Guides
One provider or multi-provider routing
Simplicity and resilience trade places; route only when the role boundary is clear.
A concise editorial guide, not a universal recommendation or guarantee.
Decision rule
One provider means fewer credentials, billing surfaces, and failure modes. Routing can put difficult work, background tasks, and vision on different models, but adds availability and privacy boundaries. Start with one provider; add a route only when measured volume or a missing capability justifies it.
Practical checklist
- Give every route one measurable purpose.
- Plan fallback behavior explicitly.
Sources checked
These first-party or authoritative sources ground the note. Checked 2026-08-16.