The hosted MCP gateway for any agent. Connect once in Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok (grok.com) for specialist tools, one connection, one bill, and an audit log on Business and above. Arcade is the MCP runtime for agents that must act *as each end user* — per-user auth, not a shared company catalog. If the hard problem is “the agent should use *this person’s* Google and Salesforce,” Arcade wins. If the hard problem is “the company needs one specialist catalog and one invoice,” ToolRouter wins.
Prices checked 20 August 2026 on arcade.dev/pricing. ToolRouter from toolrouter.com/pricing.
Which is best for you: ToolRouter or Arcade?
Pick Arcade when production agents must take actions on behalf of real users with real permissions. Arcade’s homepage pitch is auth, tools, and governance in one runtime: agents act as the signed-in user, not a shared token. Free includes 2,000 auth events and 2,000 tool calls per month. Team is $25/mo plus usage — auth events at $0.10, tool calls at $0.01. Enterprise is custom, with VPC or air-gap.
Pick ToolRouter when the company wants a hosted specialist catalog (image, video, SEO, research, search) that every assistant already in use can share — Claude, ChatGPT, Grok Bot, Cursor — without standing up an authorization runtime. ToolRouter is not trying to be the identity layer between an agent and each employee’s SaaS.
ToolRouter vs Arcade features
| Feature | ToolRouter | Arcade |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Hosted specialist-tool catalog | MCP runtime: per-user auth + tools + governance |
| Auth model | Company catalog; team seats and shared credits | Per-user auth; agents act as the end user |
| Catalog | Specialist tools (media, SEO, research, search, security) | Thousands of MCP tools for Workspace, Slack, Salesforce, plus custom |
| MCP | Hosted catalog over MCP / CLI / REST | MCP runtime and gateways |
| Company billing | One bill; seats from $29; shared credits | $25/mo platform + per-auth and per-call usage |
| Audit log | Business and above | Enterprise lists SSO, RBAC, audit logs |
| List price (20 Aug 2026) | Free tools; from $0.005/use; Lite $9; Plus $19. No required monthly list for catalog use | Free $0; Team $25/mo + $0.10 auth / $0.01 call; Enterprise custom |
| Self-host | No | Cloud; VPC / air-gap on Enterprise |
| Honest win | Hosted specialist catalog, one bill, audit log, companies centralize MCP | Per-user auth |
Pros, cons, and ToolRouter limits vs Arcade
Arcade wins on per-user auth. That is the honest differentiator. If security review will not accept a shared company connection to Gmail, Arcade is built for that review.
ToolRouter wins on a hosted specialist catalog that product and research teams actually call, with one company bill and an audit log, and no runtime project to staff.
ToolRouter limits (real):
- Not a per-user OAuth runtime. ToolRouter does not replace Arcade when each employee must authorize the agent against *their* SaaS.
- Not Arcade’s “thousands of MCP tools” for Workspace / CRM on behalf of each user.
- Hosted only — no air-gap.
Arcade limits (real):
- Team usage ($0.10 per auth event, $0.01 per tool call) is a different shape from ToolRouter’s catalog pricing. High auth volume is a first-class cost.
- Arcade is not a self-serve specialist generation/SEO/research catalog with ToolRouter’s “free tools + $0.005” list.
- The $25 Team plan is usage-plus, not an all-you-can-catalog seat.
Who should pick ToolRouter or Arcade
Company: ToolRouter to centralize the specialist catalog and the tool invoice across assistants. Arcade when agents must act as employees inside Google, Slack, or Salesforce under existing identity providers.
Product team: Arcade if you are shipping a multi-user agent that performs *the user’s* actions. ToolRouter if you are shipping an agent that should call a hosted specialist catalog.
Solo: Arcade Free (2,000 auth events / 2,000 calls) to prove per-user auth. ToolRouter Free for unlimited free catalog tools, paid skills from $0.005.
ToolRouter vs Arcade FAQ
Is ToolRouter an MCP runtime like Arcade?
No. ToolRouter is a hosted specialist catalog. Arcade is a runtime whose headline problem is per-user authorization. Companies that need both will buy both.
How does $0.01 per Arcade tool call compare to ToolRouter’s $0.005?
Different units. Arcade’s $0.01 (Team, 20 Aug 2026) is the runtime meter, plus $0.10 per auth event, plus a $25 platform fee. ToolRouter’s $0.005 is the floor on paid catalog skills; free tools stay $0; there is no required monthly list for catalog use.
Can Arcade replace ToolRouter for SEO, image, and research tools?
Only if you build or bring those tools into Arcade. ToolRouter hosts that specialist catalog. Arcade hosts the auth runtime and a different tool set aimed at user-permissioned SaaS actions.
Does ToolRouter run in my VPC?
No. Arcade Enterprise lists VPC and air-gap. ToolRouter is hosted. If air-gap is the requirement, Arcade (or TrueFoundry) is the better comparison.
Where do I start?
Compare hub. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Grok Bot, or Cursor.