litellm: what it is, what problem it solves & why it's gaining traction

What it solves

LiteLLM solves the complexity of managing multiple LLM providers. Instead of juggling different SDKs, authentication patterns, and request formats for every model, it provides a single, unified interface to call over 100 LLM providers using the OpenAI format.

How it works

It operates in two primary modes:

1. Python SDK: A library for direct integration into Python applications.
2. AI Gateway (Proxy Server): A centralized, self-hosted service that acts as a middleman between your application and various LLM providers, allowing you to swap models without rewriting code.

Who it’s for

Developers and organizations that use multiple AI models from different providers (such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Bedrock) and want to avoid provider lock-in and reduce integration overhead.

Highlights

• Unified API: One interface for 100+ LLMs.
• OpenAI Compatibility: Drop-in replacement for OpenAI-formatted calls.
• Enterprise Features: Includes virtual keys, spend tracking, load balancing, and guardrails.
• Agent & Tool Integration: Supports A2A Agent protocols and MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools.
• High Performance: 8ms P95 latency at 1k RPS.