Tool outputs (git diff, grep, find, ls, tree, log dumps...) often eat 30-50% of your prompt budget. RTK detects them and applies smart, lossless compression before the request hits the LLM:

• Filters: git-diff, git-status, grep, find, ls, tree, dedup-log, smart-truncate, read-numbered, search-list
• Auto-detect: No config needed — RTK peeks the first 1KB of each tool_result and picks the right filter.
• Safe by design: If a filter fails, throws, or makes output bigger, RTK silently keeps the original text. Errors never break your request.
• Universal: Works across all formats (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Kiro, OpenAI Responses) because it runs before any format translation.
• Default ON: Toggle anytime in Dashboard → Endpoint settings.

Without RTK: 47K tokens sent to LLM
With RTK:    28K tokens sent to LLM   (40% saved · same context · same answer)

Headroom is optional and runs separately. 9Router calls Headroom's local /v1/compress endpoint, then keeps normal routing, fallback, auth, and usage tracking:

Client → 9Router → Headroom /v1/compress → 9Router → provider

Local setup:

pip install "headroom-ai[proxy]"
headroom proxy --port 8787

Enable in Dashboard → Endpoint → Token Saver → Headroom. Default URL: http://localhost:8787.

Docker examples:

# Headroom service in same Docker network
http://headroom:8787

# Headroom running on host machine
http://host.docker.internal:8787

If Headroom is down or returns an error, 9Router fails open and sends the original request.

Ponytail injects a "lazy senior dev" system prompt into every request, biasing the LLM toward minimal, YAGNI-first code — deletion over addition, stdlib over new deps, one-liners over abstractions. Adapted from DietrichGebert/ponytail.

• Lite — Build what's asked, name the lazier alternative.
• Full — YAGNI ladder enforced: stdlib → native → existing deps → one-liner → minimal code.
• Ultra — YAGNI extremist: deletion first, ship the one-liner, challenge the rest of the requirement in the same response.

Without Ponytail: verbose code, extra abstractions, "just in case" scaffolding
With Ponytail:    shortest working diff, no unrequested abstractions, fewer tokens

Never trades away: input validation, error handling that prevents data loss, security, accessibility, or anything explicitly requested. Enable in Dashboard → Endpoint → Ponytail. Stacks with Caveman (output terseness) and RTK (input compression).

Create combos with automatic fallback:

Combo: "my-coding-stack"
  1. cc/claude-opus-4-6        (your subscription)
  2. glm/glm-4.7               (cheap backup, $0.6/1M)
  3. if/kimi-k2-thinking       (free fallback)

→ Auto switches when quota runs out or errors occur

• Token consumption per provider
• Reset countdown (5-hour, daily, weekly)
• Cost estimation for paid tiers
• Monthly spending reports

Seamless translation between formats:

• OpenAI ↔ Claude ↔ Gemini ↔ Cursor ↔ Kiro ↔ Vertex ↔ Antigravity ↔ Ollama ↔ OpenAI Responses
• Your CLI tool sends OpenAI format → 9Router translates → Provider receives native format
• Works with any tool that supports custom OpenAI endpoints

• Add multiple accounts per provider
• Auto round-robin or priority-based routing
• Fallback to next account when one hits quota

• OAuth tokens automatically refresh before expiration
• No manual re-authentication needed
• Seamless experience across all providers

• Create unlimited model combinations
• Mix subscription, cheap, and free tiers
• Name your combos for easy access
• Share combos across devices with Cloud Sync

• Enable debug mode for full request/response logs
• Track API calls, headers, and payloads
• Troubleshoot integration issues
• Export logs for analysis

• Sync providers, combos, and settings across devices
• Automatic background sync
• Secure encrypted storage
• Access your setup from anywhere

• Prefer server-side cloud variables in production:
  • BASE_URL (internal callback URL used by sync scheduler)
  • CLOUD_URL (cloud sync endpoint base)
• NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL and NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUD_URL are still supported for compatibility/UI, but server runtime now prioritizes BASE_URL/CLOUD_URL.
• Cloud sync requests now use timeout + fail-fast behavior to avoid UI hanging when cloud DNS/network is unavailable.

• Track token usage per provider and model
• Cost estimation and spending trends
• Monthly reports and insights
• Optimize your AI spending

💡 IMPORTANT - Understanding Dashboard Costs:

The "cost" displayed in Usage Analytics is for tracking and comparison purposes only. 9Router itself never charges you anything. You only pay providers directly (if using paid services).

Example: If your dashboard shows "$290 total cost" while using Kiro free models, this represents what you would have paid using paid APIs directly. Your actual cost = $0 (Kiro free tier: ~50 credits/mo).

Think of it as a "savings tracker" showing how much you're saving by using free models or routing through 9Router!

• 💻 Localhost - Default, works offline
• ☁️ VPS/Cloud - Share across devices
• 🐳 Docker - One-command deployment
• 🚀 Cloudflare Workers - Global edge network

The dashboard tracks your token usage and displays estimated costs as if you were using paid APIs directly. This is not actual billing - it's a reference to show how much you're saving by using free models or existing subscriptions through 9Router.

Example:

• Dashboard shows: "$290 total cost"
• Reality: You're using Kiro free models (~50 credits/mo)
• Your actual cost: $0.00
• What $290 means: Amount you saved by using free models instead of paid APIs!

The cost display is a "savings tracker" to help you understand your usage patterns and optimization opportunities.

No. 9Router is free, open-source software that runs on your own computer. It never charges you anything.

You only pay:

• ✅ Subscription providers (Claude Code $20/mo, Codex $20-200/mo) → Pay them directly on their websites
• ✅ Cheap providers (GLM, MiniMax) → Pay them directly, 9Router just routes your requests
• ❌ 9Router itself → Never charges anything, ever

9Router is a local proxy/router. It doesn't have your credit card, can't send invoices, and has no billing system. It's completely free software.

Mostly! The current FREE providers (Kiro, OpenCode Free, Vertex) are genuinely free, but free tiers have limits:

These are free services offered by those respective companies:

• Kiro AI: ~50 credits/month free (plus 500 trial credits for new accounts in the first 30 days) via AWS Builder ID / Google / GitHub OAuth. Paid tiers available above that.
• OpenCode Free: No-auth passthrough proxy, models auto-fetched from opencode.ai/zen/v1/models. The free model list fluctuates over time (some models free only for limited promos) — subject to change without notice.
• Vertex AI: $300 free credits for new Google Cloud accounts (90 days). Since Mar 2026 the Gemini API endpoint no longer consumes these credits — use the Vertex AI Studio endpoint instead.

9Router just routes your requests to them - there's no "catch" or future billing from 9Router itself. They're truly free services, and 9Router makes them easy to use with fallback support.

Discontinued free tiers (no longer recommended):

• ❌ iFlow: Was free unlimited, now changed to paid (2026)
• ❌ Qwen Code: Free OAuth tier fully discontinued by Alibaba on 2026-04-15
• ❌ Gemini CLI: Service fully shut down by Google on 2026-06-18 (replaced by the closed-source Antigravity CLI). Discontinued — do not use.

Free-First Strategy:

1. Start with 100% free combo:

   1. kr/glm-5 (GLM-5 free via Kiro, ~50 credits/mo)
   2. OpenCode Free models (no auth, auto-fetched)
   3. Vertex AI Gemini 3 Pro (using the Vertex AI Studio endpoint with $300 credits)
   

   Cost: $0/month (within Kiro's free credit cap; OpenCode/Vertex subject to their free-tier limits)

2. Add cheap backup only if you need it:

   4. glm/glm-4.7 ($0.6/1M tokens)
   

   Additional cost: Only pay for what you actually use

3. Use subscription providers last:

   • Only if you already have them
   • 9Router helps maximize their value through quota tracking

Result: Most users can operate at $0/month using only free tiers!

9Router's smart fallback prevents surprise charges:

Scenario: You're on a coding sprint and blow through your quotas

Without 9Router:

• ❌ Hit rate limit → Work stops → Frustration
• ❌ Or: Accidentally rack up huge API bills

With 9Router:

• ✅ Subscription hits limit → Auto-fallback to cheap tier
• ✅ Cheap tier gets expensive → Auto-fallback to free tier
• ✅ Never stop coding → Predictable costs

You're in control: Set spending limits per provider in dashboard, and 9Router respects them.

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Claude Code
→ OAuth login → Auto token refresh
→ 5-hour + weekly quota tracking

Models:
  cc/claude-opus-4-7
  cc/claude-opus-4-6
  cc/claude-sonnet-4-6
  cc/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

Pro Tip: Use Opus for complex tasks, Sonnet for speed. 9Router tracks quota per model!

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Codex
→ OAuth login (port 1455)
→ 5-hour + weekly reset

Models:
  cx/gpt-5.5
  cx/gpt-5.4
  cx/gpt-5.3-codex
  cx/gpt-5.2-codex

Dashboard → Providers → Connect GitHub
→ OAuth via GitHub
→ Monthly reset (1st of month)

Models:
  gh/gpt-5.4
  gh/claude-opus-4.7
  gh/claude-sonnet-4.6
  gh/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
  gh/grok-code-fast-1

Dashboard → Providers → Connect Cursor
→ OAuth login
→ Monthly subscription

Models:
  cu/claude-4.6-opus-max
  cu/claude-4.5-sonnet-thinking
  cu/gpt-5.3-codex

1. Sign up: Zhipu AI
2. Get API key from Coding Plan
3. Dashboard → Add API Key:
   • Provider: glm
   • API Key: your-key

Use: glm/glm-5.1, glm/glm-5, glm/glm-4.7

Pro Tip: Coding Plan offers 3× quota at 1/7 cost! Reset daily 10:00 AM.

1. Sign up: MiniMax
2. Get API key
3. Dashboard → Add API Key

Use: minimax/MiniMax-M2.7, minimax/MiniMax-M2.5

Pro Tip: Cheapest option for long context (1M tokens)!

1. Subscribe: Moonshot AI
2. Get API key
3. Dashboard → Add API Key

Use: kimi/kimi-k2.5, kimi/kimi-k2.5-thinking

Pro Tip: Fixed $9/month for 10M tokens = $0.90/1M effective cost!

Dashboard → Connect Kiro
→ AWS Builder ID, AWS IAM Identity Center, Google, or GitHub
→ Unlimited usage

Models:
  kr/claude-sonnet-4.5
  kr/claude-haiku-4.5
  kr/glm-5
  kr/MiniMax-M2.5
  kr/qwen3-coder-next
  kr/deepseek-3.2

Pro Tip: Best free option for Claude. No API key, no payment, fully unlimited.

Dashboard → Connect OpenCode Free
→ No login required (passthrough proxy)
→ Models auto-fetched from opencode.ai/zen/v1/models

Pro Tip: Fastest setup. Just connect and start coding.

Dashboard → Connect Vertex AI
→ Upload Google Cloud Service Account JSON
→ Enable Vertex AI API in your GCP project

Models:
  vertex/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
  vertex/gemini-3-flash-preview
  vertex/gemini-2.5-flash

Vertex Partner (Anthropic / DeepSeek / GLM / Qwen via Vertex):
  vertex-partner/glm-5-maas
  vertex-partner/deepseek-v3.2-maas
  vertex-partner/qwen3-next-80b-a3b-thinking-maas

Pro Tip: New Google Cloud accounts get $300 credits free for 90 days. Plenty for daily coding.

Settings → Models → Advanced:
  OpenAI API Base URL: http://localhost:20128/v1
  OpenAI API Key: [from 9router dashboard]
  Model: cc/claude-opus-4-7

Or use combo: premium-coding

Edit ~/.claude/config.json:

{
  "anthropic_api_base": "http://localhost:20128/v1",
  "anthropic_api_key": "your-9router-api-key"
}

export OPENAI_BASE_URL="http://localhost:20128"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-9router-api-key"

codex "your prompt"

Option 1 — Dashboard (recommended):

Dashboard → CLI Tools → OpenClaw → Select Model → Apply

Option 2 — Manual: Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "9router/kr/claude-sonnet-4.5"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "providers": {
      "9router": {
        "baseUrl": "http://127.0.0.1:20128/v1",
        "apiKey": "sk_9router",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "kr/claude-sonnet-4.5",
            "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Kiro Free)"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: OpenClaw only works with local 9Router. Use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost to avoid IPv6 resolution issues.

Provider: OpenAI Compatible
Base URL: http://localhost:20128/v1
API Key: [from dashboard]
Model: cc/claude-opus-4-7

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/decolua/9router.git
cd 9router
npm install
npm run build

# Configure
export JWT_SECRET="your-secure-secret-change-this"
export INITIAL_PASSWORD="your-password"
export DATA_DIR="/var/lib/9router"
export PORT="20128"
export HOSTNAME="0.0.0.0"
export NODE_ENV="production"
export NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL="http://localhost:20128"
export NEXT_PUBLIC_CLOUD_URL="https://9router.com"
export API_KEY_SECRET="endpoint-proxy-api-key-secret"
export MACHINE_ID_SALT="endpoint-proxy-salt"

# Start
npm run start

# Or use PM2
npm install -g pm2
pm2 start npm --name 9router -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Published images (multi-platform linux/amd64 + linux/arm64):

• Docker Hub: decolua/9router
• GHCR: ghcr.io/decolua/9router

Quick start (use published image):

docker run -d \
  --name 9router \
  -p 20128:20128 \
  -v "$HOME/.9router:/app/data" \
  -e DATA_DIR=/app/data \
  decolua/9router:latest

→ Open http://localhost:20128

Build from source (dev):

git clone https://github.com/decolua/9router.git
cd 9router/app
docker build -t 9router .
docker run -d --name 9router -p 20128:20128 \
  -v "$HOME/.9router:/app/data" -e DATA_DIR=/app/data 9router

Container defaults:

• PORT=20128
• HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0

Useful commands:

docker logs -f 9router
docker restart 9router
docker stop 9router && docker rm 9router
docker pull decolua/9router:latest   # update to latest

Data persistence: $HOME/.9router/db/data.sqlite on host ↔ /app/data/db/data.sqlite in container.

Notes:

• Lowercase proxy variables are also supported: http_proxy, https_proxy, all_proxy, no_proxy.
• .env is not baked into Docker image (.dockerignore); inject runtime config with --env-file or -e.
• On Windows, APPDATA can be used for local storage path resolution.
• INSTANCE_NAME appears in older docs/env templates, but is currently not used at runtime.

• Main app state: ${DATA_DIR}/db/data.sqlite (SQLite — providers, combos, aliases, keys, settings, usage history)
• Auto backups: ${DATA_DIR}/db/backups/
• Optional request/translator logs: <repo>/logs/... when ENABLE_REQUEST_LOGS=true
• Both ${DATA_DIR} and ~/.9router resolve to the same location in a Docker container — the symlink /root/.9router -> /app/data is created at build time.

Claude Code (cc/) - Pro/Max:

• cc/claude-opus-4-7
• cc/claude-opus-4-6
• cc/claude-sonnet-4-6
• cc/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
• cc/claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

Codex (cx/) - Plus/Pro:

• cx/gpt-5.5
• cx/gpt-5.4
• cx/gpt-5.3-codex
• cx/gpt-5.2-codex
• cx/gpt-5.1-codex-max

GitHub Copilot (gh/):

• gh/gpt-5.4
• gh/claude-opus-4.7
• gh/claude-sonnet-4.6
• gh/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
• gh/grok-code-fast-1

Cursor (cu/) - Subscription:

• cu/claude-4.6-opus-max
• cu/claude-4.5-sonnet-thinking
• cu/gpt-5.3-codex
• cu/kimi-k2.5

(README truncated)