01In plain English
Bring your own key means you plug your own API key from an AI provider, such as OpenAI, Anthropic or Google, into a tool. The tool uses your account for the AI work, and the provider bills you for it directly.
02Why it matters when you are choosing
It can cut costs for heavy use, since you pay the provider's rates instead of the tool's credits. It also lets you pick the model and keep the data under your own agreement with the provider.
03What to check
Ask the vendor
Check which providers and models are supported, and whether the tool still charges its own usage fees on top.
04The tools
23of 31 checked
23 of the 31 tools we checked let you bring your own key. Each one is checked against the vendor's own pages. A tool missing from this list may not have been checked yet, which is not the same as a no.
Zapier
7.9
Rank #5 of 11 workflow automation tools
Best:Building workflows10
Weakest:Hosting and security3.2
Self-hosted: noBring your own key: yes
From $29.99Free plan
85% from published facts · checked 26 Sep
→
n8n
8.8
Rank #1 of 11 workflow automation tools
Best:AI agents10
Weakest:Support2.5
Test environments: yesSelf-hosted: yesBring your own key: yesAgent testing: yes
From $20Free plan
100% from published facts · checked 28 Oct
→
Workato
8.0
Rank #4 of 11 workflow automation tools
Best:Building workflows10
Weakest:Support5
Test environments: yesSelf-hosted: noBring your own key: yesAgent testing: no
Price not publishedFree plan
73% from published facts · checked 13 Sep
→
Dify
6.9
Rank #7 of 12 AI agent builders
Best:Building workflows10
Weakest:Support2.5
Test environments: noSelf-hosted: yesBring your own key: yesAgent testing: no
From $59Free plan
73% from published facts · checked 13 Sep
→
CrewAI
Free plan: yesFree trial: yesAPI: yesHuman-in-the-loop: yesError handling: yesVersioning: yes
FreeFree plan
→
Make
7.3
Rank #7 of 11 workflow automation tools
Best:Building workflows10
Weakest:Support2.5
Test environments: noSelf-hosted: noBring your own key: yesAgent testing: no
From $10.59Free plan
100% from published facts · checked 13 Sep
→