LiteLLM
ActiveOverview
LiteLLM provides a unified OpenAI-compatible interface to access over 100 LLMs from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, Gemini, and Bedrock. It offers a Python SDK for direct integration and a self-hosted Proxy Server acting as an AI gateway with features like virtual keys, cost tracking, and load balancing. Targeted at developers, ML platform teams, and GenAI enablement groups needing consistent API access across multiple LLM deployments.
Key Features
- Unified API Interface - OpenAI-format calls to 100+ LLMs without changing code per provider.
- Proxy Server - Centralized gateway with authentication, multi-tenant cost tracking, and admin dashboard.
- Python SDK - Drop-in replacement for OpenAI client with completion, embedding, and image generation support.
- Retry/Fallback Logic - Automatic retries and fallbacks across multiple deployments via Router.
- Virtual Keys - Secure access control with RPM limits and per-project customization.
- Spend Tracking - Tracks costs and sets budgets per project or user.
- Configurable Models - Supports setup for providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure via config.yaml or wizard.
- Guardrails & Caching - Per-project logging, safety checks, and response caching.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Full open-source features including Proxy Server, SDK, 100+ LLM support. |
| Team | Contact for pricing | Advanced team management, enterprise support (mentioned in docs). |
Platforms & Requirements
LiteLLM Proxy Server runs as a Docker container or native process on Linux, macOS, Windows; Python SDK requires Python 3.9+. No mobile support; web-based admin UI accessible via browser. Minimum requirements: standard server hardware for proxy, internet for LLM APIs.
Integrations & Ecosystem
- OpenAI
- Anthropic Claude
- Azure OpenAI
- Google Gemini
- AWS Bedrock
- Ollama
- Anyscale
- CometAPI
Alternatives
| App | Difference |
|---|---|
| Portkey | Commercial gateway focused on observability and caching, less emphasis on open-source multi-provider support. |
| Helicone | Open-source with strong OpenAI proxy features but fewer native LLM provider integrations. |
| OpenRouter | Cloud-hosted routing service without self-hosting or virtual key management. |
| LLM Gateway (Kong) | Enterprise API gateway plugin, more complex setup for LLM-specific use cases. |
Reputation
LiteLLM is praised for its broad LLM provider support, ease of setup, and cost-tracking features in open-source communities and ML teams. Users appreciate the consistent OpenAI API format reducing vendor lock-in. Some note documentation gaps for advanced configurations and occasional provider-specific bugs.