# Routstr review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> Routstr is an AI service. Its terms put it at KYC level 0 of 4: ID never required. NoKYC Score grades it 8.6/10 for privacy (excellent) and 6.1/10 for safety (fair). In its favour: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. No incidents are on record.

Source: NoKYC Score, "Routstr review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/routstr

## Key facts
- **Category:** Private AI
- **KYC level:** 0 of 4: ID never required
- **Grades:** Privacy 8.6/10, Safety 6.1/10
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Fees:** Per-request pricing set by each provider
- **Jurisdiction:** Decentralised / none
- **Incidents on record:** 0
- **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://www.routstr.com

## What it is
Routstr is an open-source protocol and router for buying AI inference from independent providers. Its site describes pay-per-request, OpenAI-compatible APIs paid with Bitcoin micropayments and says no accounts, emails or sign-ups are required. Instead of an account, a client brings a Cashu ecash token and uses it as the API key; costs are deducted per request according to token usage, and the chat interface accepts Lightning payments. Providers announce their nodes over Nostr, and the documentation presents the project as a way to use AI models without accounts or KYC. Anyone can run a provider node. The site does not publish a logging policy covering individual providers.

## What the terms say about ID
Site states "No accounts, emails, or sign-ups required"; a Cashu ecash token serves as the API key.

## Features and warnings
- **Identity:** ID never required: yes; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes
- **Payment:** Accepts Monero: not stated; Accepts Lightning: yes
- **Access:** Tor onion address: not stated; Works without JavaScript: not stated
- **Trust:** Open source: yes; No-logs policy: not stated; Independent audit: not stated; Company named: not stated; 5+ years operating: not stated
- **Warnings:** May ask for ID: not in terms; Email required: not in terms; Phone number required: not in terms; Closed source: not in terms; Nobody accountable: not in terms

## Questions
### Does Routstr require KYC?
Routstr is rated KYC level 0 of 4 on this site: ID never required. Site states "No accounts, emails, or sign-ups required"; a Cashu ecash token serves as the API key.

### Is Routstr safe to use?
Routstr has a Safety grade of 6.1 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 8.6 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.

### Is Routstr legit?
Routstr is a working AI service. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 6.1 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.

### Is Routstr a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for Routstr.

### Do I need an account or email to use Routstr?
No account needed.

### What fees does Routstr charge?
Per-request pricing set by each provider. Fees were recorded from Routstr's own pages and can change; check before you send.

### Does Routstr have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on Routstr's own pages.

### Which cryptocurrencies does Routstr support?
Routstr supports BTC.

### Can I use Routstr over Tor?
Routstr does not publish an official onion address.

## Sources
- https://www.routstr.com
- https://docs.routstr.com
- https://github.com/routstr

How grades are calculated: https://nokycscore.com/methodology