Open model usage gains on OpenRouter as Chinese models top U.S. peers in tokens
zainhas · x · 2026-07-23
The chart argues that open model usage is overtaking closed models in practice, even if closed models may still be larger overall.
- The image shows weekly global token share on OpenRouter by the country of the model developer.
- According to the chart, Chinese models surpassed U.S. models for token usage for the first time around early 2026.
- The post's author adds a caveat: OpenRouter usage likely skews toward open and free models, so this does not prove open models are larger overall.
- The takeaway is directional: open models are clearly gaining share, but the gap with closed models is still not closed.
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