
ZHTec API
0.5-0.6¥/USD exchange rate, VIP and standard tiers, ultra-low-price relay
RunComfy
Cloud-hosted ComfyUI with one-click deploy, serverless workflow API, no GPU environment to set up
147API / 147AI
The "go-to pick" in multiple reviews — highly compatible interface, RMB settlement, enterprise-grade aggregation relay
AiGoCode
Reverse-engineered Claude at low prices, ¥2/10M tokens, optional monthly plans
Boluotu AI
Backed by an official Azure channel, exchange rate ¥1-2.5/USD, focused on stable low pricing, suited to budget-conscious developers
Chutes
Globally low-latency multi-model routing, friendly for A/B testing, competitively priced
GGWK1
OpenAI/Claude/Gemini three-family aggregation, ¥0.6-1/USD exchange rate, mainland direct connect
Lumin AI
Launched in 2026, low ¥5 entry bar, Kiro endpoint at ¥2/10M tokens
MKEAI
Small top-ups welcome, low-latency mainland direct connect to Claude/GPT/Gemini/DeepSeek
NanoBanana
4K-quality image and video generation, exclusive NanoBanana model series, specialized in multimedia generation
NativeAI API
Unified multi-model SDK, automatic retry and failover, enterprise-grade observability
No.1-API
A one-stop model-aggregation relay with well-documented interfaces, a unified entry point for Claude/GPT/Gemini/DeepSeek
PaintBot
OneAPI panel-driven, ¥0.5/USD exchange rate, standardized interface
StepFun
StepFun's official platform, the Step series, lightweight and efficient, low latency
TokenMix
Multi-model aggregation, flexible payment options, serves developers at home and abroad
V-API
Multi-model direct-connect relay covering Claude/GPT/Gemini/DeepSeek/Grok, stable mainland-China direct connect
YunWu API
500+ aggregated models, ¥0.5/USD exchange rate, free daily GPT-4o calls via GitHub login
Zhihui API
A new 2026 platform, redemption codes starting at ¥5, Opus as low as ¥8.12/million tokens
Baichuan API
A dedicated Baichuan model zone plus third-party API compatibility, mainland direct connect, the top choice for Baichuan-focused developers
Boxying
Lightweight, no-frills mainland relay covering mainstream models, quick to get started
DawCode
A new 2026 platform, daily check-in rewards, ¥4 new-user trial credit
Jeniya API
True to its name, built around simplicity — full model coverage, low barrier to entry
Nio API
Broad coverage across multiple business scenarios, domain migration in progress, interface remains compatible
OAIPlus
OpenAI-focused relay, clean interface, beginner-friendly, mainland direct connect
TomCat API
Stable mainland relay, low-latency direct connect, pay-as-you-go for mainstream models
Chien API
Direct relay through official channels, exchange rate ¥1-2/USD, an OpenAI specialist for individual developers
Yiye Zhiqiu API
No minimum top-up, lightweight and test-friendly, zero-barrier proof of concept
UniAPI
OpenAI/Claude/Gemini three-way coverage + Midjourney/Suno/Kling and other multimodal models, mainland direct connect, channel-discount billing
Shenma Relay API
650+ multimodal models covered (text/image/audio/video), claims to be the most in the industry, pay-as-you-go with mainland direct connect
GPTGOD
A reverse-engineered ultra-low-price relay, exchange rate around ¥0.6/USD — extremely cheap but stability is not guaranteed
ShiyunApi ⚠️ Discontinued
⚠️ Discontinued as of June 2026; the official site now redirects to TokenRiver (tokenriver.cn)
FAQ
What is an AI API relay, and why do mainland China developers use one?
An AI API relay (also called an API reseller) buys official API capacity from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others in bulk, then resells access at a lower barrier to entry through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. For mainland China users, relays solve three problems at once: signing up without a card tied to an unsupported region, paying in RMB via Alipay/WeChat Pay, and reaching the model through a mainland direct-connect node instead of a VPN.
How is a relay different from the official API?
Technically, a relay exposes the same OpenAI-compatible interface as the official API — you only need to point base_url at the relay and keep the rest of your code unchanged. The differences are in price (often 10-40% below official pricing, though not always), reliability (depends entirely on the relay's own operations), and model fidelity (some relays quietly substitute a cheaper model for the one you requested). Picking a trustworthy relay is the whole game.
How do I tell if a relay is trustworthy?
Five things worth checking: (1) a real operating entity behind the site, not an anonymous side project; (2) the exact model versions are stated clearly, not vague marketing language; (3) independent, third-party usage reports exist somewhere online; (4) pricing is plausible — anything far below what the official API costs to run is a red flag for quietly-downgraded models; (5) small top-ups are supported, so you can test with a small amount before committing a large balance.
Why isn't every provider reviewed here in English?
We track 153+ relay providers on the Chinese side of the site, and English coverage is now essentially complete — every review here has been independently written and verified, the same as its Chinese counterpart. A small handful of the newest additions haven't been translated yet; if the provider you're looking for isn't listed here, the full Chinese-language comparison board always covers all of them.