BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

ELI5 (Explain like I’m 5)

When professional tennis players play at Wimbledon, the tournament provides the court and the facilities.

But players bring their own racquets.

They do this because:

• they trust their own equipment.
• they know exactly how it behaves.
• they control performance and feel.

BYOK in AI works in a similar way.

The AI platform provides the interface and features, but instead of using a model access provided by the platform, you bring your own API key. 

What BYOK means in AI platforms

In practical terms, BYOK means connecting your own API keys from AI model providers and using them through a third-party interface.

• The platform does not resell AI usage.
• The platform does not control model billing.
• The platform focuses on experience, not access to models.

You stay in control of which model you use, how much is billed, and when access can be changed or revoked.

How BYOK works

In BYOK mode on an AI platform, users add their API keys for one or more LLM providers.

When the user sends a prompt, the platform routes the request to the selected model using the user’s API key. The model processes the request, and the response is returned through the platform’s interface.

Usage and billing are recorded under the user’s own provider account, not the platform’s.

This setup allows users to work with multiple models, and in some platforms, switch between them within the same conversation without losing context. 

The platform focuses on usability, collaboration, and organization, while users retain ownership of model access and costs.

Why BYOK matters

As AI models continue to evolve and new providers enter the market with new pricing and new capabilities, BYOK gives users the option to plug into any model they wish.

It means long-term flexibility, the freedom to experiment, and the ability to switch without being locked into a single vendor. 

Geekflare Connect is a BYOK AI platform built around this approach and also provides additional collaboration features like team access, shared workspaces, and projects.