What is BYOK?
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) mode lets you use your existing API key from any LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) while still getting OpenCompress’s compression benefits.
How it works
Your App → OpenCompress (compress) → Your Provider (with your key) → Response
- Your prompts are compressed by OpenCompress
- The compressed request is forwarded to your provider using your API key
- You pay your provider directly at their rates
- OpenCompress charges only 20% of the savings as a fee
Setup
When creating an API key in the dashboard, select BYOK mode and provide:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|
| Upstream Base URL | Your provider’s API base URL | https://api.openai.com/v1 |
| Upstream API Key | Your provider’s API key | sk-... |
Pricing comparison
| Router Mode | BYOK Mode |
|---|
| Who pays the LLM? | OpenCompress (via OpenRouter) | You (your provider) |
| LLM cost | Included in your charge | You pay directly |
| Compression fee | 20% of savings | 20% of savings |
| Total you pay us | LLM cost + fee | Fee only |
BYOK is ideal if you already have negotiated rates, enterprise agreements, or credits with an LLM provider. You get compression savings on top of your existing deal.
Supported providers
Any OpenAI-compatible API endpoint works with BYOK:
| Provider | Base URL |
|---|
| OpenAI | https://api.openai.com/v1 |
| Anthropic (via proxy) | Anthropic’s OpenAI-compatible endpoint |
| Azure OpenAI | https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/your-model/v1 |
| Together AI | https://api.together.xyz/v1 |
| Groq | https://api.groq.com/openai/v1 |
| Any OpenAI-compatible | Your custom base URL |
Security
- Your upstream API key is stored encrypted and only used for forwarding requests
- OpenCompress never logs your upstream key in plaintext
- You can revoke your OpenCompress key at any time to stop forwarding
