OrcaRouter MCP Server
Official OrcaRouter MCP server: a model catalog with pricing and chat with auto-routing and a fallback chain.
- 14 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- Chat sends prompts and context to a third-party gateway and spends the paid balance on the key.
- The OrcaRouter key is passed to the server through an environment variable.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/orcarouter-mcp-serverDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- Chat sends prompts and context to a third-party gateway and spends the paid balance on the key.
- The OrcaRouter key is passed to the server through an environment variable.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
A small MCP server puts the OrcaRouter gateway, which routes requests across LLMs, in front of an agent. Four tools: `orcarouter_models_list` shows the catalog with pricing, context and capabilities, `orcarouter_model_card` opens one model, `orcarouter_providers_list` lists providers, `orcarouter_chat` runs a chat. Chat goes through any catalog model or through `orcarouter/auto`, where cost, quality or balanced strategies pick the route. A primary model can have up to four fallbacks. The catalog opens without a key, so prices can be compared before signing up.
Who it is for. Developers who pick a model for a task by price and context and want to call it straight from an MCP client.
Good fit when
- A model is chosen by price per token and context size before the account has a key.
- The same prompt runs through several models and the answers are compared.
- A critical request needs a chain of a primary model and up to four fallbacks.
- Routing is handed to the gateway through `orcarouter/auto` with cost priority.
Not a fit when
- The full gateway API with streaming is needed: the server gives only four tools.
- There is no OrcaRouter key but chat is required: only the catalog works without a key.
- Data must not go to third-party providers: chat requests pass through the gateway.
Example request
Show Anthropic models on OrcaRouter with pricing and ask orcarouter/auto how REST differs from GraphQL.MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- key is optional
Environment variables
ORCAROUTER_API_KEYsecret- OrcaRouter API key. Needed only by `orcarouter_chat`, the catalog tools work without it.
ORCAROUTER_BASE_URL- API base URL. Defaults to `https://api.orcarouter.ai`.
ORCAROUTER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT- Per-request timeout in seconds, 300 by default.
Limitations
The OrcaRouter key is needed only for `orcarouter_chat`, the other three tools work without it. The server needs Node.js 18 or newer. Chat requests are billed by OrcaRouter at the price of the chosen model. The set is limited to four tools and the description mentions no streaming. The default request timeout is 300 seconds and is changed with `ORCAROUTER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT`. The README does not say whether the gateway is reachable from Russia.
How to disable. Run `claude mcp remove orcarouter` or delete the entry from the client config. Revoke the key in the OrcaRouter console.
FAQ
How do I connect OrcaRouter to Claude Code?
Run `claude mcp add orcarouter -s user -e ORCAROUTER_API_KEY=sk-orca-your-key -- npx -y @orcarouter/mcp`. For other clients, the `examples` folder holds ready configs for Claude Desktop, Cursor and Windsurf.
Is a key needed to browse the catalog?
No. The model catalog, model cards and the provider list open without a key. Only `orcarouter_chat` needs it.
What does orcarouter/auto do?
It is the workspace router that picks a model itself by one of the strategies: cost, quality, balanced, LinUCB or gated-adaptive. The `orcarouter_chat` tool calls it like an ordinary model.
How many fallback models can be set?
Up to four beside the primary. If the primary does not answer, the gateway tries the fallbacks in order.
Which Node.js version is required?
Node.js 18 or newer. The server builds into the ESM bundle `dist/index.js` and runs as the `orcarouter-mcp` binary.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
A quick start for Claude Code in one command and a config path for other clients. It then lists four tools, three environment variables, the secrets policy and building from source. MIT license.