01
LLM gateways · 8 min
What Is an LLM Gateway? Architecture, Controls, and Tradeoffs
A practical explanation of the proxy layer between applications and model providers, including routing, caching, policy, and observability.
FrugalAI Research
Run AI like a measured system.
Twenty practical, sourced guides for teams responsible for LLM cost, quality, reliability, and financial control.
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02
Model routing · 9 min
LLM Cost-Aware Routing: A Practical Implementation Guide
How to route routine requests to lower-cost models without silently sacrificing output quality.
03
Research · 8 min
FrugalGPT Explained: What LLM Cascades Teach Cost Teams
A plain-language guide to the FrugalGPT research and how to translate cascades into production controls.
04
Research · 8 min
RouteLLM and the Quality-Cost Frontier for Model Routing
What RouteLLM measures, what its results mean, and how to avoid copying benchmark claims into production forecasts.
05
Caching · 9 min
Semantic Caching for LLM Apps: Savings Without Cross-Tenant Risk
How semantic response caches work, when they save money, and the controls needed to prevent unsafe reuse.
06
Caching · 7 min
Prompt Caching vs. Semantic Caching: What Actually Gets Reused
A side-by-side guide to provider prefix caches and gateway response caches.
07
AI FinOps · 9 min
AI FinOps: An Operating Model for Variable Inference Spend
How FinOps practices change when model selection, tokens, cache policy, and quality affect the bill in real time.
08
AI FinOps · 8 min
How to Allocate LLM Cost by Team, Product, and Feature
A durable tagging and ledger model for chargeback, showback, and AI unit economics.
09
Budgets · 8 min
LLM Budget Guardrails That Do Not Break Your Product
Design progressive AI spend controls that preserve essential workflows while slowing noncritical usage.
10
Model routing · 8 min
Shadow Mode for LLM Routing: Prove Savings Before Enforcement
A rollout method that compares alternative model decisions without changing production answers.
11
Evaluation · 10 min
An Evaluation Framework for LLM Routing Quality
How to combine deterministic checks, golden sets, judges, human review, and rollback thresholds.
12
Implementation · 8 min
Migrating to an OpenAI-Compatible LLM Gateway
A phased migration checklist for base URLs, keys, streaming, tools, retries, and rollback.
13
Architecture · 7 min
LLM Gateway vs. Observability Platform: Where Each Control Belongs
A clear boundary between request-path enforcement and post-request analysis.
14
Strategy · 9 min
Build vs. Buy an LLM Gateway: A Decision Framework
How to compare internal gateway work with managed products using control, risk, and total operating cost.
15
Comparisons · 8 min
LiteLLM Alternative for Teams That Need AI FinOps Controls
When an OpenAI-compatible proxy is enough and when budget owners need deeper allocation, policy, and reconciliation.
16
Comparisons · 7 min
Portkey Alternative for Budget-Owner AI Operations
A neutral framework for comparing an AI control plane with a FinOps-first request gateway.
17
Comparisons · 7 min
Cloudflare AI Gateway Alternative for Cost-Aware Model Routing
Compare edge proxy capabilities with a control plane built around model economics and team budgets.
18
Comparisons · 7 min
Helicone Alternative for AI Cost Control and Budget Enforcement
How to compare LLM observability with a gateway centered on financial policy and routing.
19
AI FinOps · 8 min
LLM Model Pricing Drift: Why Your Cost Catalog Needs Verification
A workflow for tracking provider price changes, cached-token rates, and their impact on real traffic.
20
Unit economics · 8 min
From Cost per Token to Cost per Outcome in AI Products
A measurement model for connecting inference spend to resolved tickets, accepted drafts, and completed workflows.
21
Reliability · 8 min
LLM Provider Failover Without Hidden Cost or Retry Storms
Design provider resilience with bounded retries, equivalent capabilities, and honest effective-cost accounting.
22
Security · 9 min
Secure LLM Gateway Checklist: Keys, Tenants, Logs, and Policies
A security baseline for the request layer that sees model traffic across applications and providers.
23
AI FinOps · 9 min
How to Run an AI Spend Month Close
A repeatable close process for provider invoices, request ledgers, budgets, savings, and unattributed usage.
24
Procurement · 10 min
AI Gateway RFP Checklist: 40 Questions for Vendors
A procurement checklist covering compatibility, routing, security, FinOps, evaluation, reliability, and exit.
25
Cost optimization · 9 min
How to Reduce LLM API Cost Without a Blind Model Downgrade
A prioritized savings plan across measurement, prompt design, caching, routing, batch work, and budgets.