More than one provider
Your team wants OpenAI, Anthropic, and compatible upstreams behind one company-controlled endpoint.
Enterprise gateway checklist
Do you need a simple proxy, or a private LLM API gateway?
If one application is calling one provider, a small proxy may be enough. When multiple teams start sharing upstream accounts, issuing internal keys, and asking who used what, you need a gateway that manages access, routing, usage, and cost boundaries together.
When the problem changes
Signs that a generic proxy is no longer enough.
Internal apps need their own keys
Business services, departments, or automation jobs need separate API keys instead of shared vendor credentials.
Upstream keys should stay central
Provider keys should live in the gateway, not in every service repository, script, or team environment.
Cost attribution matters
Platform or finance teams need usage grouped by project, API key, model, provider, and upstream channel.
Internal mode comes first
You want internal users to call without prepaid balance while still recording usage and cost for analysis.
Reliability cannot depend on one key
When a key or channel fails, the gateway should cool it down and keep routing through available credentials.
Decision table
Choose based on the operating model you actually need.
| Capability | NeoGate | Simple proxy | SaaS AI gateway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private deployment in your infrastructure | Yes | Usually | Limited or no |
| OpenAI-compatible API for existing clients | Yes | Often | Often |
| Anthropic-compatible API support | Yes | Sometimes | Often |
| Admin console for channels and credentials | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| Project API keys for teams and apps | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| Usage by project, API key, model, and channel | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| Internal mode with cost records | Yes | Rare | Varies |
| Path to billing mode later | Yes | Rare | Often |
| Standalone first, clustered when needed | Yes | Project-dependent | Managed by vendor |
Best fit
When NeoGate is a good fit.
- Your company wants one private entry point for multiple model providers.
- Internal teams need project API keys instead of shared upstream vendor keys.
- You need usage records by project, API key, model, provider, and channel.
- You want internal cost attribution now, with a path toward billing mode later.
- You want to start with Docker Compose before deciding whether clustered deployment is necessary.
Not the goal
When another option may be better.
- You only need a tiny local development proxy for one application.
- You do not want to run any infrastructure and prefer a fully managed service.
- Your main requirement is prompt evaluation, prompt management, or agent workflow tooling.
- Your organization has already standardized on one cloud AI gateway and does not need portability.