Define the routing job
A router can choose by task type, latency target, privacy requirement, model availability, or expected difficulty. Start with the one decision that affects your bill or reliability most. A platform with dozens of routing knobs is not automatically better.
What to compare
- Rule-based routing and whether rules are visible.
- Fallbacks when a provider times out or changes limits.
- Per-route quality and cost metrics.
- Versioning for models and routing logic.
- Data handling and provider permissions.
- An override path when a user or operator knows the route is wrong.
Test it before trusting it
Run a fixed set of tasks through the router and record the chosen model, result quality, cost, latency, and fallback behavior. Compare that with a single-model baseline. If the router saves money but increases corrections, it has not improved the system.