9Router, explained.
From setup to everyday use.
Install 9Router, connect your tools, and choose a route that works for you. Clear instructions, useful answers, and sources you can check.
Free to read. No account needed. Independent of the 9Router project.
9Router is an open-source AI gateway. It connects coding clients to configured model providers through one endpoint. You manage the providers, credentials, and fallback rules; the provider still determines model access and cost.
Find your next step
22 practical guidesStart here
Install 9Router
Choose npm or Docker, keep your data, and check the local endpoint.
9Router GitHub: find the right source
Find the official 9Router repository, inspect releases and package metadata, choose a source install, and report a reproducible issue without sharing secrets.
npm for 9Router: packages, versions, and paths
Understand how npm installs the 9Router package, check Node and executable paths, inspect package provenance, and keep upgrades separate from router data.
npm install 9Router: setup and error fixes
Install 9Router with npm, check the active Node runtime, start the local server, and fix command-not-found, EACCES, registry, and occupied-port errors.
Open Router quickstart: your first API request
Looking for Open Router? Use OpenRouter’s official endpoint, create your own key, choose a model ID, and verify a first API request before adding a local gateway.
Connect a client
Connect Claude Code
Set the Anthropic endpoint and model mapping without losing your existing setup.
Connect Codex
Configure a custom provider and the Responses API endpoint.
Connect OpenCode
Add an OpenAI-compatible provider and select an available model.
Connect Hermes Agent to 9Router
Configure Hermes Agent with a custom 9Router endpoint, choose a discovered model, test tool use, and diagnose provider selection or container networking errors.
Antigravity and 9Router: choose the right connection
Separate Antigravity CLI, IDE, SDK, and provider connections before configuring 9Router. Check protocol compatibility, credentials, model access, and recovery.
Models & providers
Claude models, accounts, and 9Router
Understand Claude models versus Claude Code, choose an authorized provider connection, and check model identity, billing, tool use, and fallback in 9Router.
Hermes: model or agent? Choose the right setup
Distinguish Nous Hermes models from Hermes Agent, identify the endpoint your workflow needs, and choose between direct provider access and a 9Router route.
OpenRouter with 9Router: connect or use directly
Choose direct OpenRouter access or a 9Router provider connection, keep the two API keys separate, and check model IDs, routing, billing, and request failures.
DeepSeek through 9Router: models and request checks
Connect an authorized DeepSeek provider, discover current model IDs, and diagnose reasoning, context, and tool-call differences when routing through 9Router.
Sumopod with 9Router: keys and API setup
Prepare a Sumopod AI key, check balance and model restrictions, and evaluate an OpenAI-compatible connection in 9Router with clear authentication and billing checks.
Keep it working
Build a fallback combo
Choose compatible backup models and verify which provider answered.
Find the failing layer
Separate connection, authentication, model, quota, and streaming failures.
9Router proxy: endpoints, keys, and errors
Understand the 9Router proxy address, local versus upstream credentials, Docker networking, streaming checks, and how to isolate 401, 429, or proxy failures.
Compare
Choose your routing setup
Compare 9Router, OpenRouter, and OmniRoute by hosting, credentials, and maintenance.
OmniRoute vs 9Router: plan a clean comparison
Compare OmniRoute and 9Router by deployment, model routing, client compatibility, and migration work. Test separate instances before moving your existing clients.
OmniRouter: identify the project before installing
OmniRouter names several unrelated projects. Match the repository owner, app type, endpoint, and install command before comparing a result with 9Router or OmniRoute.
FreeLLMAPI vs 9Router: free tiers and routing
Compare FreeLLMAPI with 9Router, inspect the upstream project, and evaluate provider keys, quota limits, model discovery, routing, and migration requirements.
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Is the router responding?
Check the local server before changing your client. Then verify the model list and one small provider request.
Understand endpoints and errorscurl -i http://localhost:20128/api/healthA health response confirms reachability.
It does not verify model access.
Common setup questions
Practical answers drawn from project documentation and linked issue reports.
Is 9Router free to use?
The router software is open source. Model access can still require a subscription, paid API balance, or an eligible free allowance. Check the account serving your request. The routing comparison explains the difference.
Is Claude the same as Claude Code?
No. Claude is a model family; Claude Code is a coding client. A configured gateway determines which provider and model answer the client's request. Read Claude models and accounts before choosing the connection.
Why does OpenCode return a free-usage limit error?
A router cannot replenish an upstream allowance. Identify the provider that returned the limit, check its account status, and select an eligible alternative if needed. See the OpenCode issue explanation.
Why does a SOCKS5 connection time out?
Check the proxy host, port, authentication, and reachability from the router's environment. A SOCKS5 egress connection is different from the API URL your client calls. The proxy guide explains the distinction and links the original report.