Cline with AnyRouter — free models, one API key
Use Cline with AnyRouter's OpenAI-compatible base URL. Run free models with anyrouter/free, or any catalog model with one sk-ar- key.
Cline with AnyRouter
Cline has a built-in OpenAI Compatible provider, so it can talk to AnyRouter with no plugin and no code. You get free models through anyrouter/free, every catalog model behind one sk-ar- key, and a log row for each request.
Set it up
Open Dashboard → Keys and create a key. Every AnyRouter inference key starts with sk-ar-.
In Cline, click the gear icon to open settings, then set:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| API Provider | OpenAI Compatible |
| Base URL | https://anyrouter.dev/api/v1 |
| API Key | your sk-ar- key |
| Model | anyrouter/free |
Ask Cline anything, then open your request logs. The request appears with the model that answered, tokens, and cost.
Cline is an agent that calls tools. Pick a model that supports tool calling — browse Chat Completions models. Under Cline's model configuration you can also set the context window and max output tokens to match the model's catalog page.
Which model id to use
| Model id | What it does |
|---|---|
anyrouter/free | Routes to the best free model available right now, with automatic fallback. No credits used. |
anyrouter/auto | Picks from top models (free and paid) with health-aware failover. Paid members use credits. |
owner/model | A specific model, for example z-ai/glm-5.2. Copy ids from the catalog. |
Free models
anyrouter/free costs nothing and needs no provider keys. It is capped per account per day: 10 requests/day on the Free plan and 1000 requests/day on paid plans, reset at 00
Bring your own keys
Already pay for a provider? Add its key in AnyRouter and Cline uses it through the same base URL. BYOK requests are billed by your provider and do not count against the free daily cap. See Use your own provider keys and BYOK.
Troubleshooting
401 — the API Key field does not hold an active sk-ar- key. Check it in Dashboard → Keys.
404 or model not found — the Model field must match an AnyRouter id exactly, including the owner/ prefix.
429 free_tier_daily_limit_exceeded — you used today's free requests. Wait for 00
400 no_eligible_models on anyrouter/auto or anyrouter/free — your privacy or routing settings (for example Zero Data Retention or blocked providers) excluded every candidate. Relax them in the dashboard, or pick a specific model.