Terms of Service

Last updated: April 2, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Kestrel service ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Kestrel is an LLM API routing proxy that analyzes incoming requests and routes them to the most cost-effective model capable of handling them. The Service acts as an intermediary between you and your LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.).

3. Account and API Keys

• You must provide accurate information when creating an account
• You are responsible for safeguarding your Kestrel API key and provider API keys
• You are responsible for all activity under your account
• You must not share your API keys or allow unauthorized access
• You can revoke API keys at any time through the dashboard

4. Provider API Keys

You provide your own LLM provider API keys to use with Kestrel. You are responsible for:

• Maintaining valid subscriptions and billing with your providers
• Complying with each provider's terms of service and acceptable use policies
• Any costs incurred with your providers through Kestrel-routed requests

Kestrel encrypts your provider keys at rest but does not guarantee against all forms of unauthorized access. You should rotate your provider keys periodically.

5. Pricing and Payment

Savings-share model: Kestrel charges 15% of the cost savings generated by routing your requests to cheaper models. If Kestrel does not generate savings, you are not charged.

• Savings are calculated as: (baseline cost using your requested model) minus (actual cost using the routed model)
• Billing is monthly, based on actual measured usage
• Invoices are generated via Stripe and charged to your payment method on file
• All prices are in USD

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
• Attempt to circumvent routing or billing mechanisms
• Reverse-engineer the routing classifier or scoring algorithms
• Send requests that violate your LLM providers' acceptable use policies
• Exceed reasonable rate limits or abuse the Service
• Resell access to the Service without written permission

7. Service Availability

We strive for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. Kestrel is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for:

• Downtime or service interruptions
• Errors in routing decisions (e.g., a cheaper model producing a lower-quality response)
• Outages or errors at your LLM providers
• Loss of cached data

8. Data and Privacy

Our handling of your data is governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you consent to the data practices described therein.

9. Intellectual Property

The Kestrel service, dashboard, and commercial features are proprietary. The core routing engine is open source under the MIT License at github.com/andber6/kestrel. Your content (prompts, responses) remains yours — we claim no ownership.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Kestrel shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly. Our total liability for any claim arising from the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to Kestrel in the 12 months preceding the claim.

11. Termination

• You may stop using the Service at any time by revoking your API keys
• We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms
• Upon termination, your data will be deleted within 30 days

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or a notice on our website. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

13. Contact

Questions about these terms? Contact us at support@usekestrel.io.