// vs anthropic console (direct)
Anthropic Console (direct) alternative
The official first-party Claude API.
The short answer
Use Anthropic Console (direct) when
You have enterprise compliance needs, need SLAs, or want first-party billing for accounting purposes.
Use llmrelay when
You're a developer, small team, or indie shop where 50% off the API bill matters more than a direct billing relationship.
Head-to-head
Anthropic Console (direct)
llmrelay
Pricing on premium models
Official list — $5/M input, $25/M output on Claude Opus 4.7.
$2.50/M input on Opus 4.7 (50% off)
Billing model
Varies (see homepage)
Prepaid credit, no expiry
Model coverage
See homepage
Claude, GPT, Gemini, Fable
Transparency
—
Public patch log, hidden-prompt neutralizer
Where Anthropic Console (direct) wins
- +First-party billing and support
- +Enterprise SLAs available
- +Latest models available first
- +No middleman for compliance-sensitive workloads
Where Anthropic Console (direct) loses ground
- −Full list price — $5/M input on Opus 4.7, no discount
- −Rate limits are per-account, not pooled
- −No unified access to GPT / Gemini
Migrating from Anthropic Console (direct)?
Both providers speak OpenAI-compatible / Anthropic-compatible. Swap two env vars and your existing app keeps working.
Get API key →