Anthropic token use on OpenRouter jumps about 3.5x as cheaper models land

OpenRouter data shows Anthropic's average daily token volume climbing sharply after its 5.5 model series rolled out with lower-priced tiers Developers have found a new favorite way to spend their compute budgets. According to OpenRouter data, Anthropic ’s average daily token use rose about 3.5 times between September 22 and October 24. The more telling detail is that spending rose too. Cheaper models often inflate usage numbers without much real money changing hands, and that does not appear to be the full story here.