Compare AI tools

	OpenRouter S	DALL-E 3 B	Leonardo.ai A	Perplexity S
Tagline	One API, every model. Pay-as-you-go, no subscriptions.	OpenAI's image model. Built into ChatGPT Plus.	Gamer + creator image gen with model fine-tuning built in.	AI search done right. Cited answers, not chat theater.
Category	Dev Platform	Image	Image	Research
Pricing	Pay per token — model-dependent	Included with ChatGPT Plus $20/mo	Free + $12-$60/mo	Free + $20/mo Pro
Best for	Developers experimenting across models. Apps that want fallback logic.	ChatGPT Plus users who want images without paying extra.	Indie game devs, illustrators, anyone training custom style models.	Replacing Google for any question where you want a cited answer in seconds.
Strengths	300+ models from one endpoint Automatic fallbacks between providers No subscription — just pay what you use	Excellent prompt understanding Built into ChatGPT — no extra subscription Good at composition + concepts	Train your own models on your style/character Great for game art + concept art Generous free tier	Sources every claim Fast, current answers Pro Search runs multi-step research Spaces for persistent context
Weaknesses	Slight markup over direct API Some provider features not exposed	Aesthetic ceiling below Midjourney + Ideogram Text rendering worse than Ideogram No fine control	General output behind Midjourney Can be overwhelming	Not a general chatbot Answers can be shallow on complex topics
Kai's verdict	S-tier for model-shopping. I use this for every prototype before committing.	B-tier standalone, A-tier value if you already pay ChatGPT. Don't pay for it separately.	A-tier for creators training custom looks. B-tier for general use.	S-tier for search. I use it before Google now. If you're still Googling everything, try this for a week.
Link	Open →	Open →	Open →	Open →