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

OpenClaw

Personal assistant running on your own hardware, reaching you through the chat apps you already use.

Website Source code

Category:
Desktop AI Assistants
Maintenance:
Actively developed (last commit today)
Pricing:
Open Source
Open source:
Yes (MIT)
Self-hostable:
Yes
Local-first:
Yes
Platforms:
Desktop, Mobile, Self-hosted, Local-only, Docker
AI providers (bring your own key):
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, Ollama, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
API key storage:
Stored locally on device
Key risk level:
LOW
Trust score:
91/100

OpenClaw runs an AI assistant on your own computer and meets you in Discord, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage, Teams and twenty more, with native apps across macOS, iOS, Android, Windows and Linux. The key-handling posture is stated bluntly in its README: state, memory and credentials live on your hardware, and models are swappable plugins covering Claude, Codex and local models. Telemetry is a daily version check only, anonymous feature statistics are opt-in, and one config line disables both. Stewarded by the OpenClaw Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3), with no paid tier, hosted service or token. OpenAI is named as a donor rather than an owner, which the Foundation says outright. MIT.

How this tool was scored

Key handling 90/100 (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 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 Perplexity 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] 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 stored locally on your device. 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

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