Keywords AI review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Our verdict
Keywords AI is a managed LLM gateway that routes across from 1,000 providers behind an OpenAI-compatible API, with bring your own key supported. It suits teams that want one endpoint and hosted operations rather than a self-hosted proxy, and it is priced as a freemium subscription.
Key facts
- Best for
- Teams wanting one OpenAI-compatible endpoint over many providers without running a proxy themselves.
- Fee model
- Freemium subscription: Free $0 USD, Team $199 USD per month billed yearly, Enterprise custom; usage add-ons $8 per 100k logs, $1 per 1k scores, $15 per additional member, HIPAA add-on $249 per month (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Providers routed
- from 1,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Bring your own key
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free tier
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Keywords AI, Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2023 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Official website
- keywordsai.co
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- LinkedInXgithub.comyoutube.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Routes from 1,000 providers through a single OpenAI-compatible API.
- Bring your own key is supported, so model spend stays with your provider accounts.
- A free tier is offered alongside paid Team and Enterprise plans.
- Support runs on email, chat and phone, including chat, phone and a help centre.
Cons
- Usage add-ons sit on top of the subscription, so logs, scores and extra members each add cost.
- The Team plan is priced per month when billed yearly, so the paid entry point carries a yearly commitment.
- Enterprise pricing is quoted to the customer, so larger deployments start with a sales conversation.
Who it suits
- Teams consolidating several model providers behind one endpoint.
- Developers who need bring your own key rather than reseller style billing.
- Product teams that would rather not maintain a proxy in production.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants month to month billing on a paid plan.
- Self-hosting fans, since the gateway is a hosted service.
- Buyers who need a published enterprise price up front.
What it does well
Keywords AI sits between your code and the model providers. It routes requests across from 1,000 providers and speaks an OpenAI-compatible API, so an existing integration can point at one endpoint instead of several. Bring your own key is supported, which keeps model usage billed by your own provider accounts. The result is a single place to add providers, swap models and watch traffic, with the routing layer handled for you.
Who runs it
The legal entity is Keywords AI, Inc., headquartered in the United States and founded in 2023. It operates as a hosted service rather than software you install, so upkeep sits with the vendor. Support is offered through email, chat and phone, which means self-service material is available alongside direct contact when a routing or billing question needs a person.
How Keywords AI compares
Keywords AI vs BytePlus9.2 vs 8.7
Keywords AI vs Zhipu AI (Z.ai)9.2 vs 9.4
Keywords AI vs WaveSpeedAI9.2 vs 8.8
Keywords AI vs Nexos.ai9.2 vs 8.2
Frequently asked questions
How much does Keywords AI cost?+
It runs as a freemium subscription with a Free plan at no cost, a Team plan billed yearly, and custom Enterprise pricing. Usage add-ons are charged on top, covering logs, scores, additional members and a HIPAA option. The Team plan price is quoted per month when billed yearly.
Can I use my own provider keys?+
Yes. Bring your own key is supported, so requests are billed by the provider holding your account rather than marked up by the gateway. That keeps existing provider relationships and pricing intact while the gateway handles routing across from 1,000 providers.
Do I need to change my code to switch to it?+
The API is OpenAI-compatible, so an integration written against that interface can be repointed at the gateway. Models can then be swapped behind the same endpoint, which is the main reason teams adopt a router like this.
Is there a free tier?+
A free tier is offered, alongside the Free subscription plan at no cost. That makes it possible to test routing behaviour across from 1,000 providers before committing to a paid plan, though add-ons and the HIPAA option are charged separately.
Who runs Keywords AI and where is it based?+
The legal entity is Keywords AI, Inc., founded in 2023 and headquartered in the United States. It operates as a hosted service, so infrastructure and routing maintenance sit with the vendor rather than with your engineering team.
How do I get support?+
Support runs on email, chat and phone. Email and a help centre cover most questions, while chat and phone give faster routes for issues that block production traffic, and a community channel adds peer input.
What happens to my cost as usage grows?+
The subscription covers the base platform, while logs, scores and extra members are metered as usage add-ons. Costs therefore rise with volume rather than staying flat, which matters most for teams sending high request counts through the gateway.
Who should not choose it?+
Buyers who need month to month billing or a published enterprise price up front will find less room here. Self-hosting fans should look at LiteLLM, which is open source and free to run yourself, and anyone wanting pay per token may prefer Salad.
Sources
- keywordsai.co checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Providers routed
“Send every request to one endpoint, reach 1,000+ models across every major provider”
- respan.ai/brand checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“Our legal entity is Keywords AI, Inc. and we operate under the brand name Respan.”
- respan.ai/legal/terms-of-use checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“We are Keywords AI Inc., doing business as Respan, a company registered in California, United States at 406 Singleton Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501”
- respan.ai/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Bring your own key, Fee model, Free tier, Support channels
“Key vault (BYOK)”
- ycombinator.com/companies/respan checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, OpenAI-compatible API
“Founded:2023 Batch:Winter 2024”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Keywords AI
Teams wanting one OpenAI-compatible endpoint over many providers without running a proxy themselves.