Bring your own model

What does bring-your-own-model mean?

Bring your own model (BYO model) means you connect your own AI model to the tool instead of paying for a bundled one. You control which model runs, where it runs, and who you pay for the tokens.

Most AI coding tools bundle a model and bill you for it on top of any subscription you already hold. BYO flips that: the tool is the harness, and the intelligence is whatever model you point it at.

Why bring your own model?

Bringing your own model avoids paying twice for AI, lets you pick the best model for each job, and keeps your data under the provider terms you already trust. You're not locked into one vendor's model or markup.

• No second bill. If you already pay for Claude or an API key, you don't pay Korden for tokens too.
• Best model per task. Use a frontier model for hard work and a cheap or local one for routine edits.
• No lock-in. Swap models as prices and capabilities change — your workflow doesn't move.
• Your terms. Requests run under the provider agreement you already accepted.

Which models can Korden use?

Korden works with a Claude login, your own API key, or a local model — and you can run a different model in every terminal. Claude, Codex, Gemini, and Grok are all first-class.

What does Korden actually charge for?

Korden charges a flat subscription for the product — the crew, orchestration, and app — not for tokens. Pro is $19/month for one developer; Cloud adds team seats. The model bill stays between you and your provider.