Free AI Setup with OpenRouter
Use VISTA with powerful AI models completely free — no credit card required.
Table of contents
Why OpenRouter?
| Feature | OpenRouter | OpenAI | Azure AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 🆓 FREE | 💰 Paid | 💰 Paid |
| Credit Card | ❌ Not Required | ✅ Required | ✅ Required |
| Setup Time | ⚡ 5 minutes | ⏱️ 10 minutes | ⏱️ 30+ minutes |
| Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Context Window | 128K+ tokens | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Everyone | Production | Enterprise |
OpenRouter provides access to 500+ AI models, including free models that rival GPT-4 in quality. Perfect for bug bounty hunters, students, and anyone who wants powerful AI security testing at zero cost.
Setup Steps (5 Minutes)
1. Create OpenRouter Account
- Go to openrouter.ai
- Click “Sign Up”
- Sign up with Google, GitHub, or email
- No credit card or payment information needed
2. Generate API Key
- Visit openrouter.ai/keys
- Click “Create Key”
- Give it a name (e.g., “VISTA”)
- Copy the key — it starts with
sk-or-v1-...
Save your API key somewhere safe. OpenRouter won’t show it again after creation.
3. Configure VISTA
- Open VISTA in Burp Suite → go to Settings tab
- Set Provider to OpenRouter
- Paste your API key
- Set model to one of the free models below
- Click “Test Connection” → should show 🟢
Recommended Free Models
| Model | ID | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B ⭐ | meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free |
General testing, fast responses |
| DeepSeek R1T2 Chimera | tngtech/deepseek-r1t2-chimera:free |
Complex analysis, WAF bypasses, deep reasoning |
Recommended: Start with
meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free— it provides fast, accurate responses for most security testing scenarios.
Free Model Limits
Free models on OpenRouter have generous limits:
- Rate limit: ~20 requests per minute
- Daily limit: ~200 requests per day
- Context: 128K+ tokens per request
- Quality: Comparable to GPT-4o-mini
These limits are more than sufficient for typical bug bounty testing sessions.
Tips for Best Results
- Use Expert Templates — Templates provide structured prompts that get better responses from free models
- Be Specific — Include relevant request details in your queries
- Use Follow-Up Questions — Free models handle conversation context well
- Scope Your Analysis — Use scope management to avoid wasting requests on irrelevant traffic
Upgrading Later
If you outgrow free limits, you can:
- Stay on OpenRouter — Add credits ($5 minimum) for access to GPT-4, Claude, and other premium models
- Switch to OpenAI — Direct API access to GPT-4o family
- Use Azure — Enterprise deployments with SLA guarantees
Switching providers takes 30 seconds — just update the Settings tab.