OrcaRouter MCP Server

Browse 160+ LLM models and live pricing — no API key needed for catalog. Add key to route chat.

Local serverstdio

What is the OrcaRouter MCP server?

Browse 160+ LLM models and live pricing — no API key needed for catalog. Add key to route chat. That is what the orcarouter mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

Catalog browsing works without an API key — compare pricing and capabilities before signing up.

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 4 tools. What each one is for:

  • orcarouter_chat — run a chat completion (with optional fallback chain)
  • orcarouter_models_list — browse the catalog (pricing, context, capabilities)
  • orcarouter_model_card — detailed info for one model
  • orcarouter_providers_list — list providers with model counts

Getting it running

The server ships on npm as @orcarouter/mcp, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: ORCAROUTER_API_KEY, ORCAROUTER_BASE_URL. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

How it compares

Among the AI and media services options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. OrcaRouter's toolset — orcarouter_chat, orcarouter_models_list, orcarouter_model_card and 1 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by Continuum-AI-Corp; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against OrcaRouter's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
orcarouter_chatrun a chat completion (with optional fallback chain)
orcarouter_models_listbrowse the catalog (pricing, context, capabilities)
orcarouter_model_carddetailed info for one model
orcarouter_providers_listlist providers with model counts

How to install the OrcaRouter MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "orcarouter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@orcarouter/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ORCAROUTER_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "ORCAROUTER_BASE_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
ORCAROUTER_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
ORCAROUTER_BASE_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use OrcaRouter to orcarouter chat.
  • Use OrcaRouter to orcarouter models list.
  • Use OrcaRouter to orcarouter model card.

Frequently asked questions

It connects OrcaRouter to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 4 tools (orcarouter_chat, orcarouter_models_list, orcarouter_model_card, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with OrcaRouter directly.