Free capacity with your own keys

Several providers give out free API usage. Add their keys as BYOK keys and AnyRouter uses them before the shared pool or your credits. Requests served through your own key cost nothing on AnyRouter and don't count toward the free-tier daily cap.

Each provider sets its own free limits and can change them at any time. Check the provider's site for current numbers.

Providers with a free tier

Provider	Key starts with	Create a key	Setup page
OpenRouter	sk-or-	openrouter.ai/keys	OpenRouter
NVIDIA NIM	nvapi-	build.nvidia.com	NVIDIA NIM
Google AI Studio	AIza	aistudio.google.com/apikey	Google AI Studio
Groq	gsk_	console.groq.com/keys	Groq
Cerebras	csk-	cloud.cerebras.ai	Cerebras
Mistral	—	console.mistral.ai/api-keys	Mistral
Ollama Cloud	—	ollama.com/settings/keys	Ollama Cloud
OpenCode Zen	—	opencode.ai/auth	OpenCode Zen
ZenMux	—	zenmux.ai/settings/keys	ZenMux

For every provider, the last step is the same: open Dashboard → BYOK, find the provider under Available, click Add key, paste the key, and click Save. AnyRouter checks the key with the provider before it saves it.

Per-provider steps

OpenRouter. Create a key at openrouter.ai/keys. :free models stay free on your OpenRouter account, and paid models bill it. Full walkthrough: Unblock free-model rate limits with your own OpenRouter key.

NVIDIA NIM. Sign in at build.nvidia.com, open any model, and click Get API Key. Add it as NVIDIA NIM.

Google AI Studio. Sign in with a Google account, open aistudio.google.com/apikey, and click Create API key. Add it as Google AI Studio.

Groq. Open console.groq.com/keys and click Create API Key. Copy it right away; it's shown once.

Cerebras. Sign in at cloud.cerebras.ai and click Create API Key under API Keys.

Mistral. In the Mistral Console, open API keys and click Create new key.

Ollama Cloud. Create a key at ollama.com/settings/keys.

OpenCode Zen. Sign in at opencode.ai/auth, open API Keys, and create a key.

ZenMux. Create a key at zenmux.ai/settings/keys.

Use them together

• Call any model your keys reach with anyrouter/byok. It routes across every key you've added and never spends credits. See Auto-routing models.
• Combine free tiers in one preset so each request goes to a key that still has quota, with a cooldown when a provider rate limits you. See Free-tier Aggregation.
• Share spare quota. Turn on Donate to pool on a key to let others use it and earn credits back. Check the provider's terms first. See Share a Key to the Shared Pool.

For every provider AnyRouter supports, see Get a provider API key.