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

chatgpt-shell

Emacs shell for OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama and more, with keys read at runtime from your own function.

Website Source code

Category:
IDE Plugins
Maintenance:
Actively developed (last commit 11 days ago)
Pricing:
Open Source
Open source:
Yes (GPL-3.0)
Self-hostable:
No
Local-first:
Yes
Platforms:
Desktop, Local-only
AI providers (bring your own key):
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Ollama, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
API key storage:
Stored locally on device
Key risk level:
LOW
Trust score:
88/100

chatgpt-shell gives Emacs a comint-style buffer for talking to models, with Org and Markdown blocks, and covers OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Kagi, Perplexity and Ollama. Keys are configured as values or as a function evaluated at runtime, which is how Emacs users keep secrets in auth-source or a password store rather than in an init file. GPL-3.0.

How this tool was scored

Key handling 85/100 (where your key rests and who sees it, comparable across any licence) and verifiability 90/100 (how much of that BYOAIK could confirm, lower for closed source). Neither contains a 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. Key handling was located in the published source.
  • Privacy 11/15: Local-first: it works without sending your data anywhere.
  • Maintenance 10/10: Actively developed, with commits within the last three months.
  • Verification Confidence 7/10: Key handling was found in the published source by BYOAIK's scanner.

What was checked

Verification tier SOURCE_VERIFIED, 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] The user supplies their own OpenAI key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] Supports a local model backend, so it can run with no cloud provider key at all. source
  • [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Most recent commit 2026-09-18, 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.