LiteLLM Pricing Explained

LiteLLM pricing starts at zero. The open-source LiteLLM proxy is free to download and self-host. You pay only for the infrastructure to run it and the tokens you use from each model provider.

For teams that need enterprise features, LiteLLM offers a paid tier that adds SSO, audit logs, spend tracking, and dedicated support. The cost of that tier is not publicly listed on a simple pricing page.

This guide breaks down both sides: the free open-source path and the paid enterprise path. We also cover the infrastructure costs that most teams underestimate when they choose to self-host.

LiteLLM Open Source: Free to Use

The core LiteLLM proxy is open source under the MIT license. You can download it from GitHub, run it on your own server, and route API calls to over 100 model providers through a single endpoint.

There is no per-token markup from LiteLLM itself on the open-source tier. You pay the model provider directly for the tokens you use. LiteLLM just translates between API formats.

This makes it genuinely free in terms of software cost. The catch is that "free" does not include the server, the engineering time to set it up, or the ongoing maintenance to keep it running.

• MIT license: free to use, modify, and deploy commercially
• No per-token markup from LiteLLM on the open-source tier
• Supports 100+ model providers through a unified API
• You pay each model provider directly for tokens used
• Self-hosted: you provide and manage the infrastructure

LiteLLM Enterprise: What the Paid Tier Adds

LiteLLM offers an enterprise tier for teams that need features the open-source version does not include. The enterprise tier is a managed or supported version of the proxy with additional controls.

Key enterprise features include single sign-on (SSO), detailed audit logs, per-team and per-key spend tracking, role-based access control, and dedicated support with SLAs.

Enterprise pricing is not listed on a public pricing page. LiteLLM uses a contact-sales model for enterprise plans. Verify current pricing and feature availability directly with the LiteLLM team.

• SSO integration for enterprise identity providers
• Detailed audit logs for compliance and debugging
• Per-team and per-key spend tracking and budget controls
• Role-based access control for multi-team deployments
• Dedicated support with SLAs
• Pricing: contact LiteLLM sales for current rates

Self-Hosting Costs Most Teams Underestimate

The biggest hidden cost of LiteLLM is not the software. It is the infrastructure and engineering time to self-host the proxy reliably.

A production LiteLLM deployment needs a server (or container), a database for logging and config, monitoring, and someone to maintain it. For a small team, that might be a $50/month VM. For a company with high throughput, it could be hundreds per month plus engineering time.

Factor in the time cost too. Setting up the proxy, configuring models, debugging provider-specific issues, keeping the proxy updated, and handling outages all take engineering hours that have a real cost.

• Server or container to run the proxy: $20 to $500+/month depending on scale
• Database for config, logging, and spend tracking
• Monitoring and alerting to catch outages
• Engineering time for setup, updates, and troubleshooting
• Security patching, especially given LiteLLM's past security incident

Managed vs Self-Hosted: Which Costs Less?

The managed-versus-self-hosted decision comes down to volume and team size. At low volume with a small team, self-hosting is cheaper in dollars but expensive in time.

At high volume with a dedicated platform team, self-hosting often wins because you avoid per-seat or per-request fees from the managed tier. You also get full control over the deployment.

If you do not have an engineer who can own the proxy, the managed tier or an alternative like OpenRouter or Portkey may cost less in total when you account for engineering time and incident risk.

• Low volume, small team: managed tier or a hosted alternative is usually cheaper overall
• High volume, platform team: self-hosting wins on per-unit cost and control
• No dedicated engineer: the incident risk of an unmanaged proxy is a real cost
• Consider the LiteLLM security incident history when weighing self-hosting risk

Token Costs Are the Bigger Bill

Whether you self-host LiteLLM or use the enterprise tier, the model provider token costs are the largest line item on your bill. LiteLLM is a routing layer, not a model provider.

You pay each provider directly. If you route to Claude, you pay Anthropic's rates. If you route to GPT, you pay OpenAI's rates. If you route to DeepSeek, you pay DeepSeek's rates.

This is where LiteLLM pricing differs from OpenRouter. OpenRouter adds a markup to each provider's price. LiteLLM does not add a markup on the open-source tier. You pay the provider's price directly.

• Model provider token costs are typically 80 to 95% of your total AI spend
• LiteLLM open source adds no per-token markup
• OpenRouter adds a per-token markup on top of each provider's price
• Your choice of model matters more for cost than your choice of routing tool

The Security Incident Factor

LiteLLM had a security incident that is worth factoring into your cost analysis. If you self-host, you take on the responsibility of patching and monitoring for vulnerabilities.

Search interest in "litellm compromised" and "is litellm still compromised" shows that the incident is still a concern for buyers. The open-source project has addressed the issue, but the incident history is part of the risk profile.

If you use LiteLLM in production, budget for security reviews, timely updates, and incident-response planning. These are real costs that the $0 software price does not cover.

• LiteLLM had a publicly known security incident
• Self-hosting means you own the patching and monitoring
• Budget for security reviews and update cycles
• The enterprise tier may offer faster security patches and support

Total Cost of Ownership: LiteLLM vs Alternatives

Comparing LiteLLM pricing to alternatives requires a total-cost-of-ownership view, not just the software price. Here is how the main options stack up.

LiteLLM open source: $0 software + infrastructure + engineering time + model tokens. OpenRouter: per-token markup + model tokens, no infrastructure or engineering. Portkey: managed platform fee + model tokens, includes governance features.

The right choice depends on your team, volume, and compliance needs — our LLM gateway comparison maps them all. If you have the engineering capacity and want full control, self-hosted LiteLLM can be the cheapest. If you want simplicity, a managed alternative costs more per token but less in total effort.

• LiteLLM open source: lowest software cost, highest self-management cost
• LiteLLM enterprise: mid-range cost, less self-management, adds compliance features
• OpenRouter: per-token markup, zero infrastructure, good for multi-model prototyping
• Portkey: managed platform fee, governance and compliance controls included
• Direct API: no routing cost, but you manage each provider relationship separately