Write Code for Free with OmniRoute + cc-switch: 268 AI Providers, 8 Tools

OmniRoute

OmniRoute is a TypeScript + Next.js AI gateway that presents a single OpenAI/Anthropic‑compatible endpoint backed by more than 268 providers and 500+ models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, Kimi K3, GLM, DeepSeek, etc.). It works with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other AI coding tools because it implements both OpenAI and Anthropic protocols.

Core technical features include:

268+ providers, 500+ models

Quota‑aware auto‑fallback (automatically switches when a provider’s free quota is exhausted)

RTK + Caveman token compression (saves 15‑95% tokens)

MCP/A2A protocol support (25 built‑in tools)

Multimodal support (image, voice, video, embedding vectors)

Desktop and PWA forms

MIT‑licensed, 500+ contributors

GitHub repository:

github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute

cc-switch

cc-switch is a cross‑platform desktop application built with Tauri 2, Rust and React (not a CLI) that manages configuration for eight AI programming tools: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok Build, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent.

Key capabilities:

50+ preset providers with one‑click import

Local proxy + hot‑switch (no terminal restart needed for Claude Code)

Format conversion, auto‑fallback, circuit breaker, health monitoring, request shaping

MCP/Prompts/Skills synchronization across the eight tools

Usage statistics and cost tracking

Workspace editing (OpenClaw) for Markdown files

Cloud sync (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, NAS, WebDAV)

Deep‑link protocol ccswitch:// for URL‑based provider import

GitHub repository:

github.com/farion1231/cc-switch

Why combine them

OmniRoute solves endpoint + credential management, offering a unified pool of providers, automatic quota fallback and token compression. cc-switch solves tool‑level configuration, letting you define a single Provider that points to OmniRoute; all eight tools then share the same free‑quota routing.

Result: while coding, the tools automatically use OmniRoute’s free‑quota chain, and when a provider’s quota runs out the request falls back to the next free provider without any user interaction.

Deployment tutorial

Step 1: Deploy OmniRoute

Fastest method is Docker:

docker run -d \
  --name omniroute \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --stop-timeout 40 \
  -p 20128:20128 \
  -v omniroute-data:/app/data \
  diegosouzapw/omniroute:latest

Or start from source on macOS:

nvm install 24
git clone https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute
cd OmniRoute
npm install --no-audit --no-fund
npm rebuild better-sqlite3
cp .env.example .env
npm run dev

After launch, open http://localhost:20128 (default password CHANGEME).

Step 2: Add Providers

In the OmniRoute UI, choose free providers such as Gemini CLI (OAuth free tier), Google AI Studio (API‑Key free tier) or Kiro (AWS CodeWhisperer free tier). Each added provider is automatically connectivity‑tested.

Step 3: Create API Key

Navigate to OmniRoute → API Management → Create API Key. This key will be used by cc‑switch to access OmniRoute.

Step 4: Configure Load Balancing (Combo)

Create a Combo that chains providers. Choose strategy fallback (sequential fallback) or fill-first (fill the first provider’s quota before moving on). Remember to map each provider’s actual model name in the “model mapping” section, otherwise calls will return 404.

Step 5: Test Requests

Use the test button in OmniRoute to verify that each model is reachable.

Step 6: Install and configure cc‑switch

On macOS: brew install --cask cc-switch. In cc‑switch, add a Provider with:

Provider Name: OmniRoute
Base URL: http://localhost:20128/v1
API Key: <your OmniRoute API key>
Model: gemini-cli/gemini-2.5-flash

Common pitfall: the URL must end with /v1, not /v1/chat/completions.

Step 7‑8: Enable in Claude Code and run

In cc‑switch, select the Claude Code card, choose the OmniRoute provider, and click Enable. Hot‑switch works without restarting the terminal. Run a test command (e.g., claude) and observe real‑time request forwarding in the cc‑switch dashboard.

Common pitfalls

Gemini model routing errors: use the full provider/model prefix (e.g., gemini-cli/gemini-2.5-flash) or add a Google AI Studio API key.

Accessing Gemini from China requires an HTTP proxy (e.g., host 127.0.0.1, port 7897) set in OmniRoute Settings → Proxy.

Do not enable “thinking” mode in Claude Code for models that do not support it; disable it to avoid failures.

Advanced usage

OmniRoute offers 13 load‑balancing strategies; the most common is fallback. It also provides auto‑selected models via auto/* prefixes (e.g., auto/coding, auto/fast, auto/cheap, auto/smart) that automatically pick the best free provider based on request type.

Custom combos and priority ordering can be defined through the UI; screenshots in the original article illustrate the process.

Expected outcome

Daily coding uses Gemini CLI OAuth + Google AI Studio free tier + Kiro free tier, providing 10‑20 k free calls per day.

Occasional need for Claude’s premium capabilities can switch to the official subscription.

Overall cost is essentially zero per month.

Repositories: github.com/farion1231/cc-switch and github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute.