BYOAIK (Bring Your Own AI Key) is a directory of AI tools that run on your own API key.

Chatbox

Cross-platform AI client for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and local models with your own keys.

Website Source code

Category:
Desktop AI Assistants
Maintenance:
Actively developed (last commit 4 days ago)
Pricing:
Freemium
Open source:
Yes (GPL-3.0)
Self-hostable:
No
Local-first:
Yes
Platforms:
Desktop, Mobile, Web
AI providers (bring your own key):
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, OpenRouter, Ollama, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
API key storage:
Stored locally on device
Key risk level:
LOW
Trust score:
79/100

Chatbox is a popular cross-platform AI client (desktop, mobile, and web) for chatting with LLMs. Its Community Edition is open-source under GPL-3.0. It explicitly supports a Bring-Your-Own-Key model: per its BYOK docs, "you register and obtain API Keys from AI service providers yourself, then configure them in Chatbox," with data going "directly to AI providers, not through intermediary servers." Users can plug in their own keys for OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, OpenRouter, and local runtimes (Ollama / LM Studio), as well as configure custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints. A separate optional paid hosted "Chatbox AI Service" subscription is also offered, but the app itself is free and BYOK-first.

Why this trust score (79/100)

Trust measures how the tool treats your API key and how much of that has been verified. It contains no popularity signal.

  • Key Safety 23/25: The key is held on your own device.
  • Request Routing 17/20: Requests go straight from you to the AI provider.
  • Transparency 20/20: Source is public under GPL-3.0, so anyone can check how the key is handled.
  • Privacy 8/15: Local-first: it works without sending your data anywhere. Analytics or error-reporting libraries are present; what they send was not established.
  • Maintenance 10/10: Actively developed: commits within the last three months.
  • Verification Confidence 1/10: Compiled from public documentation by an AI-assisted pass, not independently confirmed.

What was checked

Verification tier RESEARCH_ASSISTED, derived from the evidence below and not set by hand.

  • [REPORTED · RESEARCH] This listing was compiled by an AI-assisted research pass over the tool's public website, README and documentation. No person independently confirmed it.
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] Supports a local model backend, so it can run with no cloud provider key at all. source
  • [REPORTED · SOURCE_SCAN] References Sentry, so some analytics or error reporting is present. This scan cannot tell whether it is opt-in or what it sends. source
  • [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Most recent commit 2026-08-14, about 0 month(s) ago. source

How your API key is handled

Your API key is stored locally on your device. Requests are sent directly to the AI provider.

Setup

Open settings, paste your provider API key, choose a model, and start. The key stays on your device.