Litelm: LiteLLM Without the Bloat
Litelm is a lightweight alternative to the popular LiteLLM library, designed to provide essential LLM routing and translation features without the overhead of proxy servers or caching. It aims to simplify integration by reducing dependencies and code complexity.
Why it matters
It offers developers a more efficient, modular tool for managing multi-model AI workflows, reducing technical debt in software projects.
litellm's routing + translation in ~2,900 lines and 2 dependencies ( openai , httpx ).
litellm routes LLM calls across providers and translates between message formats. That core is buried under 100k+ LOC of proxy servers, caching layers, cost tracking, and dozens of features most users never touch. litelm extracts just the call path — model routing, message translation, streaming, tool use, embeddings — and nothing else. No Router class, no proxy, no caching.
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