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EnglishWhat Is OpenRouter and How Does It Provide Cloud AI Models for Text Rewriting?
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OpenRouter is a unified API gateway that gives you access to many AI models from different providers — GPT, Claude, Gemini, and others — through a single account and a single API key. In a text-rewriting tool like CapyBro, it is the cloud option: you paste one OpenRouter key into the app, and the app can then send your selected text to whichever model you choose. The alternative in CapyBro is Ollama, which runs models locally so text never leaves your machine. Choose OpenRouter when you want frontier-model quality and don't mind sending text to a third party; choose Ollama when privacy outweighs model capability.
What OpenRouter actually is
OpenRouter is not a model itself. It is a routing layer that sits between your app and the model providers. Instead of signing up separately with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, collecting three API keys, and wiring three integrations, you get one endpoint and one key that can reach all of them.
For a writing tool, that matters because different rewrite tasks suit different models. A short grammar fix is cheap and fast on a small model; a nuanced "convert to formal tone" rewrite may read better from a larger one. OpenRouter lets the app expose that choice without the app developer building a separate integration for every provider.
How CapyBro uses OpenRouter
CapyBro is a Windows 10/11 writing assistant that works in any app with text — Word, Outlook, Telegram, Chrome, VS Code. The flow is: select text → press a hotkey → the text is rewritten, grammar-fixed, or translated in place.
When OpenRouter is the configured provider, that hotkey press sends your selected text through your OpenRouter key to the model you picked, and the result comes back into the app. CapyBro's own description of the feature is that OpenRouter gives you "access GPT, Claude, Gemini in one account." Practical consequences of that design:
- One credential to manage. You enter a single API key rather than one per provider.
- Model choice per prompt. CapyBro supports a separate model per prompt, so "Fix grammar" and "Rewrite formally" can point at different models.
- Streaming and diff preview. Responses stream in as they generate, and by default you see a side-by-side diff of original vs. AI result before it replaces your text — you can accept, regenerate, reject, or hand-edit first.
OpenRouter vs. Ollama in the same app
Both are provider options inside CapyBro, and the trade-off is the same one you'd face in any tool:
| Dimension | OpenRouter (cloud) | Ollama (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Where text goes | Sent to remote model providers | Never leaves your computer |
| Model quality | Frontier models (GPT, Claude, Gemini) | Depends on the local model you run |
| Hardware needs | None beyond the app | Must run models on your own machine |
| Account setup | OpenRouter account + API key | Local install, no account |
| Best for | Best output quality, varied models | Confidential text, offline use |
CapyBro's privacy notes are explicit about the split: API keys are encrypted locally with Windows DPAPI, history is stored only on your computer, and "in Ollama mode — text never goes to the network at all." That last clause is the tell — in OpenRouter mode, text does go to the network. If your text is confidential, that difference should drive the decision, not model quality.
Typical setup: account, key, paste
The general pattern for connecting any app to OpenRouter:
- Create an OpenRouter account on their site.
- Generate an API key in the account dashboard.
- Paste the key into the app — in CapyBro, into its provider settings.
- Select a model for the prompts you use.
- Test with a short, non-sensitive string before using it on real work, and confirm the diff preview shows what you expect.
The expected result after step 3–4 is that your hotkey now returns cloud-model output instead of an error or local-model output. The most common sticking point is a key that was copied incompletely or a model selection left empty — the app has nothing to route to, so the request fails.
Cost and privacy considerations
Two things to check before committing, and neither is something to assume:
- Cost. OpenRouter routes to paid model providers, and CapyBro's own pricing signals are separate from that — CapyBro lists a free version and a one-time $9 Pro payment with no subscription, but that is the app's price, not your model usage cost. Model usage through OpenRouter is a distinct expense. Check OpenRouter's current pricing for the models you intend to use rather than assuming any tier is free.
- Privacy. Anything you send through OpenRouter leaves your machine and reaches third-party providers. CapyBro mitigates the local side (encrypted keys, local history), but it cannot change where cloud inference happens. For confidential text, switch the same app to Ollama mode instead.
A reasonable default: use OpenRouter for everyday writing where quality matters and the text isn't sensitive, and keep Ollama configured for anything you wouldn't paste into a web form.