Beyond Price: The Complete SaaS Evaluation Checklist for AI API Gateways

SaaS teams often choose AI API gateways based solely on model coverage and token pricing, missing critical factors like migration friction, billing governance, and reliability. This practical checklist helps teams evaluate vendors comprehensively before routing production traffic, preventing costly mistakes and operational failures. Understanding the full vendor evaluation framework—from API compatibility to cost controls—is essential for production-grade AI infrastructure decisions.