AI API Gateway
An AI API gateway is a unified access layer between your application and LLM providers: call multiple model families with one API key and one protocol, with routing, billing, audit and failover built in.
Core capabilities
- Unified protocol: every model exposed through an OpenAI-compatible interface — switch models by changing one parameter.
- Smart routing: automatic path selection by price, latency and availability, with instant failover to backup models.
- Unified billing: one bill across all models, pay-as-you-go, with team cost allocation.
- Audit & control: per-API-key usage logs — a must for enterprise compliance.
HeFu is an AI API gateway built for Hong Kong and cross-border scenarios, aggregating OpenAI, Kimi, MiniMax, Tencent Hunyuan and DeepSeek behind one endpoint.
FAQ
How is an AI API gateway different from calling model APIs directly?
Direct calls mean signing up with each provider, adapting to each API and reconciling each bill; a gateway consolidates everything behind one OpenAI-compatible protocol with smart routing and a unified bill, sharply cutting integration and ops cost.
Does a gateway add latency?
Good gateways keep overhead to tens of milliseconds via nearby nodes and optimized links, and can route by latency automatically — often beating cross-region direct connections.