Bring Your Own Keys

Use your own API keys. No middleman, no markup, full control.

The BYOK Philosophy

Calliope CLI is 100% BYOK (Bring Your Own Keys). This means:

• Your keys, your accounts - Use API keys from providers you already have
• No middleman - Requests go directly to providers, not through us
• No markup - Pay provider rates, not inflated “platform” pricing
• No data retention - We never see your prompts or responses
• Full control - Switch providers anytime, no lock-in

How It Works

Your Terminal                    AI Provider
     │                                │
     │  API Key (stored locally)      │
     │─────────────────────────────► │
     │                                │
     │  Your prompt                   │
     │  (direct connection)           │
     │─────────────────────────────► │
     │                                │
     │  Response                      │
     │◄───────────────────────────── │
     │                                │

     No Calliope servers involved

Setting Up Keys

Environment Variables (Recommended)

Add to your shell configuration:

# ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc

# Primary provider
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# Optional: additional providers
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export GOOGLE_API_KEY="..."

Config File (Alternative)

Keys entered during setup are stored locally:

~/.config/calliope/config.json

This file is:

• On your machine only
• Not synced anywhere
• Should have restricted permissions (chmod 600)

Provider Pricing

You pay provider rates directly:

Privacy Benefits

What We Never See

• Your API keys
• Your prompts
• AI responses
• Your files
• Your code

What Stays Local

• Configuration file
• Conversation history
• API communications (direct to provider)

Network Diagram

┌─────────────────┐
│   Your Machine  │
│                 │
│  ┌───────────┐  │      ┌─────────────────┐
│  │ Calliope  │──┼─────►│    Anthropic    │
│  │    CLI    │  │      └─────────────────┘
│  └───────────┘  │
│        │        │      ┌─────────────────┐
│        └────────┼─────►│     OpenAI      │
│                 │      └─────────────────┘
│                 │
│                 │      ┌─────────────────┐
│                 ├─────►│     Google      │
│                 │      └─────────────────┘
└─────────────────┘

No Calliope servers in the path

Enterprise Considerations

Data Sovereignty

With BYOK, your data:

• Stays in your environment
• Goes directly to your chosen provider
• Subject only to provider’s data policies
• Not subject to third-party platform policies

Audit & Compliance

For compliance requirements:

• Direct provider relationship
• Provider compliance certifications apply
• No additional data processors
• Simplified data flow auditing

Cost Transparency

See exact costs in your provider dashboard:

• No hidden fees
• No platform percentage
• Volume discounts pass through
• Enterprise agreements honored

Comparison with Alternatives

Getting Started with BYOK

Step 1: Get an API Key

Sign up with your preferred provider:

• Anthropic Console
• OpenAI Platform
• Google AI Studio

Step 2: Set the Key

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

Step 3: Run Calliope

calliope

That’s it. No account creation with us. No credit card for our service. Just you and your provider.

Free Tiers

Many providers offer free tiers:

Try Calliope without spending anything by using Ollama (local models) or free-tier providers.