Chinese Models Overtake Competitors on OpenRouter
karminski3 · x · 2026-07-15
This post summarizes the usage trends of popular models on OpenRouter over the past two weeks, concluding that Chinese models have clearly taken the lead. The author attributes this not just to "model capabilities," but to a combination of free strategies, precise use-case positioning, and naming conventions.
Key Observations
- The current #1 in usage is 腾讯混元3 免费版, which can also be configured into "Lobster".
- 小米 MiMo-V2.5 ranks highly, likely because months of consistent free updates have successfully built user habits.
- DeepSeek-V4-Flash has highly precise positioning, drawing massive traffic from Agent users.
Author's Insights
- Although "flash" models are typically priced lower, they aren't necessarily less profitable; if users integrate them into high-frequency Agent scenarios, request volumes can surge.
- In terms of long-context performance, DeepSeek-V4-Flash is Top.
- A practical takeaway: when targeting Agent scenarios, having flash in the model name seems to win easier user acceptance.
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