llmgateway.io vs. AssemblyAI

Learn why developers choose AssemblyAI’s LLM Gateway over llmgateway.io for production Voice AI:

0% markup—no 5% managed platform fee
Native speech-to-text in the same pipeline—llmgateway.io is text-only
Automatic fallbacks, EU data residency by default, and opt-in zero data retention

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At a glance: llmgateway.io vs. AssemblyAI

Model

AssemblyAI LLM Gateway

llmgateway.io

Pricing

0% markup

5% managed fee (0% BYOK / self-host)

Models

25+ curated production models

200+ models, 20+ providers

Speech-to-text

First-party models—no extra hop

—

Automatic fallbacks

Configurable per-model

Auto-routing + retries

EU data residency

Default-on for EU traffic

Regional pins only

Zero data retention

Opt-in, per request

—

BAA available

—

OpenAI SDK compatible

Everything you get with the AssemblyAI LLM Gateway

0% markup

Pay provider token rates with no gateway markup and no platform fee on managed usage—not a 5% surcharge you avoid only by self-hosting.

Automatic fallbacks

Configure a primary model and any number of backups per request. If a provider errors or rate-limits, the Gateway retries the next model—no code changes.

Native speech-to-text

Transcribe with AssemblyAI’s own speech models and apply any LLM to the result in one pipeline. llmgateway.io routes text only—there is no audio path.

25+ frontier models

GPT, Claude, Gemini, Qwen, Mistral, and more behind one OpenAI-compatible API. New models are added the day they launch.

OpenAI-compatible

Drop into any OpenAI SDK or HTTP client. Change a base URL and a model string, and the rest of your code keeps working.

EU data residency

Route requests through EU-resident infrastructure, on by default for EU traffic—not just an optional regional pin you have to set yourself.

Zero data retention

Opt into zero data retention per request or project-wide, so prompts and responses are never stored.

Production-grade platform

Built and operated by an established Voice AI provider that processes millions of audio hours daily, with 99.9% uptime and SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR.

Start building

Get your free API key and make your first Gateway call in minutes—no infrastructure to stand up.

Live demo

Pick a model. Take action on your audio.

The same transcript, four different jobs, four different models — all routed through one endpoint.

Prompt

What is runner's knee?

claude-opus-4-7 412 ms · 47 tokens

Based on the transcript, runner's knee is a condition characterized by pain behind or around the kneecap. It is caused by overuse, muscle imbalance and inadequate stretching. Symptoms include pain under or around the kneecap and pain when walking.

Ready to outgrow llmgateway.io?

Move to a managed, OpenAI-compatible API with 0% markup, native speech-to-text, and production-grade governance—no 5% fee and no infrastructure to run.

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Playground

We’re not playing around—but you can

Put our Voice AI models and the LLM Gateway to the test in our no-code playground.

Explore Playground

Frequently asked questions

: Both are OpenAI-compatible gateways, but AssemblyAI’s LLM Gateway is a fully managed API with 0% markup and native speech-to-text in the same pipeline, run by an established Voice AI platform. llmgateway.io is a young open-source project whose managed tier charges a 5% platform fee and routes text only. Choose AssemblyAI when you need audio support, default-on data governance, and production maturity.
: No. AssemblyAI passes through provider token rates with 0% markup on managed usage. llmgateway.io charges a 5% platform fee on its managed credits—you only reach 0% by bringing your own keys or self-hosting the open-source gateway yourself.
: Only AssemblyAI. It transcribes with its own speech models and applies any LLM to the transcript in one pipeline. llmgateway.io is a text-only LLM gateway with no audio or speech-to-text path.
: Yes. AssemblyAI lets you configure a primary model and any number of per-request fallbacks, and llmgateway.io provides auto-routing with retries on server errors. Both are OpenAI-SDK compatible, so switching between them is a base-URL and model-string change.
: With AssemblyAI, yes—EU residency is on by default for EU traffic, zero data retention is available per request, and a Business Associate Addendum (BAA) is available for workloads that process PHI. llmgateway.io offers regional pins but no documented default EU residency, ZDR, or BAA.
: AssemblyAI is an established production platform that processes millions of audio hours daily with SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR. llmgateway.io is a newer, largely single-maintainer open-source project—a strong fit for tinkering and self-hosting, but a bigger procurement and support risk for production workloads.