9Router - FREE AI Router & Token Saver

Never stop coding. Save 20-40% tokens with RTK + auto-fallback to FREE & cheap AI models.

Connect All AI Code Tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Antigravity, Copilot, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Cline, OpenClaw...) to 40+ AI Providers & 100+ Models.

🚀 Quick Start • 💡 Features • 📖 Setup • 🌐 Website

🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt • 🇨🇳 中文 • 🇯🇵 日本語 • 🇷🇺 Русский

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🔱 VansRoute — a hardened fork of 9Router

VansRoute keeps everything that makes 9Router great — RTK token saver, smart 3-tier fallback, 40+ providers, 100+ models — and rebuilds the runtime to be production-tough and truly cross-platform.

We didn't reinvent the router; we hardened it. This fork exists for people who run 9Router seriously — on Windows, on Linux, on VPS, in PM2 — and need it to start clean every time without babysitting.

What this fork does better:

Area	Upstream 9Router	🔱 VansRoute (this fork)
Production start	next start → warns & ignores standalone output	npm start runs the real .next/standalone/server.js — zero warnings
Build → run	Manual cp -r public ... (breaks on Windows cmd/PowerShell)	npm run build auto-copies public/ + .next/static via Node — same command on Windows and Linux
Misconfigured start	Raw Node crash if not built	Friendly guard: "jalankan npm run build" hint, clean exit
Antigravity quota fetch	Cryptic Error: This operation was aborted, logged as error	Clear, non-fatal warning · timeout vs network distinguished · configurable via ANTIGRAVITY_TIMEOUT_MS (default 15s)
Cross-platform scripts	Bash-only copy steps	Pure node -e — no bash, no cp, works everywhere

Plus fork-only features built on top of 9Router:

• 🔑 Per-API-key ACL — scope each API key to specific providers, combos, and model kinds (chat / embedding / image…). Hand out keys that can only touch what you allow.
• 🛡️ Secured /v1 by default + allowRemoteNoApiKey toggle for deliberate open remote access — safe to expose on a VPS without leaking every provider.
• 🔐 VansAI rebrand & dedicated /masuk login — clean auth entry point instead of the bare dashboard.
• 🧩 Kiro format support with provider/combo/kind ACLs, and combo/{name} tickers surfaced in /v1/models.
• 🩹 Reliability hardening — Kimi K2.6 / NVIDIA NIM tool-call fixes, 502 recovery, max_tokens clamp to stop degeneration loops; Codex streaming timeout hardening.
• 📉 Compact request handling in chatCore — trims redundant context before dispatch for extra token savings.
• 🪟 Windows-first build — .fakehome HOME workaround + Node copy steps so the whole pipeline runs on Windows out of the box.

🙏 Full credit to @decolua and the 9Router project — VansRoute stands on their work and stays format-compatible. Everything in the docs below applies; the sections marked 🔱 highlight the fork's hardening.

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🤔 Why VansRoute?

Stop wasting money, tokens and hitting limits:

• ❌ Subscription quota expires unused every month
• ❌ Rate limits stop you mid-coding
• ❌ Tool outputs (git diff, grep, ls...) burn tokens fast
• ❌ Expensive APIs ($20-50/month per provider)
• ❌ Manual switching between providers

VansRoute solves this:

• ✅ RTK Token Saver - Auto-compress tool_result content, save 20-40% tokens per request
• ✅ Maximize subscriptions - Track quota, use every bit before reset
• ✅ Auto fallback - Subscription → Cheap → Free, zero downtime
• ✅ Multi-account - Round-robin between accounts per provider
• ✅ Universal - Works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, any CLI tool

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🔄 How It Works

┌─────────────┐
│  Your CLI   │  (Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, Cursor, Cline...)
│   Tool      │
└──────┬──────┘
       │ http://localhost:20128/v1
       ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           9Router (Smart Router)            │
│  • RTK Token Saver (cut tool_result tokens) │
│  • Format translation (OpenAI ↔ Claude)     │
│  • Quota tracking                           │
│  • Auto token refresh                       │
└──────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
       │
       ├─→ [Tier 1: SUBSCRIPTION] Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot
       │   ↓ quota exhausted
       ├─→ [Tier 2: CHEAP] GLM ($0.6/1M), MiniMax ($0.2/1M)
       │   ↓ budget limit
       └─→ [Tier 3: FREE] Kiro, OpenCode Free, Vertex ($300 credits)

Result: Never stop coding, minimal cost + 20-40% token savings via RTK

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⚡ Quick Start

1. Install globally:

npm install -g 9router
9router

🎉 Dashboard opens at http://localhost:20128

2. Connect a FREE provider (no signup needed):

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Kiro AI (free Claude unlimited) or OpenCode Free (no auth) → Done!

3. Use in your CLI tool:

Claude Code/Codex/OpenClaw/Cursor/Cline Settings:
  Endpoint: http://localhost:20128/v1
  API Key: [copy from dashboard]
  Model: kr/claude-sonnet-4.5

That's it! Start coding with FREE AI models.

Alternative: run from source (this repository):

This repository package is private (9router-app), so source/Docker execution is the expected local development path.

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

Production mode:

# build + auto-copy static assets into .next/standalone
npm run build

# run the standalone server (works on Windows & Linux)
PORT=20128 HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0 NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:20128 npm start

npm run build now bundles and copies public/ + .next/static into .next/standalone automatically. npm start runs node .next/standalone/server.js (the standalone output) — no more next start warning. If you run npm start before building, it prints a clear hint to run npm run build first.

Default URLs:

• Dashboard: http://localhost:20128/dashboard
• OpenAI-compatible API: http://localhost:20128/v1

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Video Guides

🇺🇸 English 9Router + Claude Code FREE Setup by Build AI With Hamid	🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt Tiết kiệm chi phí LLM cho OpenClaw với 9Router by Mì AI	🇺🇸 English Claude Code FREE Forever — Unlimited Models by Build AI With Hamid
🇺🇸 English Claude CLI Free Setup with 9Router 🚀 by CodeVerse Soban	🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt Cài Đặt OpenClaw Free Từ A-Z + 9Router by Mai Gia	🇺🇸 English FREE OpenClaw + Claude Opus 4.6 by Build AI With Hamid
🇮🇩 Indonesia Koding 24 Jam Anti Rate Limit! Hemat Token AI 65% | Tutorial Quick Setup 9Router 🚀 by Krisswuh	🇮🇩 Indonesia Cara Deploy 9Router di Hugging Face GRATIS Non-Stop! | Alternatif VPS RAM 16GB by Krisswuh

🎬 Made a video about 9Router? Submit a Pull Request adding your video to this section — we'll merge it!

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🛠️ Supported CLI Tools

9Router works seamlessly with all major AI coding tools:

Claude-Code	OpenClaw	Codex	OpenCode	Cursor	Antigravity
Cline	Continue	Droid	Roo	Copilot	Kilo Code

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🌐 Supported Providers

🔐 OAuth Providers

Claude-Code

Antigravity

Codex

GitHub

Cursor

🆓 Free Providers

Kiro AI Claude 4.5 + GLM-5 + MiniMax Unlimited FREE

OpenCode Free No auth • Auto-fetch models Unlimited FREE

Vertex AI Gemini 3 Pro + GLM-5 + DeepSeek $300 credits free

Note: iFlow, Qwen and Gemini CLI free tiers were discontinued in 2026. Use Kiro / OpenCode Free / Vertex instead.

🔑 API Key Providers (40+)

OpenRouter	GLM	Kimi	MiniMax	OpenAI	Anthropic
Gemini	DeepSeek	Groq	xAI	Mistral	Perplexity
Together AI	Fireworks	Cerebras	Cohere	NVIDIA	SiliconFlow

...and 20+ more providers including Nebius, Chutes, Hyperbolic, and custom OpenAI/Anthropic compatible endpoints

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💡 Key Features

Feature	What It Does	Why It Matters
🚀 RTK Token Saver (RTK ⭐40K)	Compress tool outputs (git diff, grep, ls, tree...) before sending to LLM	Save 20-40% input tokens per request
🧠 Headroom Token Saver (Headroom)	Optional external /v1/compress proxy before provider routing	Save more context tokens without changing clients
🪨 Caveman Mode (Caveman ⭐52K)	Inject caveman-speak prompt → LLM replies terse, technical substance preserved	Save up to 65% output tokens
🧑‍💻 Ponytail Mode (Ponytail ⭐3.6K)	Inject lazy-senior-dev prompt → LLM writes minimal code (YAGNI, stdlib-first)	80-94% less code (author benchmark) — pairs with Caveman
🎯 Smart 3-Tier Fallback	Auto-route: Subscription → Cheap → Free	Never stop coding, zero downtime
📊 Real-Time Quota Tracking	Live token count + reset countdown	Maximize subscription value
🔄 Format Translation	OpenAI ↔ Claude ↔ Gemini ↔ Cursor ↔ Kiro ↔ Vertex	Works with any CLI tool
👥 Multi-Account Support	Multiple accounts per provider	Load balancing + redundancy
🔄 Auto Token Refresh	OAuth tokens refresh automatically	No manual re-login needed
🎨 Custom Combos	Create unlimited model combinations	Tailor fallback to your needs
📝 Request Logging	Debug mode with full request/response logs	Troubleshoot issues easily
💾 Cloud Sync	Sync config across devices	Same setup everywhere
📊 Usage Analytics	Track tokens, cost, trends over time	Optimize spending
🌐 Deploy Anywhere	Localhost, VPS, Docker, Cloudflare Workers	Flexible deployment options

📖 Feature Details

🚀 RTK Token Saver

Tool outputs (git diff, grep, find, ls, tree, log dumps...) often eat 30-50% of your prompt budget. RTK detects them and applies smart, lossless compression before the request hits the LLM:

• Filters: git-diff, git-status, grep, find, ls, tree, dedup-log, smart-truncate, read-numbered, search-list
• Auto-detect: No config needed — RTK peeks the first 1KB of each tool_result and picks the right filter.
• Safe by design: If a filter fails, throws, or makes output bigger, RTK silently keeps the original text. Errors never break your request.
• Universal: Works across all formats (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Kiro, OpenAI Responses) because it runs on the final request body just before dispatch — after format translation — and recognizes every translated tool-result shape.
• Default ON: Toggle anytime in Dashboard → Endpoint settings.

Without RTK: 47K tokens sent to LLM
With RTK:    28K tokens sent to LLM   (40% saved · same context · same answer)

🧠 Headroom Token Saver

Headroom is optional and runs separately. 9Router calls Headroom's local /v1/compress endpoint, then keeps normal routing, fallback, auth, and usage tracking:

Client → 9Router → Headroom /v1/compress → 9Router → provider

Local setup:

pip install "headroom-ai[proxy]"
headroom proxy --port 8787

Enable in Dashboard → Endpoint → Token Saver → Headroom. Default URL: http://localhost:8787.

Docker examples:

# Headroom service in same Docker network
http://headroom:8787

# Headroom running on host machine
http://host.docker.internal:8787

If Headroom is down or returns an error, 9Router fails open and sends the original request.

🐴 Ponytail (Lazy Senior Dev)

Ponytail injects a "lazy senior dev" system prompt into every request, biasing the LLM toward minimal, YAGNI-first code — deletion over addition, stdlib over new deps, one-liners over abstractions. Adapted from DietrichGebert/ponytail.

• Lite — Build what's asked, name the lazier alternative.
• Full — YAGNI ladder enforced: stdlib → native → existing deps → one-liner → minimal code.
• Ultra — YAGNI extremist: deletion first, ship the one-liner, challenge the rest of the requirement in the same response.

Without Ponytail: verbose code, extra abstractions, "just in case" scaffolding
With Ponytail:    shortest working diff, no unrequested abstractions, fewer tokens

Never trades away: input validation, error handling that prevents data loss, security, accessibility, or anything explicitly requested. Enable in Dashboard → Endpoint → Ponytail. Stacks with Caveman (output terseness) and RTK (input compression).

🎯 Smart 3-Tier Fallback

Create combos with automatic fallback:

Combo: "my-coding-stack"
  1. cc/claude-opus-4-6        (your subscription)
  2. glm/glm-4.7               (cheap backup, $0.6/1M)
  3. if/kimi-k2-thinking       (free fallback)

→ Auto switches when quota runs out or errors occur

📊 Real-Time Quota Tracking

• Token consumption per provider
• Reset countdown (5-hour, daily, weekly)
• Cost estimation for paid tiers
• Monthly spending reports

🔄 Format Translation

Seamless translation between formats:

• OpenAI ↔ Claude ↔ Gemini ↔ Cursor ↔ Kiro ↔ Vertex ↔ Antigravity ↔ Ollama ↔ OpenAI Responses
• Your CLI tool sends OpenAI format → 9Router translates → Provider receives native format
• Works with any tool that supports custom OpenAI endpoints

👥 Multi-Account Support

• Add multiple accounts per provider
• Auto round-robin or priority-based routing
• Fallback to next account when one hits quota

🔄 Auto Token Refresh

• OAuth tokens automatically refresh before expiration
• No manual re-authentication needed
• Seamless experience across all providers

🎨 Custom Combos

• Create unlimited model combinations
• Mix subscription, cheap, and free tiers
• Name your combos for easy access
• Share combos across devices with Cloud Sync

📝 Request Logging

• Enable debug mode for full request/response logs
• Track API calls, headers, and payloads
• Troubleshoot integration issues
• Export logs for analysis

💾 Cloud Sync

• Sync providers, combos, and settings across devices
• Automatic background sync
• Secure encrypted storage
• Access your setup from anywhere

Cloud Runtime Notes

• Prefer server-side cloud variables in production:
  • BASE_URL (internal callback URL used by sync scheduler)
  • CLOUD_URL (cloud sync endpoint base)
• NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL and NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUD_URL are still supported for compatibility/UI, but server runtime now prioritizes BASE_URL/CLOUD_URL.
• Cloud sync requests now use timeout + fail-fast behavior to avoid UI hanging when cloud DNS/network is unavailable.

📊 Usage Analytics

• Track token usage per provider and model
• Cost estimation and spending trends
• Monthly reports and insights
• Optimize your AI spending

💡 IMPORTANT - Understanding Dashboard Costs:

The "cost" displayed in Usage Analytics is for tracking and comparison purposes only. 9Router itself never charges you anything. You only pay providers directly (if using paid services).

Example: If your dashboard shows "$290 total cost" while using iFlow models, this represents what you would have paid using paid APIs directly. Your actual cost = $0 (iFlow is free unlimited).

Think of it as a "savings tracker" showing how much you're saving by using free models or routing through 9Router!

🌐 Deploy Anywhere

• 💻 Localhost - Default, works offline
• ☁️ VPS/Cloud - Share across devices
• 🐳 Docker - One-command deployment
• 🚀 Cloudflare Workers - Global edge network

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💰 Pricing at a Glance

Tier	Provider	Cost	Quota Reset	Best For
🚀 TOKEN SAVER	RTK (built-in)	FREE	Always on	Save 20-40% tokens on EVERY request
💳 SUBSCRIPTION	Claude Code (Pro/Max)	$20-200/mo	5h + weekly	Already subscribed
	Codex (Plus/Pro)	$20-200/mo	5h + weekly	OpenAI users
	GitHub Copilot	$10-19/mo	Monthly	GitHub users
	Cursor IDE	$20/mo	Monthly	Cursor users
💰 CHEAP	GLM-5.1 / GLM-4.7	$0.6/1M	Daily 10AM	Budget backup
	MiniMax M2.7	$0.2/1M	5-hour rolling	Cheapest option
	Kimi K2.5	$9/mo flat	10M tokens/mo	Predictable cost
🆓 FREE	Kiro AI	$0	Unlimited	Claude 4.5 + GLM-5 + MiniMax free
	OpenCode Free	$0	Unlimited	No auth, auto-fetch models
	Vertex AI	$300 credits	New GCP accounts	Gemini 3 Pro + DeepSeek + GLM-5

💡 Pro Tip: RTK + Kiro AI + OpenCode Free combo = $0 cost + 20-40% token savings!

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📊 Understanding 9Router Costs & Billing

9Router Billing Reality:

✅ 9Router software = FREE forever (open source, never charges)
✅ Dashboard "costs" = Display/tracking only (not actual bills)
✅ You pay providers directly (subscriptions or API fees)
✅ FREE providers stay FREE (iFlow, Kiro, Qwen = $0 unlimited)
❌ 9Router never sends invoices or charges your card

How Cost Display Works:

The dashboard shows estimated costs as if you were using paid APIs directly. This is not billing - it's a comparison tool to show your savings.

Example Scenario:

Dashboard Display:
• Total Requests: 1,662
• Total Tokens: 47M
• Display Cost: $290

Reality Check:
• Provider: iFlow (FREE unlimited)
• Actual Payment: $0.00
• What $290 Means: Amount you SAVED by using free models!

Payment Rules:

• Subscription providers (Claude Code, Codex): Pay them directly via their websites
• Cheap providers (GLM, MiniMax): Pay them directly, 9Router just routes
• FREE providers (iFlow, Kiro, Qwen): Genuinely free forever, no hidden charges
• 9Router: Never charges anything, ever

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🎯 Use Cases

Case 1: "I have Claude Pro subscription"

Problem: Quota expires unused, rate limits during heavy coding

Solution:

Combo: "maximize-claude"
  1. cc/claude-opus-4-7        (use subscription fully)
  2. glm/glm-5.1               (cheap backup when quota out)
  3. kr/claude-sonnet-4.5      (free emergency fallback)

Monthly cost: $20 (subscription) + ~$5 (backup) = $25 total
vs. $20 + hitting limits = frustration

Case 2: "I want zero cost"

Problem: Can't afford subscriptions, need reliable AI coding

Solution:

Combo: "free-forever"
  1. kr/claude-sonnet-4.5      (Claude 4.5 free unlimited)
  2. kr/glm-5                  (GLM-5 free via Kiro)
  3. oc/<auto>                 (OpenCode Free, no auth)

Monthly cost: $0
Quality: Production-ready models + RTK saves 20-40% tokens

Case 3: "I need 24/7 coding, no interruptions"

Problem: Deadlines, can't afford downtime

Solution:

Combo: "always-on"
  1. cc/claude-opus-4-7        (best quality)
  2. cx/gpt-5.5                (second subscription)
  3. glm/glm-5.1               (cheap, resets daily)
  4. minimax/MiniMax-M2.7      (cheapest, 5h reset)
  5. kr/claude-sonnet-4.5      (free unlimited)

Result: 5 layers of fallback = zero downtime
Monthly cost: $20-200 (subscriptions) + $10-20 (backup)

Case 4: "I want FREE AI in OpenClaw"

Problem: Need AI assistant in messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack...), completely free

Solution:

Combo: "openclaw-free"
  1. kr/claude-sonnet-4.5      (Claude 4.5 free)
  2. kr/glm-5                  (GLM-5 free)
  3. kr/MiniMax-M2.5           (MiniMax free)

Monthly cost: $0
Access via: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage, Signal...

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📊 Why does my dashboard show high costs?

The dashboard tracks your token usage and displays estimated costs as if you were using paid APIs directly. This is not actual billing - it's a reference to show how much you're saving by using free models or existing subscriptions through 9Router.

Example:

• Dashboard shows: "$290 total cost"
• Reality: You're using iFlow (FREE unlimited)
• Your actual cost: $0.00
• What $290 means: Amount you saved by using free models instead of paid APIs!

The cost display is a "savings tracker" to help you understand your usage patterns and optimization opportunities.

💳 Will I be charged by 9Router?

No. 9Router is free, open-source software that runs on your own computer. It never charges you anything.

You only pay:

• ✅ Subscription providers (Claude Code $20/mo, Codex $20-200/mo) → Pay them directly on their websites
• ✅ Cheap providers (GLM, MiniMax) → Pay them directly, 9Router just routes your requests
• ❌ 9Router itself → Never charges anything, ever

9Router is a local proxy/router. It doesn't have your credit card, can't send invoices, and has no billing system. It's completely free software.

🆓 Are FREE providers really unlimited?

Yes! The current FREE providers (Kiro, OpenCode Free, Vertex) are genuinely free with no hidden charges.

These are free services offered by those respective companies:

• Kiro AI: Free unlimited Claude 4.5 + GLM-5 + MiniMax via AWS Builder ID / Google / GitHub OAuth
• OpenCode Free: No-auth passthrough proxy, models auto-fetched from opencode.ai/zen/v1/models
• Vertex AI: $300 free credits for new Google Cloud accounts (90 days)

9Router just routes your requests to them - there's no "catch" or future billing. They're truly free services, and 9Router makes them easy to use with fallback support.

Discontinued free tiers (no longer recommended):

• ❌ iFlow: Was free unlimited, now changed to paid (2026)
• ❌ Qwen Code: Free OAuth tier discontinued by Alibaba on 2026-04-15
• ❌ Gemini CLI: Still works, but using it with non-CLI tools (Claude, Codex, Cursor...) may result in account bans — only use if you stick to Gemini CLI itself

💰 How do I minimize my actual AI costs?

Free-First Strategy:

1. Start with 100% free combo:

   1. gc/gemini-3-flash (180K/month free from Google)
   2. if/kimi-k2-thinking (unlimited free from iFlow)
   3. qw/qwen3-coder-plus (unlimited free from Qwen)
   

   Cost: $0/month

2. Add cheap backup only if you need it:

   4. glm/glm-4.7 ($0.6/1M tokens)
   

   Additional cost: Only pay for what you actually use

3. Use subscription providers last:

   • Only if you already have them
   • 9Router helps maximize their value through quota tracking

Result: Most users can operate at $0/month using only free tiers!

📈 What if my usage suddenly spikes?

9Router's smart fallback prevents surprise charges:

Scenario: You're on a coding sprint and blow through your quotas

Without 9Router:

• ❌ Hit rate limit → Work stops → Frustration
• ❌ Or: Accidentally rack up huge API bills

With 9Router:

• ✅ Subscription hits limit → Auto-fallback to cheap tier
• ✅ Cheap tier gets expensive → Auto-fallback to free tier
• ✅ Never stop coding → Predictable costs

You're in control: Set spending limits per provider in dashboard, and 9Router respects them.

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📖 Setup Guide

🔐 Subscription Providers (Maximize Value)

Claude Code (Pro/Max)

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Claude Code
→ OAuth login → Auto token refresh
→ 5-hour + weekly quota tracking

Models:
  cc/claude-opus-4-7
  cc/claude-opus-4-6
  cc/claude-sonnet-4-6
  cc/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

Pro Tip: Use Opus for complex tasks, Sonnet for speed. 9Router tracks quota per model!

OpenAI Codex (Plus/Pro)

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Codex
→ OAuth login (port 1455)
→ 5-hour + weekly reset

Models:
  cx/gpt-5.5
  cx/gpt-5.4
  cx/gpt-5.3-codex
  cx/gpt-5.2-codex

GitHub Copilot

Dashboard → Providers → Connect GitHub
→ OAuth via GitHub
→ Monthly reset (1st of month)

Models:
  gh/gpt-5.4
  gh/claude-opus-4.7
  gh/claude-sonnet-4.6
  gh/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
  gh/grok-code-fast-1

Cursor IDE

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Cursor
→ OAuth login
→ Monthly subscription

Models:
  cu/claude-4.6-opus-max
  cu/claude-4.5-sonnet-thinking
  cu/gpt-5.3-codex

💰 Cheap Providers (Backup)

GLM-5.1 / GLM-4.7 (Daily reset, $0.6/1M)

1. Sign up: Zhipu AI
2. Get API key from Coding Plan
3. Dashboard → Add API Key:
   • Provider: glm
   • API Key: your-key

Use: glm/glm-5.1, glm/glm-5, glm/glm-4.7

Pro Tip: Coding Plan offers 3× quota at 1/7 cost! Reset daily 10:00 AM.

MiniMax M2.7 (5h reset, $0.20/1M)

1. Sign up: MiniMax
2. Get API key
3. Dashboard → Add API Key

Use: minimax/MiniMax-M2.7, minimax/MiniMax-M2.5

Pro Tip: Cheapest option for long context (1M tokens)!

Kimi K2.5 ($9/month flat)

1. Subscribe: Moonshot AI
2. Get API key
3. Dashboard → Add API Key

Use: kimi/kimi-k2.5, kimi/kimi-k2.5-thinking

Pro Tip: Fixed $9/month for 10M tokens = $0.90/1M effective cost!

🆓 FREE Providers (Recommended)

Kiro AI (Claude 4.5 + GLM-5 + MiniMax FREE)

Dashboard → Connect Kiro
→ AWS Builder ID, AWS IAM Identity Center, Google, or GitHub
→ Unlimited usage

Models:
  kr/claude-sonnet-4.5
  kr/claude-haiku-4.5
  kr/glm-5
  kr/MiniMax-M2.5
  kr/qwen3-coder-next
  kr/deepseek-3.2

Pro Tip: Best free option for Claude. No API key, no payment, fully unlimited.

OpenCode Free (No auth, auto-fetch models)

Dashboard → Connect OpenCode Free
→ No login required (passthrough proxy)
→ Models auto-fetched from opencode.ai/zen/v1/models

Pro Tip: Fastest setup. Just connect and start coding.

Vertex AI ($300 free credits for new GCP accounts)

Dashboard → Connect Vertex AI
→ Upload Google Cloud Service Account JSON
→ Enable Vertex AI API in your GCP project

Models:
  vertex/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
  vertex/gemini-3-flash-preview
  vertex/gemini-2.5-flash

Vertex Partner (Anthropic / DeepSeek / GLM / Qwen via Vertex):
  vertex-partner/glm-5-maas
  vertex-partner/deepseek-v3.2-maas
  vertex-partner/qwen3-next-80b-a3b-thinking-maas

Pro Tip: New Google Cloud accounts get $300 credits free for 90 days. Plenty for daily coding.

🎨 Create Combos

Example 1: Maximize Subscription → Cheap Backup

Dashboard → Combos → Create New

Name: premium-coding
Models:
  1. cc/claude-opus-4-7 (Subscription primary)
  2. glm/glm-5.1 (Cheap backup, $0.6/1M)
  3. minimax/MiniMax-M2.7 (Cheapest fallback, $0.20/1M)

Use in CLI: premium-coding

Monthly cost example (100M tokens):
  80M via Claude (subscription): $0 extra
  15M via GLM: $9
  5M via MiniMax: $1
  Total: $10 + your subscription

Example 2: Free-Only (Zero Cost)

Name: free-combo
Models:
  1. kr/claude-sonnet-4.5 (Claude 4.5 free unlimited)
  2. kr/glm-5 (GLM-5 free via Kiro)
  3. vertex/gemini-3.1-pro-preview ($300 free credits)

Cost: $0 forever (+ 20-40% token savings via RTK)!

🔧 CLI Integration

Cursor IDE

Settings → Models → Advanced:
  OpenAI API Base URL: http://localhost:20128/v1
  OpenAI API Key: [from 9router dashboard]
  Model: cc/claude-opus-4-7

Or use combo: premium-coding

Claude Code

Edit ~/.claude/config.json:

{
  "anthropic_api_base": "http://localhost:20128/v1",
  "anthropic_api_key": "your-9router-api-key"
}

Codex CLI

export OPENAI_BASE_URL="http://localhost:20128"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-9router-api-key"

codex "your prompt"

OpenClaw

Option 1 — Dashboard (recommended):

Dashboard → CLI Tools → OpenClaw → Select Model → Apply

Option 2 — Manual: Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "9router/kr/claude-sonnet-4.5"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "9router": {
        "baseUrl": "http://127.0.0.1:20128/v1",
        "apiKey": "sk_9router",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "kr/claude-sonnet-4.5",
            "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Kiro Free)"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: OpenClaw only works with local 9Router. Use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost to avoid IPv6 resolution issues.

Cline / Continue / RooCode

Provider: OpenAI Compatible
Base URL: http://localhost:20128/v1
API Key: [from dashboard]
Model: cc/claude-opus-4-7

🚀 Deployment

VPS Deployment

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/decolua/9router.git
cd 9router
npm install
npm run build

# Configure
export JWT_SECRET="your-secure-secret-change-this"
export INITIAL_PASSWORD="your-password"
export DATA_DIR="/var/lib/9router"
export PORT="20128"
export HOSTNAME="0.0.0.0"
export NODE_ENV="production"
export NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL="http://localhost:20128"
export NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUD_URL="https://9router.com"
export API_KEY_SECRET="endpoint-proxy-api-key-secret"
export MACHINE_ID_SALT="endpoint-proxy-salt"

# Start (runs .next/standalone/server.js)
npm start

# Or use PM2 (point it at the standalone server)
npm install -g pm2
pm2 start .next/standalone/server.js --name 9router
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Docker

Published images (multi-platform linux/amd64 + linux/arm64):

• Docker Hub: decolua/9router
• GHCR: ghcr.io/decolua/9router

Quick start (use published image):

docker run -d \
  --name 9router \
  -p 20128:20128 \
  -v "$HOME/.9router:/app/data" \
  -e DATA_DIR=/app/data \
  decolua/9router:latest

→ Open http://localhost:20128

Build from source (dev):

git clone https://github.com/decolua/9router.git
cd 9router/app
docker build -t 9router .
docker run -d --name 9router -p 20128:20128 \
  -v "$HOME/.9router:/app/data" -e DATA_DIR=/app/data 9router

Container defaults:

• PORT=20128
• HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0

Useful commands:

docker logs -f 9router
docker restart 9router
docker stop 9router && docker rm 9router
docker pull decolua/9router:latest   # update to latest

Data persistence: $HOME/.9router/db/data.sqlite on host ↔ /app/data/db/data.sqlite in container.

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
JWT_SECRET	Auto-generated (~/.9router/jwt-secret)	JWT signing secret for dashboard auth cookie (override to share across instances)
INITIAL_PASSWORD	123456	First login password when no saved hash exists
DATA_DIR	~/.9router	Main app data location (SQLite at $DATA_DIR/db/data.sqlite)
PORT	framework default	Service port (20128 in examples)
HOSTNAME	framework default	Bind host (Docker defaults to 0.0.0.0)
NODE_ENV	runtime default	Set production for deploy
BASE_URL	http://localhost:20128	Server-side internal base URL used by cloud sync jobs
CLOUD_URL	https://9router.com	Server-side cloud sync endpoint base URL
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL	http://localhost:3000	Backward-compatible/public base URL (prefer BASE_URL for server runtime)
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUD_URL	https://9router.com	Backward-compatible/public cloud URL (prefer CLOUD_URL for server runtime)
API_KEY_SECRET	endpoint-proxy-api-key-secret	HMAC secret for generated API keys
MACHINE_ID_SALT	endpoint-proxy-salt	Salt for stable machine ID hashing
ENABLE_REQUEST_LOGS	false	Enables request/response logs under logs/
AUTH_COOKIE_SECURE	false	Force Secure auth cookie (set true behind HTTPS reverse proxy)
REQUIRE_API_KEY	false	Enforce Bearer API key on /v1/* routes (recommended for internet-exposed deploys)
ANTIGRAVITY_TIMEOUT_MS	15000	Timeout (ms) for the Antigravity subscription/quota fetch. Increase if you see "quota fetch timed out" warnings on slow networks.
HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, ALL_PROXY, NO_PROXY	empty	Optional outbound proxy for upstream provider calls

Notes:

• Lowercase proxy variables are also supported: http_proxy, https_proxy, all_proxy, no_proxy.
• .env is not baked into Docker image (.dockerignore); inject runtime config with --env-file or -e.
• On Windows, APPDATA can be used for local storage path resolution.
• INSTANCE_NAME appears in older docs/env templates, but is currently not used at runtime.

Runtime Files and Storage

• Main app state: ${DATA_DIR}/db/data.sqlite (SQLite — providers, combos, aliases, keys, settings, usage history)
• Auto backups: ${DATA_DIR}/db/backups/
• Optional request/translator logs: <repo>/logs/... when ENABLE_REQUEST_LOGS=true
• Both ${DATA_DIR} and ~/.9router resolve to the same location in a Docker container — the symlink /root/.9router -> /app/data is created at build time.

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📊 Available Models

View all available models

Claude Code (cc/) - Pro/Max:

• cc/claude-opus-4-7
• cc/claude-opus-4-6
• cc/claude-sonnet-4-6
• cc/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
• cc/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

Codex (cx/) - Plus/Pro:

• cx/gpt-5.5
• cx/gpt-5.4
• cx/gpt-5.3-codex
• cx/gpt-5.2-codex
• cx/gpt-5.1-codex-max

GitHub Copilot (gh/):

• gh/gpt-5.4
• gh/claude-opus-4.7
• gh/claude-sonnet-4.6
• gh/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
• gh/grok-code-fast-1

Cursor (cu/) - Subscription:

• cu/claude-4.6-opus-max
• cu/claude-4.5-sonnet-thinking
• cu/gpt-5.3-codex
• cu/kimi-k2.5

GLM (glm/) - $0.6/1M:

• glm/glm-5.1
• glm/glm-5
• glm/glm-4.7

MiniMax (minimax/) - $0.2/1M:

• minimax/MiniMax-M2.7
• minimax/MiniMax-M2.5

Kimi (kimi/) - $9/mo flat:

• kimi/kimi-k2.5
• kimi/kimi-k2.5-thinking

Kiro (kr/) - FREE unlimited:

• kr/claude-sonnet-4.5
• kr/claude-haiku-4.5
• kr/glm-5
• kr/MiniMax-M2.5
• kr/qwen3-coder-next
• kr/deepseek-3.2

OpenCode Free (oc/) - FREE no-auth:

• Auto-fetched from opencode.ai/zen/v1/models

Vertex AI (vertex/) - $300 free credits:

• vertex/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
• vertex/gemini-3-flash-preview
• vertex/gemini-2.5-flash
• vertex-partner/glm-5-maas
• vertex-partner/deepseek-v3.2-maas

---

🐛 Troubleshooting

"Language model did not provide messages"

• Provider quota exhausted → Check dashboard quota tracker
• Solution: Use combo fallback or switch to cheaper tier

Rate limiting

• Subscription quota out → Fallback to GLM/MiniMax
• Add combo: cc/claude-opus-4-7 → glm/glm-5.1 → kr/claude-sonnet-4.5

OAuth token expired

• Auto-refreshed by 9Router
• If issues persist: Dashboard → Provider → Reconnect

High costs

• Enable RTK in Dashboard → Endpoint settings (default ON, saves 20-40% tokens)
• Check usage stats in Dashboard
• Switch primary model to GLM/MiniMax
• Use free tier (Kiro, OpenCode Free, Vertex) for non-critical tasks

Dashboard opens on wrong port

• Set PORT=20128 and NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:20128

First login not working

• Check INITIAL_PASSWORD in .env
• If unset, fallback password is 123456

No request logs under logs/

• Set ENABLE_REQUEST_LOGS=true

---

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Runtime: Node.js 20+
• Framework: Next.js 16
• UI: React 19 + Tailwind CSS 4
• Database: SQLite (better-sqlite3 / node:sqlite / sql.js fallback)
• Streaming: Server-Sent Events (SSE)
• Auth: OAuth 2.0 (PKCE) + JWT + API Keys

---

📝 API Reference

Chat Completions

POST http://localhost:20128/v1/chat/completions
Authorization: Bearer your-api-key
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "model": "cc/claude-opus-4-6",
  "messages": [
    {"role": "user", "content": "Write a function to..."}
  ],
  "stream": true
}

List Models

GET http://localhost:20128/v1/models
Authorization: Bearer your-api-key

→ Returns all models + combos in OpenAI format

📧 Support

• Website: 9router.com
• GitHub: github.com/decolua/9router
• Issues: github.com/decolua/9router/issues

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👥 Contributors

Thanks to all contributors who helped make 9Router better!

---

📊 Star Chart

🔀 Forks

OmniRoute — A full-featured TypeScript fork of 9Router. Adds 36+ providers, 4-tier auto-fallback, multi-modal APIs (images, embeddings, audio, TTS), circuit breaker, semantic cache, LLM evaluations, and a polished dashboard. 368+ unit tests. Available via npm and Docker.

---

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built on the shoulders of giants:

• CLIProxyAPI — original Go implementation that inspired this JavaScript port.
• RTK — Rust token-saver. 9Router ports its compression pipeline to JS → −20-40% input tokens on every request.
• Caveman by @JuliusBrussee — viral "why use many token when few token do trick". 9Router adapts its prompt → −65% output tokens.
• Ponytail by @DietrichGebert — "lazy senior dev" skill. 9Router injects its YAGNI-first ladder → fewer tokens, less code, shorter diffs.

Huge thanks to these authors — without their work, 9Router's token-saving features wouldn't exist. ⭐ them on GitHub!

---

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

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_{Built with ❤️ for developers who code 24/7}