AI / ML
BYOK(Bring Your Own Key)
A pricing / architecture model where the user supplies their own AI provider API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) and pays the provider directly at cost — instead of the SaaS marking up tokens through a 'credits' system.
BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) is an AI-product pricing model where the user supplies their own API key for the underlying model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.) and pays the provider directly at cost. The SaaS charges only for the workflow / orchestration layer, not for AI tokens. The alternative is a 'credits' or 'minutes' system where the SaaS resells AI tokens at a 2–5x markup. BYOK favours sustained-volume users (the markup compounds per regenerate) but adds setup friction (one-time API key configuration). It also gives users direct visibility into AI cost — the bill shows up on their OpenAI / Anthropic dashboard, not buried inside the SaaS invoice.
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