--- title: "9router vs nanocoder" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/decolua-9router-vs-nano-collective-nanocoder" tools: ["decolua-9router", "nano-collective-nanocoder"] --- # 9router vs nanocoder *GraphCanon updated Aug 25, 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 nanocoder if nanocoder is an open-source AI coding assistant for terminal usage that relies on user-provided models and operates without cloud dependency. [9router](https://9router.com) reports 26k GitHub stars, 4.6k forks, and 1.7k open issues, last pushed Aug 14, 2026. [nanocoder](https://docs.nanocollective.org/nanocoder) has 2.4k stars, 267 forks, and 88 open issues, last pushed Aug 24, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [9router's repository](https://github.com/decolua/9router) and [nanocoder's repository](https://github.com/Nano-Collective/nanocoder). | | [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) | [nanocoder](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Unlimited FREE AI coding with auto-fallback and token savings | An open coding agent for terminal usage | | Stars | 25,841 | 2,376 | | Forks | 4,635 | 267 | | Open issues | 1,700 | 88 | | 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. | nanocoder is an open-source AI coding assistant for terminal usage that relies on user-provided models and operates without cloud dependency. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Other | | Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) | [nanocoder](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 5d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 1.7k | 88 | | Stars delta | +3.1k (30d) | +99 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +479 (30d) | +65 (30d) | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/decolua-9router/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Node.js**: [9router](/tools/decolua-9router.md) - Node.js runtime; [nanocoder](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder.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: nanocoder - **Adopt for:** nanocoder is an open-source AI coding assistant for terminal usage that relies on user-provided models and operates without cloud dependency. ## Choose when ### Choose 9router if… - 9router is primarily JavaScript; nanocoder is TypeScript. - License: 9router is MIT, nanocoder 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. - 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 nanocoder if… - nanocoder is primarily TypeScript; 9router is JavaScript. - License: nanocoder is Other, 9router is MIT. - Tags unique to nanocoder: ai, coding-agents, llm-inference, open-routing. - nanocoder ships an MCP server manifest. - When you need an AI tool that runs directly from your local machine, free from cloud-based dependencies or restrictions. ## 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 nanocoder - Avoid if seeking features exclusive to cloud-based services as nanocoder operates independently of such platforms. - Not suitable for users requiring a wide array of pre-integrated models, as it requires bringing your own model for functionality. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between 9router and nanocoder? 9router: Unlimited FREE AI coding with auto-fallback and token savings. nanocoder: An open coding agent for terminal usage. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose 9router over nanocoder? Choose 9router over nanocoder when 9router is primarily JavaScript; nanocoder is TypeScript; License: 9router is MIT, nanocoder 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; 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 nanocoder over 9router? Choose nanocoder over 9router when nanocoder is primarily TypeScript; 9router is JavaScript; License: nanocoder is Other, 9router is MIT; Tags unique to nanocoder: ai, coding-agents, llm-inference, open-routing; nanocoder ships an MCP server manifest; When you need an AI tool that runs directly from your local machine, free from cloud-based dependencies or restrictions. ### 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 nanocoder? Avoid if seeking features exclusive to cloud-based services as nanocoder operates independently of such platforms. Not suitable for users requiring a wide array of pre-integrated models, as it requires bringing your own model for functionality. ### Is 9router or nanocoder more popular on GitHub? 9router has more GitHub stars (25,841 vs 2,376). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are 9router and nanocoder open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (9router: MIT, nanocoder: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to 9router or nanocoder? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [9router alternatives](/tools/decolua-9router/alternatives) and [nanocoder alternatives](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder/alternatives) ([9router markdown twin](/tools/decolua-9router/alternatives.md), [nanocoder markdown twin](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder/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-nano-collective-nanocoder.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, 9router or nanocoder? 9router: Very active. nanocoder: 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 nanocoder? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [9router trust report](/tools/decolua-9router/trust); [nanocoder trust report](/tools/nano-collective-nanocoder/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/_