Bring your own AI
BYOK AI chat: bring your own API key, or the plan you already pay for.
Slashspace is BYOK AI chat on an infinite canvas. Bring your own API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter and more, use the Claude or ChatGPT plan you already pay for, or run local models, and pick a different one for every chat.
$89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required). Or $249 one-time lifetime.
Every way to run AI in Slashspace
Use one, or mix them on the same canvas.
| Option | Setup | Who bills you | Where your messages go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your API keys | Paste a key | The provider, at its own prices | Straight from your computer to the provider |
| Your Claude or ChatGPT plan | Install and sign in to Claude Code or Codex once | Your existing Claude or ChatGPT plan | From the CLI on your computer to Anthropic or OpenAI, under your own account |
| Local models (Ollama) | Install Ollama and download a model | Nothing beyond your hardware | Stays on your computer (sign-in and some features still go online) |
| Custom providers | Add an OpenAI-compatible endpoint | Whoever runs the endpoint | To the endpoint you set |
| Optional built-in AI | None | Your optional hosted wallet | Through Slashspace's servers to the model provider |
Bring your own API key
Add keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Perplexity, xAI, OpenRouter, Qolaba, DeepSeek and Groq in Settings > API Providers.
- Click a provider, then Get API key to open its key page.
- Paste the key and click the check mark.
- Slashspace tests it with a small request before saving, and the provider's models show up in the model picker.
- Pick your models. Show or hide each model, or add one by its exact Model ID and give it a friendly name. OpenRouter starts empty, so you add the models you want.
- Pay the provider directly. Your key is billed at the provider's own prices, and nothing comes out of the hosted wallet.
- Keys stay put. Keys are encrypted with your operating system's secure storage and stay on the computer where you add them.
- Extras on your keys. A Groq key runs voice input on your own Groq account. Reasoning effort (Low to Max) reaches models on your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google keys.
Use your Claude or ChatGPT plan
Already paying for Claude or ChatGPT? Slashspace drives the official Claude Code and Codex CLIs on your computer, signed in with your own account. Usage counts against your plan, with no API key to paste.
- Set up once. Install the CLI, sign in from your terminal with the account that holds your plan, then turn it on in Settings > Subscription Providers.
- They're agents. Claude Code and Codex work in a folder you choose, reading files and, if you allow it, changing them. Start with Plan (Claude Code) or Read-only (Codex) until you trust the results.
- One thing to check. If
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYorOPENAI_API_KEYis set on your computer, the CLI may bill that key instead of your plan. Run the CLI in a terminal to see which account it uses. - Cursor too. Cursor connects with a Cursor API key, and Cursor bills you for what you use.
Run local models with Ollama
Ollama is a free app that runs open models such as Llama, Qwen and Gemma on your computer. Download a model from Settings > Ollama and it appears in the model picker.
- No per-message cost. Long research sessions cost nothing per message.
- Your chats stay home. The conversation and its connected context go to Ollama on your machine, and chats work offline, though after a couple of days offline the sign-in check can stop them.
- The trade-off. Your hardware sets the speed and the quality ceiling. Smaller models suit most laptops.
Connect any OpenAI-compatible server
Point Slashspace at LM Studio, vLLM, your company's AI gateway or a smaller hosted service. Add the base URL and an optional key, add models by ID, and a private or fine-tuned model can answer on the same canvas as a commercial one. Messages go straight from your computer to that server.
A different model in every chat
Every chat on the canvas keeps its own model. Use a fast model for quick lookups, a strong reasoning model for the thread that matters, and a local model on a canvas of private documents. Set a default model per canvas, so every new chat there starts on it.
Want to see two models answer the same question? Branch the prompt once per model and the answers sit side by side, from the same context.
Where your data goes
- Your key, your provider. Messages on your own keys go straight from your computer to the provider. One exception: with Qolaba, attached files are first uploaded to Slashspace's storage and Qolaba gets a link.
- Your canvases are files. Canvases are saved on your computer.
- Honest caveats. Capturing web pages and reading documents use Slashspace's servers whatever model you pick, and by default a hosted service names each new chat from its first message. To keep titles on your own account, set Title Generation Model to a model on one of your keys.
What you pay
If you work with your own API keys, a Claude or ChatGPT plan, or local models, the plan is all you pay Slashspace. Keys work during the trial too.
$89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required). Or $249 one-time lifetime.
TypingMind and Msty are also good apps for bringing your own keys. If you're weighing them, see our TypingMind comparison and Msty comparison. Slashspace is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux; web and mobile apps are coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
What is BYOK AI chat?
BYOK means bring your own key. You paste an API key from a provider like OpenAI or Anthropic, and the app sends your messages to that provider on your account, so you pay the provider directly. In Slashspace, every chat on the canvas can run on a different key or model.
Which providers can I bring my own API key for?
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Perplexity, xAI, OpenRouter, Qolaba, DeepSeek and Groq, plus any OpenAI-compatible server as a custom provider and local models through Ollama.
Where is my API key stored?
It's encrypted with your operating system's secure storage and stays on the computer where you add it. Keys don't sync.
Do my messages go through Slashspace's servers?
Your messages on your own keys go straight from your computer to the provider. With Qolaba, attached files are first uploaded to Slashspace's storage and Qolaba gets a link. Some canvas features, like capturing web pages and reading documents, use Slashspace's servers whatever model you pick. The privacy doc lists everything.
Can I use my ChatGPT or Claude subscription instead of an API key?
Yes. Slashspace drives the official Claude Code and Codex CLIs on your computer, signed in with your own account. Usage counts against your plan.
Why is my Claude Code or Codex usage going to an API key?
If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY is set on your computer, or you first signed the CLI in with a key, the CLI may bill that key. Run it in a terminal to check which account it uses.
Can I run models locally?
Yes, through Ollama, with no per-message cost. LM Studio and vLLM work as custom providers.
Do I still pay for Slashspace if I bring my own keys?
Yes, Slashspace itself needs a plan, but that's all you pay Slashspace. Messages on your keys, your Claude or ChatGPT plan, or local models never draw from the hosted wallet.
I used my own keys in RabbitHoles. Do they carry over?
Yes. Slashspace is formerly RabbitHoles AI, and when you move over, your API keys and model list come with you. Your keys go into your operating system's secure storage. See the migration guide.
Does it work in a browser or on my phone?
Not yet. Slashspace is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. Web and mobile apps are coming soon.
How much does it cost?
$89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required), or $249 one-time lifetime.
Bring your own AI to the canvas
Your keys, your Claude or ChatGPT plan, or local models, in any chat on one canvas. It's $89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required). Rather pay once? It's $249 one-time lifetime.