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

TypingMind

One-time-purchase power-user chat UI that wraps your own LLM provider keys.

Website Source code

Category:
AI Chat Interfaces
Maintenance:
Actively developed (last commit 11 days ago)
Pricing:
Open Source
Open source:
No
Self-hostable:
Yes
Local-first:
Yes
Platforms:
Web, Desktop, Self-hosted, Docker
AI providers (bring your own key):
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, OpenRouter, Groq, Mistral, Perplexity, DeepSeek, xAI Grok, Ollama, Hugging Face, Fireworks, Custom / OpenAI-compatible
API key storage:
Stored locally on device
Key risk level:
LOW
Trust score:
74/100

TypingMind is a closed-source, one-time-license web/desktop chat frontend for LLMs. Users bring their own provider API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, and many more) which are stored locally in the browser and never sent to TypingMind's servers; the app calls the provider API directly and the provider bills the user per token. It adds power-user features on top: AI agents/characters, plugins, multi-model side-by-side chats, projects/folders, web search, vision, document uploads, voice input, and artifacts. Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint or proxy can be added via a custom base URL, including local runtimes like Ollama, LM Studio, and LocalAI. It runs in any browser, installs as a PWA / Mac app, and licensed users get a static self-host package. Pricing is one-time: Standard $39, Extended $79, Premium $99 (discounted from $198), plus a $395 bulk license for up to 10 users; a separate TypingMind for Teams product offers a hosted admin portal at custom pricing.

Why this trust score (74/100)

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 9/20: A public repository exists but the project is not open 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: 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
  • [CONFIRMED · SOURCE_SCAN] Most recent commit 2026-07-23, about 1 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.