Ficelle
routing
10 posts on this topic.
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Cheapest LLM APIs: compare total workload cost, not token price alone
The cheapest LLM API for your workload depends on output length, retries, rate limits, and reruns, not only the price per million tokens. A worked framework with Groq and Gemini prices.
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Free LLM API keys: legitimate sources, limits, and safe routing
Where to get a free LLM API key from the provider itself, how Groq and Gemini scope their quotas, and how to route free keys without leaks or surprise bills.
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Claude Code free alternatives: what you can replace and what you cannot
A Claude Code free alternative usually means keeping the agent and swapping the model behind it. Here is which coding workloads free models handle, where paid Claude still earns its price, and how to route the difference.
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OpenRouter alternatives: hosted convenience, self-hosting, and strict-zero routing
Compare OpenRouter with a self-hosted gateway like LiteLLM and a local strict-zero router like Ficelle: who holds your keys, where requests go, and what happens when free quota runs out.
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LLM fallback: handle rate limits, outages, and capability mismatches
A working LLM fallback reads the failure before it moves on. How to tell a Groq per-minute 429 from a daily cap, a Gemini project quota from a transient error, and an OpenRouter 402 from a 429, and where capability checks fit.
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OpenRouter alternatives with free models: compare limits and guarantees
Compare OpenRouter free variants with Groq, Gemini, and Cloudflare Workers AI allowances. Learn what each free model router limits, what runs out first, and what no provider guarantees.
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What is an LLM gateway? Routing, reliability, and cost control
An LLM gateway sits between your code and model providers. Here is a practical map of its five layers (compatibility, routing, health, cost policy, maintenance) and which ones Ficelle actually owns.
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Free LLM APIs for developers without unreliable shortcuts
Choose a free LLM API by its access terms, quota scope, tool support, privacy, and failover options. Provider examples explain what to check.
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Provider breakage is the silent killer of AI agents
Free and free-tier LLM providers rate-limit, retire models, and misreport capabilities, weekly. If your agent points at one provider, it breaks when they do. Routing with cooldowns, quarantine, and fallback is the fix.
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Strict-zero routing: why your agent should never spend behind your back
Strict-zero keeps paid fallback disabled. Learn how zero-price catalog checks, optional free quotas, tool requirements, and upstream account limits fit together.
