pi-model-router

Stop changing models by hand.

Keep one profile in Pi. pi-model-router can select a different model and reasoning effort as the task changes, including between tool-loop requests. Optional advice uses any text-capable classifier registered in Pi. The router uses Pi’s typed classifier API and requires explicit per-profile approval for the exact model.

Why use it?

• Fewer manual changes. One profile can combine fast, low-cost routes with stronger models.
• Control over cost and quality. You choose the models, effort levels, fallback order, and baseline. You can pin a route at any time.
• Routing modes. cost, balanced or quality chooses a preferred model/effort pair, per profile, project or session. OpenAI defaults use Luna, Terra and Sol; custom routes keep deterministic transforms. Choose a mode.
• Built-in activity routes. Recognized OpenAI and Claude profiles get defaults for code, debug, explore, plan, review, ops and docs. Tune one cell or opt out. Defaults and tuning.
• Adaptive tool loops. Periodic background reviews assess current work without delaying generation. Eligible recommendations can change tier, activity and effort between requests, with explicit switch-cost controls.
• Visible decisions. A compact Signal Panel shows actual activity, model and effort. Held proposals stay distinct. Open /router for native bars/sparklines, observed usage and session controls.

The aim is selective use of expensive models, not the cheapest answer at any cost. Savings depend on your profiles, task mix, output size, and cache reuse. Advisors add latency. Their fees are separate from generation costs.

Optional routing advice

Use Jev, Clef/Clef Flash/Clef Omni, OpenAI Decisions, or a local Ollama or llama.cpp classifier registered in Pi. It reads bounded recent context and advises a model and effort from your profile. The selected generation model produces the answer, not the advisor.

flowchart LR
    Task["Your task"] --> Router["Pi model router"]
    Advisor["Configured Pi classifier"] -.-> Router
    Router --> Light["Micro / low"]
    Router --> Strong["Medium / high"]
    Light --> Answer["Answer and tool calls"]
    Strong --> Answer
    classDef policy fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#2563eb,color:#0f172a
    classDef advisor fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#b45309,color:#451a03
    classDef generation fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#15803d,color:#14532d
    class Router policy
    class Advisor advisor
    class Light,Strong generation

Configure classifier credentials in Pi and approve its exact provider/model reference per profile. Selected text can contain private data. The router sends text only. Without an advisor, it uses a compatible local route. Supported models, credentials and configuration →

The reference config selects pinned Jev 1.14 but leaves advice disabled until you opt in. Missing catalog entries need a Pi provider extension; the optional catalog example requires Pi 1.3+. The router uses one selected classifier, not voting or classifier failover.

Inspect routing in Pi

Run /router for five tabs: Now · Routes · Classifier · Usage · Settings. Open any tab with /router routes, /router classifier, /router usage or /router settings. /router status returns short text. The two-line strip is on in new sessions. /router widget switches to a quiet footer status instead.

╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ Router / auto                                        │
│ ›Now | Routes | Classifier | Usage | Settings        │
│ ▂▄ GLM 5.3 Flash · low ⏵ pinned                      │
│ zai/glm-5.3-flash · effort low                       │
│ Pinned route                                         │
│ Mode: balanced (default) · bypassed by pin · /router │
│ mode                                                 │
│                                                      │
│ Switch history · retained active branch              │
│ History collection is on · last 50 observations      │
│ Observed: ▂▄▆ MiMo V2.6 Flash · high · baseline      │
│ Model switch: ▂▄▆ MiMo V2.6 Flash · high → ▂▄ GLM    │
│ 5.3 Flash · low · pinned                             │
│ Why this route? | Done                               │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

The bars ▂ ▂▄ ▂▄▆ ▂▄▆█ name the tier, micro to high, on every surface. Captured from Pi 1.5 in agterm with two cheap test models. Inspector controls · Classifier setup

A turn in Pi

This illustrative strip shows a low-tier choice after completion. It is not a routing promise or a latency benchmark.

▂▄ GPT 6 Luna · low  = fits
auto · balanced (default) · classifier 807 ms

The model answers and calls tools. Periodic background reviews use bounded current-loop progress; a fresh recommendation may apply at the next request. Cost sensitivity and a short horizon can hold a costly switch, while strong capability advice can override the estimate. Pins, consent and generation safeguards still apply. Adaptive routing and switch policy → Read the status and take control →

Recent records cover 1,967 Pi responses across 25 sessions. They show route use, not guaranteed savings. See the chart, cost calculations, and limits →

Upgrading to 0.18.0

Recognized OpenAI activity defaults now use Terra at medium and cost/high. Quality defaults prefer a stronger model before more effort. Physical models and spending can change on reload, even for existing profiles. Generic user declarations and explicit activity overrides are not rewritten. Before upgrading, set profiles.<name>.activityPreset: "off" to retain legacy tier-mode behavior. Restart Pi or run /reload after updating; inspect Routes. See default ownership, opt-outs and mode tables.

Upgrading to 0.16.0

Restart Pi after updating. Configuration without mode routes as before. Project .pi/model-router.json files can now set only routes, activityRouting, display and mode (security fix). off/minimal effort at low and above disables that tier. Repeated tool failures now escalate one tier in every mode. Upgrade details →

Upgrading to 0.15.1

If you installed the optional classifier-catalog extension, replace its copy with the updated example before restarting Pi. This fixes startup failures in Pi 1.3.0's bundled loader. Updating the router package alone does not update that separate extension; follow the catalog update steps.

From 0.14

Restart Pi after updating. No routing-policy or configuration migration is required from 0.14. Routes and classifier controls now have their own tabs. Classifier enablement and profile approval remain in user configuration. History collection is still opt-in: /router log on collects new decisions. The inspector makes logging-off state explicit. Existing pins, effort settings, eligible-route safeguards and four-request review cadence remain unchanged.

From versions before 0.12.0

After updating, restart Pi. Replace /router-ui with /router, and /router <profile> with /router profile <name>. Classifier advice now uses any Pi-registered classifier. Replace provider-specific configuration with the generic advisor model and exact per-profile approvals. Classifier migration →

Old Jev/Clef/chat-classifier settings do not enable the current advisor. Follow the migration steps above even if the old file still loads without a warning.

Install

Requires Pi 1.1.0 or later in the 1.x series and Node.js 22.19.0+. Automated SDK/host gates run against Pi 1.1.0. The 0.15 native TUI checks use Pi 1.3.0 in agterm. The optional classifier-catalog example requires Pi 1.3+.

pi install npm:@alexeiled/pi-model-router

Then start a new Pi session. Create a profile with your available models →

If you use the upstream package, remove it first. Both packages register the router provider.

Independent fork of Ye Liu's pi-model-router, with the original MIT license and attribution.