I’ve been a ChatGPT Plus subscriber for quite some time. At $20/month, it has served me well — helping me brainstorm ideas, prepare proposal drafts, simplify dense cybersecurity topics, and even generate the occasional blog image with DALL·E.

But recently, I’ve started rethinking this fixed subscription. Not because GPT-4 isn’t powerful — it’s brilliant. The question is: am I getting the right mix of flexibility, access, and value for how I actually use AI?

My Use Case: Strategic, Technical, and Content-Driven

I work as a fractional CTO/CISO, helping startups build secure, scalable systems. Alongside that, I write regularly — long-form posts on Medium, short-form insights in a newsletter, and technical walkthroughs on my site.

AI is embedded in my day-to-day:

• Brainstorming software architecture and cybersecurity workflows.

• Troubleshoot technical issues from the field.

• Reviewing and summarizing research.

• Drafting content and rewriting for clarity.

• Occasionally generating images for blog posts and thumbnails

Some days I hammer the tool for hours. Other days, I barely touch it. That inconsistency makes a flat subscription like ChatGPT Plus feel… suboptimal.

Why OpenRouter Makes More Sense for Me

OpenRouter gives me pay-as-you-go access to multiple large language models — Claude, GPT-4, GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini-high, Mixtral, LLaMA, and others — each with their own strengths and price points.

This flexibility matters because:

• I don’t always need GPT-4; for quick tasks, Claude or Mixtral works great.

• I get full API access to embed LLMs into tools, automations, and apps.

• I pay only for what I use — and I often may land well below $20/month.

• I can choose the best LLM for each task.

  • E.g. Use Claude Sonnet for structured coding help — it’s fast and precise.

  • Use OpenAI’s GPT-4 or GPT-4o for tone-sensitive writing and proposals.

  • Switch to GPT-4o-mini-high for fast, cost-efficient dev tasks or batch operations.

• The best part? The models I already rely on — ChatGPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini-high — are available on OpenRouter, alongside many more models.

The One Thing ChatGPT Plus Won’t Let You Do: Build

Here’s a common surprise: ChatGPT Plus does not include API access.

You can chat on the site — but if you want to:

• Integrate GPT-4 into your apps

• Automate parts of your workflow

• Use models programmatically

…you’ll need a separate OpenAI API plan, billed independently.

With OpenRouter:

• You get API + chat access with a single account

• You can switch models dynamically

• It’s one billing stream, no silos

For someone building tools and automations, that’s a major win.

What I’ll Miss — and My Workarounds

Image Generation (DALL·E)

I occasionally use DALL·E to generate blog thumbnails. OpenRouter doesn’t support image generation yet.

Alternatives I use:

• Bing Image Creator (also powered by DALL·E)

• Stable Diffusion via LM Studio or InvokeAI

Polished Chat UI

ChatGPT’s web UI is slick, polished, and persistent. OpenRouter’s is functional but not as refined.

Solutions:

• OpenRouter’s own web chat is not perfectly but usable.

• For advanced use, I rely on LM Studio or OpenWebUI, both of which support OpenRouter and local models.

Ollama: Local AI on Standby

For offline or private scenarios, I use Ollama on my local machine. It lets me run models like LLaMA 3 and Mistral without internet. While slower than cloud APIs, it’s great for:

• Prototyping

• Internal tools

• Data-sensitive use cases

Why I Chose OpenRouter (And Not Its Competitors)

There are many LLM gateways, hosting providers, and UIs. Here’s why I went with OpenRouter:

In short:

• Together.ai: Great for open models, no GPT-4/Claude.

• Helicone/PromptLayer: Good observability, but not chat platforms.

• LM Studio/OpenWebUI: Amazing for local models, but I needed reliable cloud access too.

OpenRouter gave me the models I already use, plus the flexibility to explore others — all under one account, with clear pricing and minimal setup.

Cost Comparison: ChatGPT Plus vs OpenRouter Stack

Final Thoughts: Flexibility Wins

ChatGPT Plus remains a great option if you’re looking for a polished interface and consistent access to GPT-4. But as someone building tools, exploring automation, and optimizing for flexibility and cost, OpenRouter offers a compelling alternative — with more control, broader model choices, and full API access.

Since OpenRouter also supports the same models I regularly use — like ChatGPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini-high — it feels less like a downgrade and more like a strategic shift. Next 30 days, I plan to actively experiment with OpenRouter across my workflows before making the final call.