Model Providers

camelAI is model-agnostic. By default, paid plans use camelAI's hosted credits to call whichever model you've picked for the thread. If you'd rather use your own API key, you can bring one from any of four providers. This page explains what each option gives you and how to set it up.

The agent can run on the major model families camelAI supports: GPT, Gemini, Grok, Kimi, DeepSeek, and Claude. You can switch models any time from the model picker in the chat. Whichever provider you've connected determines which models are available to you.

When to use camelAI credits

• You don't already have a provider account.
• You want one bill, not multiple.
• You want every supported model available without managing separate keys.

When to bring your own key

• You're on the Free tier — a key is required.
• You have provider credits you want to make use of.
• Your company needs usage on a corporate AWS or Azure bill for compliance or finance reasons.
• You need a provider we don't support natively (Microsoft Azure, Google Vertex, etc.) — see Using a provider we don't support directly below.

Supported providers

camelAI supports four providers for BYOK. Each unlocks a specific set of models.

Using a provider we don't support directly (Azure, Vertex, etc.)

camelAI doesn't connect natively to Microsoft Azure OpenAI or Google Vertex AI. Each cloud provider has its own auth model, billing structure, and quirks, and supporting them all directly would slow down our work on the rest of the platform. The good news: if your company is on one of those providers, you can still run camelAI through your existing account by routing through OpenRouter.

How it works

OpenRouter supports plugging in your own keys for a long list of cloud providers, including:

• Microsoft Azure OpenAI
• Google Vertex AI
• AWS Bedrock (alternative to our direct Bedrock integration)
• Others — see OpenRouter's BYOK guide for the current list.

When you connect those keys to OpenRouter, OpenRouter forwards your requests to that provider. Usage runs against your Azure (or Vertex, or Bedrock) bill, and OpenRouter charges a 5% fee on top — waived for the first 1 million BYOK requests per month.

Setup with Azure as the example

1. Set up Azure OpenAI

   In your Azure portal: deploy a model, note the endpoint URL, deployment name, and API key.

2. Sign up for OpenRouter

   Sign up at openrouter.ai and go to Integrations → Bring Your Own Key.

3. Add Azure as a provider in OpenRouter

   Paste the endpoint URL, model ID, and API key per OpenRouter's Azure setup instructions.

4. Generate an OpenRouter API key

   Generate a key at openrouter.ai/settings/keys.

5. Add the OpenRouter key to camelAI

   Add the key under Settings → AI Provider → OpenRouter.

The same flow works for Google Vertex (Google Cloud service account JSON) or AWS Bedrock through OpenRouter (AWS access key + region).

Adding a key

1. Open AI Provider settings

   Open Settings → AI Provider in your workspace.

2. Pick a provider

   Choose Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or AWS Bedrock.

3. Paste your API key

   Paste your API key (and select a region, if you're using Bedrock).

4. Save

   Save the form.

The form has a "Get a key" link next to each provider that takes you to the right page on the provider's site.

You can switch providers any time from the same screen, or remove your key and switch to camelAI hosted credits (paid plans only).

Using camelAI on the cheap

The playbook:

1. Sign up for OpenRouter

   Sign up and add the minimum in credits at openrouter.ai/credits. A small top-up goes a long way with cheap models.

2. Generate an OpenRouter API key

   Generate a key at openrouter.ai/settings/keys.

3. Add the key to camelAI

   Add the key under Settings → AI Provider → OpenRouter.

4. Pick a cheap model in the chat

   The most cost-efficient options are:

   • GPT-5.4 Mini: fast and cost-effective for everyday code and copy work.
   • Kimi: competitive on price, particularly strong on long-context tasks.
   • Gemini Flash: fast, low-cost, and useful for general iteration.
   • DeepSeek Flash: a low-cost option for straightforward coding tasks.
   • Grok: flexible across general work, often cheaper than flagship models.
5. Reserve flagship models for hard problems

   Switch to a flagship model only when a task is genuinely hard (complex reasoning, multi-step debugging, careful design work). Most chat turns don't need one.

OpenRouter shows the live per-token cost for every model on its models page. Sort by price to compare.

FAQ