What is BYOK?
Bring your own key is a simple idea with real consequences. Instead of the software company reselling AI access, you connect your own provider account. You pay the provider directly, you choose the model, and your usage terms are the ones you agreed to.
What matters here
- You choose which AI provider and model to use
- You pay the provider directly, at their rates
- Your requests go through your own provider account
- The app cannot read your key, and it is encrypted at rest
- The core product should still work without any key
What changes with your own key
Three things. Control, because you pick the model and can change it. Cost structure, because you pay the provider directly rather than a bundled markup. And terms, because the data handling is governed by the account you set up.
What does not change
The app still has to call the provider on your behalf for each request, so the text you send still leaves your device. BYOK changes whose account it lands in, not whether an external call happens at all.
How storage should work
A key is a credential and deserves the same care as a password. It should be encrypted at rest, decrypted only in memory when a request needs it, and never shown back to you in plain text after you save it.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
- What is zero data retention?Zero data retention means an AI provider does not store your request after it responds. Here is what it covers, what it does not, and why it matters.
- What is open-core software?Open-core software publishes a free core and sells additional paid features. Here is how the model works and what to check before relying on it.
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Disclaimer
This page is general information, not professional, legal, financial or medical advice. It describes common ways of working and how Prysm Note approaches them. Software changes over time, so details may differ from what you see in the product. Any product, company or brand names that appear are the property of their respective owners and are used only for identification. We do not claim any endorsement or affiliation. Where we compare approaches, we aim to describe each one honestly, including where a different approach may suit you better. Try the tools that matter to you and judge for yourself.