Key facts
| What Requesty is | LLM router and gateway with an OpenAI-compatible API |
| Provider model | You connect providers and route across them |
| Features | Routing, fallbacks, caching and observability |
| Billing | Provider usage plus any platform fees |
| Plugsky model | Managed catalogue of 30+ models served directly |
| Plugsky pricing | Flat monthly self-serve plans; free plan with two models |
| Plugsky deployment | Cloud, VPC, on-prem or air-gapped |
| Feature status | Chat, streaming, JSON mode, function calling and embeddings live on Plugsky |
TL;DR
- Requesty adds routing over providers you connect; Plugsky serves its own catalogue.
- Provider optionality versus one managed service is the core trade-off.
- Flat monthly plans versus provider usage is the billing choice.
- Residency and private deployment favor Plugsky.
- Long-tail models may keep a router in your stack.
How it works, step by step
- List the providers and models your application actually uses through the router.
- Decide whether provider optionality is a requirement or a leftover.
- Test a managed endpoint with the same prompts and tools.
- Compare cost at your real volume across both models.
- Check data path and residency requirements for each option.
- Migrate workload by workload, keeping model names configurable.
Try it yourself
Open the Requesty API cost calculator →
Router and platform are different products
A router exists to choose who serves a request. Requesty adds that layer on top of providers you connect, plus conveniences such as fallbacks, caching and request observability. The value is optionality: the same client can reach many vendors, and traffic can shift when one degrades.
Plugsky removes the choice layer for its own catalogue. It serves 30+ models itself, so requests land on one platform with one key and one bill. The value is accountability and predictability rather than optionality.
Where each fits
Routers fit teams with existing provider relationships, compliance-approved vendor lists or cloud commitments, and products that genuinely benefit from per-request provider selection. If procurement already approves several vendors and engineering wants one SDK, a router is efficient.
Managed platforms fit teams that want the serving layer handled completely: flat monthly self-serve plans, unlimited fair use on paid tiers, a free plan with plugsky-micro and plugsky-lite, and deployment that can extend to VPC, on-prem or air-gapped. See the live pricing page for current plans. The honest limitation is catalogue breadth: a router can reach more models than any curated platform carries.
Migration and coexistence
If your code is OpenAI-compatible, switching is a base URL and model mapping exercise, followed by evaluation. Move one workload, compare quality and structured-output reliability, and check the data path with your security team.
Coexistence is practical. Route primary workloads to the managed platform and keep the router for models the catalogue does not cover. That arrangement preserves one client interface while reducing spend on requests that do not need routing logic.
Honest comparison
| Dimension | Plugsky | Requesty | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Serves its own 30+ model catalogue | Routes across providers you connect | Where each request runs |
| Credentials | One platform key | Provider keys or credits | Secret management |
| Routing features | Model choice per request | Fallbacks, caching and observability | Feature dependencies |
| Billing | Flat monthly self-serve plans | Provider usage plus platform fees | Cost at your volume |
| Data path | Plugsky infrastructure plus private options | Third-party providers | Residency requirements |
| Catalogue | Curated 30+ models | Whatever your providers offer | Model coverage |
Frequently asked questions
Can Plugsky replace Requesty?
Only if every model you need exists in the Plugsky catalogue and you do not need provider-level routing features. Otherwise keep the router and use Plugsky for primary workloads.
Do I still need provider keys with Plugsky?
No. Plugsky serves its own catalogue, so you manage one key. That removes provider key sprawl but also removes routing to vendors outside the catalogue.
Which is cheaper?
Routers add fees or operations on top of provider usage; managed plans are flat monthly. Compare at your real volume rather than on headline rates.
Is migration difficult?
Not mechanically. Both are OpenAI-compatible, so you change the base URL and model names, then re-run evaluations for tools, JSON mode and streaming.
What about models Requesty can reach but Plugsky cannot?
Keep them on the router. A hybrid setup with one primary platform and a router for exceptions is common and easy to document.
Does Plugsky support caching and guardrails?
Those are gateway features. Plugsky provides platform-level usage views, so implement caching or guardrails at the application layer or keep a gateway if they are requirements.
Is there a free way to test Plugsky?
Yes. The free plan includes plugsky-micro and plugsky-lite with no card required, and the 14-day full-access trial covers heavier models.