What is BYOK?
BYOK stands for Bring Your Own Key. It means you supply your own API key from an AI provider (such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter), and OneClickClaw uses that key to power your agent. You pay the AI provider directly for the tokens your agent consumes, and you pay OneClickClaw separately for the hosting infrastructure.
This is fundamentally different from platforms that bundle AI usage into their subscription price. With BYOK, your AI costs are transparent, there is no markup, and you have full control over which provider and model your agent uses. If a cheaper or better model launches tomorrow, you can switch to it immediately from your dashboard without waiting for anyone.
Note
Your API key is stored encrypted at rest on your dedicated server. It is never transmitted to or stored on OneClickClaw's own infrastructure. Your agent's conversations flow directly from your server to your AI provider. We never see them.
Why we chose BYOK
The BYOK model exists for three important reasons:
- You control your AI costs. Token pricing varies dramatically between providers and models. A lightweight model like Claude Haiku might cost fractions of a cent per message, while a frontier model like Claude Opus costs more. With BYOK, you choose what fits your budget and can switch at any time. We do not mark up AI costs by a single cent.
- You choose your provider. You are not locked into a single AI vendor. OneClickClaw supports over 20 providers and 780+ models through OpenClaw. If a new model launches tomorrow that better suits your needs, you can switch to it from your dashboard without waiting for us to add support.
- We never see your conversations. Because your API key goes directly from your server to the AI provider, your agent's conversations never pass through OneClickClaw's systems. Your data stays between your server and your chosen provider.
Tip
If you are not sure which provider to use, OpenRouter gives you access to 780+ models from dozens of providers with a single API key. It is the easiest way to experiment with different models without creating accounts at multiple providers.
Supported providers
OneClickClaw supports any provider that OpenClaw supports, which currently includes over 20 providers and 780+ models. Here are the most popular choices:
- Anthropic (Claude) — Claude Sonnet, Claude Haiku, and Claude Opus. Known for strong reasoning, safety, nuanced conversations, and long context windows (up to 200K tokens).
- OpenAI (GPT) — GPT-4o, GPT-4, and GPT-4o mini. The most widely recognized AI models with broad general-purpose capability and fast response times.
- Google (Gemini) — Gemini Pro and Gemini Flash. Strong multimodal capabilities and competitive pricing, especially for the Flash models.
- xAI (Grok) — Grok models known for fast response times and a distinctive conversational style. Good for real-time interactions.
- Mistral — European AI provider offering efficient, high-quality models. Competitive pricing and strong multilingual support.
- DeepSeek — Cost-effective models with strong reasoning capabilities, especially popular for technical and analytical use cases.
- OpenRouter (780+ models) — A multi-model gateway that gives you access to hundreds of models from dozens of providers through a single API key. The easiest way to experiment.
Beyond these, OpenClaw supports 15+ additional providers including Together AI, Fireworks, Groq, Perplexity, and more. The full list is available in the Agent Control Panel when you configure your AI provider.
Provider comparison
Here is a quick comparison of the most popular providers to help you choose:
| Provider | Best For | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude) | Nuanced conversations, safety, long context | Per-token (input + output) |
| OpenAI (GPT) | General-purpose, broad capability | Per-token (input + output) |
| Google (Gemini) | Multimodal, competitive pricing | Per-token (input + output) |
| xAI (Grok) | Fast responses, real-time knowledge | Per-token (input + output) |
| Mistral | Efficiency, multilingual, European hosting | Per-token (input + output) |
| DeepSeek | Cost-effective reasoning, technical tasks | Per-token (input + output) |
| OpenRouter | Model experimentation, 780+ models | Per-token (varies by model) |
How API costs work
Your OneClickClaw subscription covers hosting infrastructure only. AI usage costs are billed separately by your chosen provider. This means you have two separate, transparent bills:
- OneClickClaw: EUR 14.99 to 49.99/month (depending on your plan) for server hosting, management, monitoring, updates, and support.
- AI provider: Billed by the provider based on token usage. Costs depend on which model you use and how much your agent is used. Typical light usage costs a few dollars per month. Heavy usage with frontier models can be more.
Tip
Most users with a personal or small-community agent spend under $5/month on AI provider costs. You can monitor your usage in your provider's dashboard (for example, console.anthropic.com for Anthropic or platform.openai.com for OpenAI). Setting up billing alerts on your provider account is a good way to avoid surprises.
Getting an API key
Each provider has its own dashboard where you create an API key. Here is where to go for the most popular providers:
- Anthropic: Visit console.anthropic.com, create an account, add a payment method, and generate an API key in the Settings section. Copy the key immediately (it is only shown once).
- OpenAI: Visit platform.openai.com, sign up, add billing credits, and generate an API key under the API Keys section.
- OpenRouter: Visit openrouter.ai, create an account, add credits, and generate a key from your dashboard. One key works for all 780+ models.
- xAI (Grok): Visit console.x.ai, create an account, and generate an API key.
- Google (Gemini): Visit aistudio.google.com, sign in with your Google account, and create an API key.
Detailed provider-specific setup guides with screenshots are available in the Setting Up Your AI Provider article.
Warning
Never share your API key in public chats, forums, or code repositories. Anyone with your key can make API calls that you pay for. If you suspect a key has been compromised, revoke it immediately from your provider's dashboard and generate a new one.
Choosing the right model
With 780+ models available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Here is a simple framework to help you decide:
- If cost is your priority: Start with a smaller, efficient model like Claude Haiku, GPT-4o mini, or Gemini Flash. These are fast, cheap, and handle most conversational use cases well.
- If quality is your priority: Use a frontier model like Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o, or Gemini Pro. These deliver the best reasoning, instruction following, and nuanced responses.
- If you want to experiment: Use OpenRouter. With a single API key, you can try hundreds of models and switch between them from your dashboard without changing your key.
You can change your model at any time from the Agent Control Panel. The switch takes effect immediately with no downtime. For recommendations tailored to specific use cases, see Choosing the Right Model.