Bifrost
Fastest to get started
Why teams pick it
Organizations with Docker or Go runtime for easy deployment
Open-source alternatives to Vercel AI Gateway
Compare community-driven replacements for Vercel AI Gateway in llm gateways & aggregators workflows. We curate active, self-hostable options with transparent licensing so you can evaluate the right fit quickly.
Vercel AI Gateway
OpenAI-compatible endpoint that routes across providers with failover, logs usage and latency, and enforces rate limits—centralizing control and insights for production AI apps.Read more
Key stats
- 5Alternatives
- 5Active development
Recent commits in the last 6 months
- 4Permissive licenses
MIT, Apache, and similar licenses
Counts reflect projects currently indexed as alternatives to Vercel AI Gateway.
Start with these picks
These projects match the most common migration paths for teams replacing Vercel AI Gateway.
Higress
AI-powered workflows
Why teams pick it
Enterprises needing a reliable AI gateway with load balancing
All open-source alternatives
Bifrost
Unified AI gateway with instant failover and zero-config startup
Active developmentPermissive licenseFast to deployGo
Why teams choose it
- Unified OpenAI‑compatible API across 12+ providers
- Automatic failover and intelligent load balancing
- Semantic caching to reduce duplicate calls and cost
Watch for
Requires self‑hosting infrastructure
Migration highlight
Multi‑provider fallback for production chatbots
Maintain 100% uptime by automatically switching between OpenAI, Anthropic, and Bedrock when any provider experiences latency or outage.
Higress
Cloud-native API gateway with AI and Wasm extensibility
Active developmentPermissive licenseFast to deployGo
Why teams choose it
- Production‑grade performance validated by Alibaba at massive scale
- True streaming processing for request/response bodies
- Wasm‑based extensibility supporting Go, Rust, and JavaScript
Watch for
Steep learning curve for Istio/Envoy newcomers
Migration highlight
MCP Server Hosting
Host remote MCP servers via Wasm plugins, enabling AI agents to invoke tools with unified auth, rate limiting, and audit logging.
Portkey AI Gateway
Fast, secure routing hub for 1600+ AI models
Active developmentPermissive licenseIntegration-friendlyTypeScript
Why teams choose it
- Sub‑millisecond routing to 1,600+ models
- Automatic retries, fallbacks, and load‑balancing for high reliability
- Built‑in guardrails and SOC2/HIPAA/GDPR compliance
Watch for
Requires Node.js runtime for self‑hosting
Migration highlight
Unified multi‑modal API for a SaaS product
Developers call text, image, and speech models through one endpoint, reducing code complexity and latency.
Envoy AI Gateway
Unified gateway for secure, scalable generative AI traffic
Active developmentPermissive licenseIntegration-friendlyGo
Why teams choose it
- Two‑tier gateway pattern separating entry‑point and model‑specific routing
- Built‑in authentication, global rate limiting, and top‑level routing
- Supports 20+ LLM providers out of the box
Watch for
Requires familiarity with Envoy configuration
Migration highlight
Enterprise AI platform consolidating OpenAI, Azure, and internal models
Provides a single entry point with unified auth, rate limits, and routing, simplifying policy enforcement.
LiteLLM
Unified gateway for all LLM APIs with OpenAI compatibility
Active developmentFast to deployIntegration-friendlyPython
Why teams choose it
- Single OpenAI‑compatible API for over 20 LLM providers
- Built‑in retry, fallback, and routing across multiple deployments
- Streaming and async support for real‑time applications
Watch for
Adds an abstraction layer that may introduce slight latency
Migration highlight
Multi‑model A/B testing
Switch between OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere models with a single function call, enabling rapid performance comparison.
Choosing a llm gateways & aggregators alternative
Teams replacing Vercel AI Gateway in llm gateways & aggregators workflows typically weigh self-hosting needs, integration coverage, and licensing obligations.
- 5 options are actively maintained with recent commits.
Tip: shortlist one hosted and one self-hosted option so stakeholders can compare trade-offs before migrating away from Vercel AI Gateway.