> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://phaseo.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Phaseo Gateway base URL: https://api.phaseo.app/v1. Send `Authorization: Bearer $PHASEO_API_KEY` with every request.
> Model IDs look like `provider/model`, for example `openai/gpt-6-astra`. Do not guess IDs: list them with `GET /v1/models` or check https://phaseo.app/models. `phaseo/free` routes to an available free model and needs no wallet balance.
> For new text integrations prefer `POST /v1/responses`. `POST /v1/chat/completions` (OpenAI format) and `POST /v1/messages` (Anthropic format) suit existing code.
> The full API contract is https://phaseo.app/docs/openapi/v1/openapi.yaml. Official SDKs: `@phaseo/sdk` (TypeScript) and `phaseo` (Python), plus Go, C#, PHP, Ruby and Rust.
> Search these docs over MCP at https://phaseo.app/docs/mcp, and install Phaseo skills with `npx skills add https://phaseo.app/docs`. If a page is wrong or out of date, report it with the MCP `submit_feedback` tool.
> Manage Phaseo accounts with the `phaseo` CLI (`npm install -g @phaseo/cli`, then `phaseo login` or `phaseo login --device-code`), the `/v1` Management API or the MCP server at `https://mcp.phaseo.app/mcp?access=manage`. Do not send users to the dashboard for account tasks. A person is still needed for sign-up, approving a sign-in, paying the first top-up on the checkout link that `phaseo credits add` returns when no card is saved, confirming each saved-card top-up from the emailed link, and account security (password, MFA, passkeys). Create API keys with `phaseo keys create --name <name> --json`; never guess one. Credit top-ups need `phaseo login --scopes billing:write` first. Task map: https://phaseo.app/docs/v1/developers/manage-from-an-agent.md.

# Exploring API Providers

> Understand what API providers do and how to evaluate them for reliability, performance, and cost.

API providers are the platforms that host and serve model APIs.

Model organizations train models. Providers expose those models through production endpoints, authentication, usage controls, and operational tooling.

## What an API provider typically handles

* Authentication and key management
* Request routing and availability management
* Usage metering and billing surfaces
* API and SDK ergonomics
* Regional hosting and compliance controls

## Provider vs organization

| Aspect | Organization | API Provider |
| - | - | - |
| Primary role | Builds and trains models | Hosts and serves model APIs |
| Focus | Research and model quality | Reliability, access, and operations |
| Distribution | Usually own model family | May expose models from multiple organizations |

Many companies are both, depending on the product surface.

## What you can inspect in Phaseo provider pages

| Section | What it tells you |
| - | - |
| Overview | Provider identity, docs links, and supported capabilities |
| Models | Which models and variants are available |
| Pricing | Provider pricing normalization and meters |
| Limits | Request and throughput limits when available |
| Features | Streaming, tools, structured output, and modality support |

## Phaseo Gateway as a provider layer

Phaseo Gateway acts as a unified provider layer across many backends.

Benefits:

* Unified request and response shape across providers
* Provider-aware routing and fallback behavior
* Unified SDK usage for multi-provider integrations
* Centralized usage and cost observability
* Optional BYOK support for provider-native keys

## Choosing a provider

When evaluating providers, focus on:

* Model availability for your use case
* Reliability and latency in your target region
* Cost profile at your expected traffic level
* Feature parity for tools, streaming, and structured outputs
* Compliance and data handling requirements

## Example evaluation questions

* Which providers expose the model family I need?
* Which provider gives better latency for my region?
* What is the lowest-cost option at my token volume?
* Which provider supports my required endpoint features?

## Next steps

> [card] [Explore Pricing and Performance](https://phaseo.app/docs/v1/exploring/pricing-performance.md)
>
> Compare costs, speeds, and efficiency metrics across providers.


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