---
title: "aisix vs awesome-free-llm-apis"
type: "comparison"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/api7-aisix-vs-mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis"
tools: ["api7-aisix", "mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis"]
---

# aisix vs awesome-free-llm-apis

*GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026*

## Verdict

Pick aisix if aISIX is a Rust-native AI gateway designed for routing and managing traffic to various AI providers; pick awesome-free-llm-apis if awesome-free-llm-apis curates permanent free Large Language Model APIs with notable details on their limitations and access methods.

[aisix](https://api7.ai/ai-gateway) reports 151 GitHub stars, 30 forks, and 106 open issues, last pushed Sep 13, 2026. [awesome-free-llm-apis](https://github.com/mnfst/awesome-free-llm-apis) has 7.9k stars, 746 forks, and 17 open issues, last pushed Aug 21, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [aisix's repository](https://github.com/api7/aisix) and [awesome-free-llm-apis's repository](https://github.com/mnfst/awesome-free-llm-apis).

| | [aisix](/tools/api7-aisix.md) | [awesome-free-llm-apis](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tagline | Open-source AI gateway for LLMs & AI agents | List of Permanent Free LLM API |
| Stars | 151 | 7,852 |
| Forks | 30 | 746 |
| Open issues | 106 | 17 |
| Language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Adopt for | AISIX is a Rust-native AI gateway designed for routing and managing traffic to various AI providers | awesome-free-llm-apis curates permanent free Large Language Model APIs with notable details on their limitations and access methods. |
| Persona | - | - |
| Runtime | - | - |
| License | AISIX is available under the Apache License, Version 2.0 which allows you to freely use, modify, and distribute it with proper attribution | This resource is distributed under the Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0) license. |
| Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | Inference & Serving |

## Trust and health

_Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._

| | [aisix](/tools/api7-aisix.md) | [awesome-free-llm-apis](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Active (82%) |
| Days since push | 0d | 29d |
| Open issues (now) | 106 | 17 |
| Stars delta | +59 (30d) | +1.3k (30d) |
| Open issues delta | +8 (30d) | -8 (30d) |
| Full report | [trust report](/tools/api7-aisix/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis/trust.md) |

## Decision facts: aisix

- **Pricing:** freemium - The open-source core (AISIX Gateway) can be used for free. For advanced features like team governance, budgets, and audit dashboard access, the AISIX Cloud is available on a managed SaaS model.
- **Requirements:** Requires etcd running to store configurations; Self-hosted setup requires Docker Compose for local testing with example configuration files
- **Adopt for:** AISIX is a Rust-native AI gateway designed for routing and managing traffic to various AI providers
- **License detail:** AISIX is available under the Apache License, Version 2.0 which allows you to freely use, modify, and distribute it with proper attribution

## Decision facts: awesome-free-llm-apis

- **Pricing:** freemium - The repository lists APIs with permanent free tiers, detailing rate and token limits for those interested in using free Large Language Model services.
- **Requirements:** Before integration, ensure that the specific requirements for API access are met to utilize these models without restriction.; Users should review the rate and token limits associated with each API provider to determine suitability based on their project's needs.
- **Adopt for:** awesome-free-llm-apis curates permanent free Large Language Model APIs with notable details on their limitations and access methods.
- **License detail:** This resource is distributed under the Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0) license.

## Choose when

### Choose aisix if…

- aisix is primarily Rust; awesome-free-llm-apis is JavaScript.
- License: aisix is Apache-2.0, awesome-free-llm-apis is CC0-1.0.
- Pricing: The open-source core (AISIX Gateway) can be used for free. For advanced features like team governance, budgets, and audit dashboard access, the AISIX Cloud is available on a managed SaaS model..
- Requirements: Requires etcd running to store configurations; Self-hosted setup requires Docker Compose for local testing with example configuration files.
- Tags unique to aisix: llm-gateway, observability, openai-compatible, self-hosted.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- aisix ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need an OpenAI-compatible API that can route requests to multiple LLM providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Bedrock

### Choose awesome-free-llm-apis if…

- awesome-free-llm-apis is primarily JavaScript; aisix is Rust.
- License: awesome-free-llm-apis is CC0-1.0, aisix is Apache-2.0.
- Pricing: The repository lists APIs with permanent free tiers, detailing rate and token limits for those interested in using free Large Language Model services..
- Requirements: Before integration, ensure that the specific requirements for API access are met to utilize these models without restriction.; Users should review the rate and token limits associated with each API provider to determine suitability based on their project's needs..
- Tags unique to awesome-free-llm-apis: anthropic, gemini, llm, ollama.
- When you need text inference with specialized capabilities like roleplay and storytelling, the Aion Labs API offers a dedicated free tier specifically designed for these purposes.

## When NOT to use aisix

- If you require a fully managed service with minimal setup and configuration since AISIX requires self-hosting or connecting to AISIX Cloud for management features
- For projects preferring dynamic languages over statically compiled binaries, given that AISIX is built in Rust and ships as one static binary

## When NOT to use awesome-free-llm-apis

- Avoid using Aion Labs if your project involves heavy commercial activity, given its limited rate and token limits.
- Do not use Cohere for projects that will scale beyond 1,000 API calls per month or require credit card details for access to higher-tier plans.
- Google Gemini's free tier is inaccessible in the EU/UK/Switzerland regions and requires consent to let Google improve their products through your usage.
- Mistral AI should be avoided if you need strict confidentiality, as they use prompts from users' interactions to refine and train additional model iterations.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between aisix and awesome-free-llm-apis?

aisix: Open-source AI gateway for LLMs & AI agents. awesome-free-llm-apis: List of Permanent Free LLM API. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.

### When should I choose aisix over awesome-free-llm-apis?

Choose aisix over awesome-free-llm-apis when aisix is primarily Rust; awesome-free-llm-apis is JavaScript; License: aisix is Apache-2.0, awesome-free-llm-apis is CC0-1.0; Pricing: The open-source core (AISIX Gateway) can be used for free. For advanced features like team governance, budgets, and audit dashboard access, the AISIX Cloud is available on a managed SaaS model.; Requirements: Requires etcd running to store configurations; Self-hosted setup requires Docker Compose for local testing with example configuration files; Tags unique to aisix: llm-gateway, observability, openai-compatible, self-hosted; Also covers AI Agents; aisix ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need an OpenAI-compatible API that can route requests to multiple LLM providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Bedrock.

### When should I choose awesome-free-llm-apis over aisix?

Choose awesome-free-llm-apis over aisix when awesome-free-llm-apis is primarily JavaScript; aisix is Rust; License: awesome-free-llm-apis is CC0-1.0, aisix is Apache-2.0; Pricing: The repository lists APIs with permanent free tiers, detailing rate and token limits for those interested in using free Large Language Model services.; Requirements: Before integration, ensure that the specific requirements for API access are met to utilize these models without restriction.; Users should review the rate and token limits associated with each API provider to determine suitability based on their project's needs.; Tags unique to awesome-free-llm-apis: anthropic, gemini, llm, ollama; When you need text inference with specialized capabilities like roleplay and storytelling, the Aion Labs API offers a dedicated free tier specifically designed for these purposes.

### When should I avoid aisix?

If you require a fully managed service with minimal setup and configuration since AISIX requires self-hosting or connecting to AISIX Cloud for management features For projects preferring dynamic languages over statically compiled binaries, given that AISIX is built in Rust and ships as one static binary

### When should I avoid awesome-free-llm-apis?

Avoid using Aion Labs if your project involves heavy commercial activity, given its limited rate and token limits. Do not use Cohere for projects that will scale beyond 1,000 API calls per month or require credit card details for access to higher-tier plans. Google Gemini's free tier is inaccessible in the EU/UK/Switzerland regions and requires consent to let Google improve their products through your usage. Mistral AI should be avoided if you need strict confidentiality, as they use prompts from users' interactions to refine and train additional model iterations.

### Is aisix or awesome-free-llm-apis more popular on GitHub?

awesome-free-llm-apis has more GitHub stars (7,852 vs 151). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.

### Are aisix and awesome-free-llm-apis open source?

Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (aisix: Apache-2.0, awesome-free-llm-apis: CC0-1.0).

### Where can I find alternatives to aisix or awesome-free-llm-apis?

GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [aisix alternatives](/tools/api7-aisix/alternatives) and [awesome-free-llm-apis alternatives](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis/alternatives) ([aisix markdown twin](/tools/api7-aisix/alternatives.md), [awesome-free-llm-apis markdown twin](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.

### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?

Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/api7-aisix-vs-mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.

### Which is better maintained, aisix or awesome-free-llm-apis?

aisix: Very active. awesome-free-llm-apis: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.

### Where are the full trust reports for aisix and awesome-free-llm-apis?

GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [aisix trust report](/tools/api7-aisix/trust); [awesome-free-llm-apis trust report](/tools/mnfst-awesome-free-llm-apis/trust).

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=api7-aisix`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=api7-aisix)
- LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt)
- Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt)

_GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_