OpenRouter with Decoder
OpenRouter is a unified API in front of many model providers. With BYOK you get access to dozens of models in Decoder from a single key.
What it is
A model-routing API that exposes Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama and others through one OpenAI-compatible interface.
Why it's useful
One key, one bill, many models. Switch model per task without re-wiring.
How Decoder implements it
Settings → Add OpenRouter key → choose model in the picker. Decoder retries with `Retry-After` on 429 rate limits.
When to use it
When you want to compare models or use the right model for the task without juggling multiple provider accounts.
When NOT to use it
Strict privacy environments — code is sent through OpenRouter to the chosen upstream provider.
Practical example
Use a fast cheap model for routine explain calls, then switch to Claude Opus for hard malware reasoning — same key.
FAQ
Glossary
- Rate limit
- Cap a provider sets on requests-per-minute or tokens-per-minute.
Related
BYOK means you bring your own AI provider key. Decoder never proxies AI calls through a shared account: your key, your billing, your privacy boundary.
Local AI lets you use Decoder's explain and chat features against a model running on your own hardware via Ollama or LM Studio — useful when code cannot leave your environment.
Ollama is a lightweight runtime for serving open-weight LLMs locally. Decoder talks to it through its OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Anthropic's Claude family is a popular choice for code reasoning. Paste your Anthropic key in Settings and Decoder routes AI features through Claude.
OpenAI's GPT family powers many code-review workflows. Add your key in Settings and Decoder routes AI features directly through OpenAI.
Gemini brings large context windows and competitive pricing. Add your Google AI Studio key in Settings and Decoder routes AI features through Gemini.