Most AI tools charge you twice.
First, the platform fee. Then a markup on every AI call — sometimes 2x the API rate, hidden in credits so it's hard to see.
BYOK (Bring Your Own Keys) removes the second charge entirely.
What BYOK actually means
You paste your API key directly into the tool. When your workflow runs, the request goes straight from your browser to the provider using your key. No middleman.
In NODLES: your keys are stored in your browser's local storage, never on our servers.
The cost comparison
1,000 Gemini 1.5 Flash calls/month (500 input + 200 output tokens each):
| Direct (BYOK) | 2x markup platform | |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 calls | ~$0.10 | ~$0.20 |
| 100,000 calls | ~$10 | ~$20 |
| 1,000,000 calls | ~$100 | ~$200 |
Pennies at small scale. Real money at production scale.
Why we made this call
Financial: when a platform charges per AI call, your interests diverge. BYOK removes that conflict.
Trust: with BYOK, your prompts and outputs go browser → provider directly. No proxy.
The tradeoff
BYOK requires getting API keys yourself. 10 minutes of setup. For builders comfortable with APIs, it's nothing.
What it looks like in NODLES
Every AI node has a key field. Mix providers in one pipeline — each calls its provider directly, each bills separately. Four providers, four API bills, zero markup.
Free tier: 5 workflows, 50 executions/month. nodles.ai
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