OpenRouter has an MCP server. Here is how this one differs
OpenRouter hosts an official MCP server that you sign in to with OAuth. This one takes a plain Bearer key, so it works in every client that can send a header, and it turns every kind of model into a tool: compare asks several models at once, search runs the web, embed, rerank and transcribe cover the rest of the text models, and generate makes images, video, speech and music with the files handed back.
Add the server to your client
The server is https://api.relayswitch.io/mcp, Streamable HTTP, with your key sent as a Bearer header. Keys start sk-relay-.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http relayswitch https://api.relayswitch.io/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer $RELAYSWITCH_KEY"Then /mcp in Claude Code lists the server and its tools.
Cursor
// .cursor/mcp.json (this project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (every project){ "mcpServers": { "relayswitch": { "url": "https://api.relayswitch.io/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:RELAYSWITCH_KEY}" } } }}Check it from a terminal
curl https://api.relayswitch.io/mcp \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $RELAYSWITCH_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \ -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/list"}'What the client can call
The tools this page is about. The server lists 15 in all; the rest are on the MCP server page.
| Tool | What it does | Key |
|---|---|---|
compare | The same question to 2 to 5 models at once: every answer side by side with its cost and time. | Bearer |
chat | A conversation to any chat model, with a system prompt, images for the models that see them, and web search. | Bearer |
search | One web search: titles, URLs, snippets and dates, up to 10 results. | Bearer |
generate | Runs any image, video, speech, music or 3D model and returns the files, a finished image inline. | Bearer |
embed | Text to vectors with any embedding model, up to 64 texts a call. | Bearer |
transcribe | Speech in an audio or video file at a URL to text, or translated into English. | Bearer |
What each call costs, read live
From the catalog at render. The developer’s list price is shown where the catalog has it.
| Model | Input / M | Output / M | List input / M | List output / M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Previewgemini-3.1-pro-preview | $1.20 | $7.20 | $2.00 | $12.00 |
| Grok 4.6grok-4.6 | $0.60 | $1.80 | $2.00 | $6.00 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423deepseek-v4-pro | $0.792 | $2.376 | $1.32 | $3.96 |
USD per million tokens. compare bills each model it asks at its own rate.
| Model | Setting | Price | Developer’s list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2nano-banana-2 | resolution 1K | $0.0402 per image | $0.067 |
| resolution 2K | $0.056 per image | $0.101 | |
| resolution 4K | $0.072 per image | $0.151 | |
| Veo 3.1 Fastveo-3.1-fast | resolution 720p | $0.48 per generation | $0.80 |
| resolution 1080p | $0.576 per generation | $0.96 | |
| resolution 4k | $1.20 per generation | $2.40 |
Charged when the model accepts the task; a failed generation is refunded in full.
| RelaySwitch MCP | OpenRouter MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in | A Bearer key in the Authorization header; works in any client that sends a header | OAuth; signing in mints a dedicated key that expires within 7 days, with a $10 default spending cap |
| Tools | Fifteen: chat, compare (2 to 5 models at once), search, embed, rerank, transcribe, the media studio and the catalogs | 17 tools; send-message and generate-image cost money, the rest are mostly lookups |
| Video, speech, music, 3D | Yes: every media model on the catalog through generate, files returned as links, images inline | Image generation |
| Second opinion | compare returns every answer with its cost and time and the total | One model per message |
| Paying | Prepaid balance by card or crypto, no KYC; prices read live next to each developer’s list | OpenRouter credits |
What to ask once it is connected
Plain requests; the client picks the tool.
- Use compare to ask four models the same question and show me the costs side by side.
- Make a 6-second clip of this product shot with veo-3.1-fast, quote it first.
- Search the web for this error and fix the code.
OpenRouter MCP alternative: questions
Setup, models and billing.
Every model as a tool in your AI
From $10 by card or in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL. Prepaid, no subscription, no KYC.