FAQ
Answers to common questions about OpenLLM: how it differs from OpenRouter, using your Claude or ChatGPT plan, privacy, devices, recovery, and getting help.
How is OpenLLM different from OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is a cloud API marketplace: one hosted key in front of models on its own accounts, paid for with prepaid credits. OpenLLM routes to the accounts you hold, including subscriptions served from your own device, API keys, and local models, and adds included models on its own key. See How it works.
Do I need my own API key?
No. Every account includes a monthly allowance on hosted models, and on a new account the
ultra, plus, and lite chains start with them. See Included models.
Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT subscription?
Yes, through the daemon on your own device. You sign in with the vendor's own CLI, such as Claude Code or Codex, and the login stays on that device. See Subscriptions.
Does OpenLLM see my prompts?
Requests to the hosted gateway pass through OpenLLM's servers in memory and aren't logged, except
a response cached for 10 minutes when you send an Idempotency-Key. Prompts you send straight to
the daemon on your device that run on a subscription or local model don't reach OpenLLM's
servers, and OpenLLM doesn't train on your content. See Privacy.
What happens when a provider fails?
OpenLLM sends the request to the next model in the chain, as long as no output has streamed yet. See Routing and fallback.
What are ultra, plus, and lite?
Built-in chains ordered from the strongest models (ultra) to the cheapest (lite), built from
the models available to you. You can edit them in Configuration. See
Routing and fallback.
How many devices can I connect?
Your plan sets how many devices can be connected at once, and only machines with the daemon running count. See Device limits.
Does OpenLLM run on Windows?
No. There is no Windows build: the CLI and daemon run on macOS and Linux, and the Mac app runs on macOS. On any other system you can use the dashboard in a browser and call the hosted API. See Any client.
What if I lose my recovery phrase?
On the device where you set up your vault, Settings → Vault can show the phrase again after you enter your PIN. If no device has it, you can reset your vault, which deletes your saved credentials and revokes every API key. See Recovery, PIN and reset.
How do I cancel Pro?
Open Settings, go to Billing → Plan, and select Manage billing to open the billing portal. See Plans and limits.
Where can I get help?
Email [email protected] or join the OpenLLM Discord. For common fixes, see Troubleshooting.
Why do these docs name other companies' products?
To show which tools and providers work with OpenLLM. Product names and logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify compatible products.
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Troubleshooting
Fix common OpenLLM problems with your vault, devices and daemon, provider sign-in, clients and API requests, using the exact messages the app shows.
Brand assets
Download the OpenLLM wordmark and icon as SVG or PNG for light and dark backgrounds, and the rules for using them in articles, integrations, and talks.