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Choosing a Provider
The AI providers BrainRoad supports when advanced users choose direct provider billing or broader model choice.
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You do not need a provider key to start or remain on Pro. Managed access is the default. Add your own key only when you intentionally want direct provider billing or a model outside the managed Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 pair.
Supported providers
You can add keys for these providers from the API Keys tab on the Helper page:
| Provider | Models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | Claude | Recommended primary choice; strong at reasoning, writing, and code. Keys start with sk-ant-. console.anthropic.com |
| OpenAI | GPT | Versatile general-purpose models. Keys start with sk-. platform.openai.com/api-keys |
| Gemini | Has a free tier, so it’s the cheapest way to start on your own key. Keys start with AIza. aistudio.google.com/apikey | |
| OpenRouter | Many providers via one key | One account for Claude, GPT, Gemini, and more, including some free models. BrainRoad also uses OpenRouter for its separate server-managed path. Keys start with sk-or-. openrouter.ai/keys |
| xAI | Grok | Grok on your own provider account. Keys start with xai-. console.x.ai |
| Mistral | Mistral | European provider, good at coding and structured tasks. console.mistral.ai |
| Moonshot | Kimi | Strong at vision and video tasks. platform.moonshot.cn |
| Kilo Gateway | Kilo Code | Specialized coding models. kilocode.ai |
You can configure more than one provider on the same helper.
How to choose
If you’re not sure, this is the short version:
- Free to start: Google Gemini’s free tier, or OpenRouter’s free models.
- Best quality: Anthropic Claude. If you only ever add one key, this is the usual pick.
- Maximum flexibility: OpenRouter — one key, access to most major models, easy to switch models later.
- You already have a key: just paste it. Any supported provider works.
Provider selection lives in advanced Settings and does not appear in first-run activation.
What it costs
If you add your own key, you pay that provider directly at its published rates. This bypasses the BrainRoad-managed prepaid balance for that helper. Actual spend then depends on the model and workload, so check the provider’s current pricing page.
Two habits keep costs predictable:
- Set a spending limit in the provider’s billing dashboard before you start.
- Watch the Usage page (
/dashboard/usage) in your BrainRoad dashboard to see token usage over time.
Related docs
- How API Keys Work — managed access and adding your own
- Managing Keys — rotate, update, or remove keys
- Plans and Pricing — what BrainRoad’s subscription covers