--- title: "9router vs context-mode" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/decolua-9router-vs-mksglu-context-mode" tools: ["decolua-9router", "mksglu-context-mode"] --- # 9router vs context-mode *GraphCanon updated Aug 26, 2026* ## Verdict Pick 9router if 9router is a gateway service that connects multiple coding AI agents with free providers, providing token savings through RTK and offering unlimited free access to certain AI models; pick context-mode if optimizes AI coding agent context windows via sandboxing and persisting session memory across 17 platforms using MCP plus hooks. [9router](https://9router.com) reports 26k GitHub stars, 4.6k forks, and 1.7k open issues, last pushed Aug 14, 2026. [context-mode](https://context-mode.com) has 20k stars, 1.5k forks, and 180 open issues, last pushed Aug 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [9router's repository](https://github.com/decolua/9router) and [context-mode's repository](https://github.com/mksglu/context-mode). | | [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) | [context-mode](/tools/mksglu-context-mode.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Unlimited FREE AI coding with auto-fallback and token savings | Context window optimization for AI coding agents | | Stars | 25,841 | 20,138 | | Forks | 4,635 | 1,458 | | Open issues | 1,700 | 180 | | Language | JavaScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | 9router is a gateway service that connects multiple coding AI agents with free providers, providing token savings through RTK and offering unlimited free access to certain AI models. | Optimizes AI coding agent context windows via sandboxing and persisting session memory across 17 platforms using MCP plus hooks. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Other license type applies. Consult license file for exact terms. | | Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) | [context-mode](/tools/mksglu-context-mode.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 5d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 1.7k | 180 | | Stars delta | +3.1k (30d) | +810 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +479 (30d) | +72 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/decolua-9router/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/mksglu-context-mode/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Node.js**: [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) - Node.js runtime; [context-mode](/tools/mksglu-context-mode.md) - Node.js runtime ## Decision facts: 9router - **Pricing:** unknown - Offers a 'TOKEN SAVER' tier with built-in RTK for FREE, which saves up to 40% on tokens. Also supports connections to completely FREE providers like Kiro AI and OpenCode Free without any sign-up or on - **Adopt for:** 9router is a gateway service that connects multiple coding AI agents with free providers, providing token savings through RTK and offering unlimited free access to certain AI models. ## Decision facts: context-mode - **Adopt for:** Optimizes AI coding agent context windows via sandboxing and persisting session memory across 17 platforms using MCP plus hooks. - **License detail:** Other license type applies. Consult license file for exact terms. ## Choose when ### Choose 9router if… - 9router is primarily JavaScript; context-mode is TypeScript. - License: 9router is MIT, context-mode is Other. - Pricing: Offers a 'TOKEN SAVER' tier with built-in RTK for FREE, which saves up to 40% on tokens. Also supports connections to completely FREE providers like Kiro AI and OpenCode Free without any sign-up or on. - Tags unique to 9router: ai-agents, free-ai, openai-proxy, token-saver. - Also covers Inference & Serving. - 9router ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - Use when you need to connect to various coding AI agents like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, Copilot, and others via a unified gateway. ### Choose context-mode if… - context-mode is primarily TypeScript; 9router is JavaScript. - License: context-mode is Other, 9router is MIT. - Tags unique to context-mode: antigravity, claude-code, copilot, mcp. - context-mode ships an MCP server manifest. - You require seamless support for multiple coding environments including antigravity, claude-code, codex, copilot, and more. ## When NOT to use 9router - Not suitable if you specifically need advanced or high-priority services from premium providers like Claude Code Pro/Max or Codex Plus/Pro, which offer dedicated support and higher limits. - Avoid using this tool if your coding requirements exceed the capabilities of free models connected via 9router's gateway service. ## When NOT to use context-mode - Your project works only on platforms not covered by the 17 supported environments listed in the repository topics section. - You need real-time updates and direct manipulation of code snippets that bypass the sandboxed output feature, as it enforces an up to 98% reduction without manual override options. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between 9router and context-mode? 9router: Unlimited FREE AI coding with auto-fallback and token savings. context-mode: Context window optimization for AI coding agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose 9router over context-mode? Choose 9router over context-mode when 9router is primarily JavaScript; context-mode is TypeScript; License: 9router is MIT, context-mode is Other; Pricing: Offers a 'TOKEN SAVER' tier with built-in RTK for FREE, which saves up to 40% on tokens. Also supports connections to completely FREE providers like Kiro AI and OpenCode Free without any sign-up or on; Tags unique to 9router: ai-agents, free-ai, openai-proxy, token-saver; Also covers Inference & Serving; 9router ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Use when you need to connect to various coding AI agents like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, Copilot, and others via a unified gateway. ### When should I choose context-mode over 9router? Choose context-mode over 9router when context-mode is primarily TypeScript; 9router is JavaScript; License: context-mode is Other, 9router is MIT; Tags unique to context-mode: antigravity, claude-code, copilot, mcp; context-mode ships an MCP server manifest; You require seamless support for multiple coding environments including antigravity, claude-code, codex, copilot, and more. ### When should I avoid 9router? Not suitable if you specifically need advanced or high-priority services from premium providers like Claude Code Pro/Max or Codex Plus/Pro, which offer dedicated support and higher limits. Avoid using this tool if your coding requirements exceed the capabilities of free models connected via 9router's gateway service. ### When should I avoid context-mode? Your project works only on platforms not covered by the 17 supported environments listed in the repository topics section. You need real-time updates and direct manipulation of code snippets that bypass the sandboxed output feature, as it enforces an up to 98% reduction without manual override options. ### Is 9router or context-mode more popular on GitHub? 9router has more GitHub stars (25,841 vs 20,138). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are 9router and context-mode open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (9router: MIT, context-mode: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to 9router or context-mode? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [9router alternatives](/tools/decolua-9router/alternatives) and [context-mode alternatives](/tools/mksglu-context-mode/alternatives) ([9router markdown twin](/tools/decolua-9router/alternatives.md), [context-mode markdown twin](/tools/mksglu-context-mode/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/decolua-9router-vs-mksglu-context-mode.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, 9router or context-mode? 9router: Very active. context-mode: Very 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 9router and context-mode? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [9router trust report](/tools/decolua-9router/trust); [context-mode trust report](/tools/mksglu-context-mode/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=decolua-9router`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=decolua-9router) - 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/_