CLIProxyAPI vs One API
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A local proxy server that exposes CLI and web AI accounts as OpenAI, Gemini, or Claude compatible APIs.
Open source · MIT
Self-hosted gateway that exposes many LLM providers through one OpenAI-style API with key management.
The short answer
Choose CLIProxyAPI if you need…
- Developers who already use OpenAI- or Claude-compatible tools and want to route them to other providers
- People who hold several CLI accounts and want one local endpoint for them
- Users comfortable editing configuration files and running a server
Choose One API if you need…
- Developers who want one OpenAI-compatible endpoint for several model providers
- Small teams or groups who need to issue and limit API keys to members
- Operators who want load balancing or retries across multiple provider channels
- People comfortable running a Docker container or a Go binary on a server
Side-by-side
| CLIProxyAPI | One API | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 57.3k | 37.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Run with Docker |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 10 months ago |
What each one is
CLIProxyAPI
CLIProxyAPI is a proxy server written in Go. It takes accounts from several AI providers, such as Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Grok, and Muse, and presents them through OpenAI, Gemini, or Claude compatible interfaces. Tools that already speak one of those formats can then send requests to it instead of to the provider directly. The README describes it as a way to use multiple CLI accounts locally through any compatible client or SDK.
One API
One API is a self-hosted web service that sits between your apps and many large language model providers such as OpenAI, Azure, Claude, Gemini and DeepSeek. Clients send requests in the standard OpenAI API format, and One API translates them to each provider. It also includes a web admin panel for issuing tokens, setting quotas, and managing channels.
Best for
CLIProxyAPI
- Developers who already use OpenAI- or Claude-compatible tools and want to route them to other providers
- People who hold several CLI accounts and want one local endpoint for them
- Users comfortable editing configuration files and running a server
One API
- Developers who want one OpenAI-compatible endpoint for several model providers
- Small teams or groups who need to issue and limit API keys to members
- Operators who want load balancing or retries across multiple provider channels
- People comfortable running a Docker container or a Go binary on a server
Strengths
CLIProxyAPI
- Supports many providers behind one set of compatible API formats
- Open source under the MIT license with a public release history
- Has a desktop companion client, EasyCLIProxyAPI, mentioned in the README
One API
- Single OpenAI-format interface across many listed providers
- Ships as a single executable or Docker image, per the README
- Includes token, quota, channel, and user-group management in one admin UI
Not ideal for
CLIProxyAPI
- Non-technical users who need a point-and-click app, since setup is done through the command line and config files
- Anyone who needs guaranteed uptime or official support, because it depends on third-party account access that the README does not guarantee
- Users who want to avoid provider terms-of-service risk, since the README does not address how the provider accounts are authorized beyond OAuth and login options
One API
- Users who only call one provider and do not need a gateway, since it adds a service to run
- Anyone who needs a fully managed hosted service, because this is software you deploy and maintain yourself
- Those who cannot verify compliance with local AI service rules, since the README asks users to follow OpenAI terms and applicable law and warns about unregistered public services in China
Trade-offs
CLIProxyAPI
- Model availability varies by channel and account, according to the README
- Relies on account logins and OAuth flows that may change or be restricted by providers
- README is long and partly promotional from sponsors, so setup details must be checked in the full documentation
One API
- The README warns to change the default root password (123456) immediately after first login
- Some features such as model mapping can change request bodies and drop fields not yet supported
- High concurrency requires setting SQL_DSN, so a production setup likely involves a database beyond the default
Getting started
CLIProxyAPI
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/router-for-me/CLIProxyAPIOne API
Run with SQLite using Docker
docker run --name one-api -d --restart always -p 3000:3000 -e TZ=Asia/Shanghai -v /home/ubuntu/data/one-api:/data justsong/one-apiFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between CLIProxyAPI and One API?
CLIProxyAPI: A local proxy server that exposes CLI and web AI accounts as OpenAI, Gemini, or Claude compatible APIs. One API: Self-hosted gateway that exposes many LLM providers through one OpenAI-style API with key management. CLIProxyAPI suits developers who already use openai- or claude-compatible tools and want to route them to other providers, while One API suits developers who want one openai-compatible endpoint for several model providers.
Are CLIProxyAPI and One API free?
CLIProxyAPI: Free and open source. One API: Free and open source.
Is CLIProxyAPI or One API more popular?
CLIProxyAPI has more GitHub stars (57.3k) than One API (37.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to CLIProxyAPI and One API?
Other options people compare them with include DeepWiki, codex-chatgpt-web, CC Switch, Orca, OmniRoute.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.