Hi everyone,

I’m new to using LLM APIs and recently started learning because of a project requirement.

At first, I was confused by the basic setup process — API keys, Base URLs, model names, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. I’ve been testing things in Cherry Studio because it makes API configuration a bit easier for beginners.

My friend recommended an API aggregation platform called gptproto, but I’m still not sure how to evaluate whether a platform like this is reliable.

For people who regularly use LLM APIs, how do you usually choose an API provider or aggregator?

What factors matter most to you?

- Stability and uptime

- Pricing

- Model availability

- Documentation

- OpenAI-compatible API support

- Ease of setup in Cherry Studio or similar apps

- Latency

- Privacy and data retention policies

- Transparency around model versions

Are there any API aggregators you would recommend for beginners? Are there any you would avoid?

I’d also appreciate any beginner-friendly resources for learning how API keys, Base URLs, and model configuration work in practice.