BYOK vs Managed AI: Which ChatLM Plan Fits Your Business?
When you set up an AI chat widget, the first real decision isn't the color of the bubble — it's who pays for the AI, and who manages the key. ChatLM offers two tracks: BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) and Managed AI. Both power the same widget; they just move the API cost and setup step to a different place.
BYOK: you control the model and the bill
With BYOK, you paste your own API key from OpenAI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, or OpenRouter into the dashboard. ChatLM only charges a flat platform fee — the AI usage itself is billed to you directly by the provider, at their raw rate.
- Best for: technical founders, agencies with existing provider accounts, high-volume sites where token costs matter
- You get: full model choice (GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini, Gemini 1.5, DeepSeek Chat, or anything on OpenRouter), zero markup on tokens
- Setup effort: ~2 minutes — create a provider account, generate a key, paste it in
Managed AI: zero setup, flat monthly quota
Managed AI plans skip the API key step entirely. ChatLM hosts the model (via OpenRouter, GPT-4o-mini class) and includes a fixed number of messages per month in the subscription price. You pick a plan, configure your bot persona, and you're done.
- Best for: non-technical owners, agencies onboarding clients quickly, anyone who wants one predictable invoice
- You get: no provider account needed, predictable monthly cost, faster onboarding for clients
- Setup effort: under 60 seconds — no key, no provider dashboard
Side-by-side
| Question | BYOK | Managed AI |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays the AI provider? | You, directly | Included in plan |
| Message limits? | None from ChatLM (provider limits apply) | Fixed monthly quota per plan |
| Setup time | ~2 minutes | <1 minute |
| Model choice | Any supported provider/model | Curated, cost-optimized model |
How to choose
If you already have (or don't mind creating) an OpenAI/OpenRouter account and want the lowest possible per-message cost at scale, go BYOK. If you want to be live in under a minute with one flat bill and no provider account to manage, go Managed AI. Both remove the watermark on paid tiers and include the same customization: colors, persona, welcome message, and Telegram alerts.
Compare exact prices on the pricing page, or start free and switch tracks later — nothing is locked in.