AI Providers
AI providers are the services that power Fuser's executable nodes. Learn about available providers, their strengths, and how to choose the right ones for your workflows to balance cost, speed, and quality.
Why Use Multiple Providers?
Fuser connects directly to external AI providers, giving you several key advantages:
- Best-in-Class Models: Different providers excel at different tasks. Use the best image, video, and text models from across the AI landscape in a single workflow.
- Cost Optimization: Choose the most cost-effective provider for each specific task.
- Flexibility: Easily switch between providers without rebuilding your workflow logic.
- Latest Access: Get access to new and updated models as soon as they are released by the providers.
Recommended Providers
We recommend starting with this combination for maximum capability at a low starting cost:
Fal - The Media Generation Powerhouse
Fal specializes in Image, Video, Audio, and 3D generation, providing access to the latest models like FLUX, Luma, and Kling with fast performance and competitive, pay-per-use pricing. It's an excellent choice for all your media generation needs, offering a comprehensive suite of tools for content creation.
OpenRouter - The Model Marketplace
OpenRouter provides access to over 300 different text models, offering a huge selection of models including many free and open-source options, along with tools to compare costs. It's ideal for all your text and chat-based needs.
Direct Providers (Optional)
For specific use cases or when you need enterprise-grade reliability, you can connect directly to providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
Provider Comparison
Choosing the right model is a balance between quality, speed, and cost. Here's a general guide:
Text & Chat
| Provider | Popular Models | Strengths | Cost |
|---|
| OpenRouter | Llama 3.1 | Huge variety, many free & low-cost options | $ - $$ |
| Anthropic | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | Excellent for reasoning and analysis | $$ |
| OpenAI | GPT-4o | Strong all-around performance, reliable | $$ |
Image Generation
| Provider | Popular Models | Strengths | Cost |
|---|
| Fal | FLUX.dev | State-of-the-art quality and prompt-following | $ |
| OpenAI | GPT Image | Good prompt adherence and unmatched image quality | $$ |
Video Generation
| Provider | Popular Models | Strengths | Cost |
|---|
| Fal | Kling | State-of-the-art quality and visual consistency | $$$ |
| Runway | Gen-4 | Fast generation speed and prompt adherence | $$$ |
Choosing the Right Provider
- For Beginners: Start with Fal (for media) and OpenRouter (for text). This combination covers over 90% of use cases effectively and affordably.
- For Content Creation: Use Fal for high-quality images/video and OpenRouter for cost-effective text generation.
- For Business & Analysis: Use Anthropic Claude or OpenAI GPT-4 directly or via OpenRouter for tasks requiring high accuracy and reasoning.
- For Experimentation: Use OpenRouter to access free models and Fal's faster models like SDXL Turbo to iterate quickly without high costs.
Cost Management
Pricing is determined by the providers, not Fuser. Understanding their models is key to managing costs.
- Text Models are typically priced per "token" (roughly, a word). Longer inputs and outputs cost more. Generally speaking, text models are the very affordable. Average monthly costs are typically less than $1.
- Media Models are often priced per generation, with factors like image resolution or video duration affecting the cost.
Video and 3D are Expensive
Video and 3D models are much more expensive than text and image models. Average cost per generation is typically $0.50. It's often a good idea to start with an image instead of trying different text prompts. This approach allows you to lock-in the style and content using images which are often:
- Easier to describe: Image models are better at understanding and generating images from text descriptions.
- Faster to generate: Image models can generate images much faster than video or 3D models.
- Cheaper to run: Image models are many times cheaper to run than video or 3D models.
Once you have your image reference ready, you can use it as a starting point for the video or 3D model.
How to Optimize Costs
- Use cheaper, faster models for testing and development.
- Use smaller image resolutions or shorter video durations when iterating.
- Make your prompts clear and concise to reduce token usage.
- Use OpenRouter to find the most cost-effective model for your task.
Security and API Keys
Your API keys are your private credentials for these services.
- Never share them publicly.
- Store them securely in a password manager.
- If you suspect a key has been compromised, revoke it immediately from the provider's dashboard and generate a new one.
For a detailed guide on setup and security, see Setting up API Keys.
What's Next?
Now that you understand the AI providers that power Fuser:
- Setting up API Keys - Get your keys and connect them to Fuser.
- Nodes Reference - Explore the specific nodes for these providers.
- Building Flows - Start building workflows with your chosen providers.
- Templates - See how different providers are used in pre-built workflows.