What Is an LLM Gateway?
An LLM gateway sits between your apps and model providers: routing, key management, caching, and observability. It manages traffic — not money.
What a gateway does
Routes requests to the best model or provider.
Manages API keys centrally.
Adds caching, fallbacks, and usage analytics.
What it doesn't do
It doesn't decide whether an agent may pay a merchant.
Rate limits stop requests — not purchases.
Gateway + firewall
Gateway for the model layer, firewall for the money layer. They compose.
FAQ
Is a gateway the same as a firewall?
No — one manages model traffic, the other gates agent spend.
Which do I need first?
The gateway if you're multi-provider; the firewall if your agents can spend. Usually both.
Related
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