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

gptme

Open-source terminal AI agent that writes code, runs shell/Python, and browses the web with your own provider keys.

Website Source code

Category:
Developer Infrastructure
Maintenance:
Actively developed (last commit 4 days ago)
Pricing:
Open Source
Open source:
Yes (MIT)
Self-hostable:
Yes
Local-first:
Yes
Platforms:
CLI, Self-hosted, Library/SDK, Docker
AI providers (bring your own key):
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, OpenRouter, Groq, DeepSeek, xAI Grok, Ollama, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
API key storage:
Configured by environment variable
Key risk level:
LOW
Trust score:
93/100

gptme is a free, open-source (MIT) personal AI agent that runs in any terminal: laptop, SSH session, tmux, headless server, or CI pipeline. It executes shell commands and Python, reads/writes/patches files, browses the web via Playwright, and analyzes images. It is fully provider-agnostic and bring-your-own-key: the end user supplies their own LLM API credentials via environment variables (OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY, GEMINI_API_KEY, XAI_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, DEEPSEEK_API_KEY), a config file (~/.config/gptme/config.toml), or an interactive /account setup command. No built-in or hosted key is required (an optional gptme.ai gateway is "coming soon"). Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, DeepSeek, Groq, OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, and any OpenAI-compatible server including Ollama and llama.cpp for fully local use. One of the earliest agent CLIs (launched spring 2023) and still actively maintained.

How this tool was scored

Key handling 93/100 (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 22/25: The key is supplied by an environment variable or local config file you control.
  • Request Routing 20/20: Requests go straight from you to the AI provider. The provider endpoint is configurable, so you can point it at the provider or your own gateway.
  • Transparency 20/20: Source is public under MIT, so anyone can check how the key is handled. Key handling was located in the published source.
  • Privacy 14/15: Local-first: it works without sending your data anywhere. Can be self-hosted, so the data path stays inside infrastructure you control.
  • 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] The user supplies their own Anthropic key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own Google Gemini key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own OpenRouter key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own Groq key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own DeepSeek key: the project references its API key variable. source
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The user supplies their own xAI Grok 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
  • [STRONG · SOURCE_SCAN] The provider endpoint is configurable, so requests can be pointed straight at the provider or at your own gateway. source
  • [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Ships a container definition, so it can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure. source
  • [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Most recent commit 2026-09-29, about 0 month(s) ago. source

How your API key is handled

Your API key is supplied via an environment variable or local config file. Requests are sent directly to the AI provider. Because it can be self-hosted, your key never has to touch a third-party backend.

Setup

Install the tool, set your provider API key as an environment variable (or in its config file), and pick a model.