Nodi’s AI features (summaries, insights and chat) run on an AI provider you choose, with your own API key. An API key is like a password that lets Nodi call that provider for you. You pay the provider directly for what you use, with no Nodi subscription, and some providers have free options.
Which one should I choose?
| If you want… | Choose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| To try it for free, with no card | OpenRouter (free models) or Gemini (free tier) | Free, with daily limits |
| The best answers on big boards | Claude or OpenAI | Pay as you go, from US$5 of credit |
| Many models with one key | OpenRouter | Free models, or paid credits for the rest |
| Open models (Qwen, DeepSeek, Llama…) | Hugging Face or OpenRouter | Small monthly free credit, then pay as you go |
Not sure? Start with OpenRouter: it takes a minute, needs no card, and you can switch to a paid model later with the same key.
OpenRouter (free models available)
- Create an account at openrouter.ai.
- Open Settings → Keys and click Create API key. Give it a name like “Nodi” and copy the key (it starts with
sk-or-v1-). - In Nodi, connect it (see below) and, in the model list, turn on Free only to pick a free model.
Free models have daily limits (50 requests a day; 1,000 if you’ve ever bought at least US$10 of credit), and they’re often slower than paid models. To use paid models such as Claude or GPT, add credit under Settings → Credits in OpenRouter.
Google Gemini (free tier)
- Open Google AI Studio → API keys and sign in with your Google account.
- Click Create API key and copy it (it starts with
AIza). - Connect it in Nodi.
The free tier has rate limits that Google shows in AI Studio. On the free tier, Google may use what you send to improve its products. If your notes are sensitive, turn on billing in AI Studio to use the paid tier.
OpenAI (GPT)
- Sign in at platform.openai.com and add credit under Settings → Billing (the minimum is US$5). Turn off auto-recharge if you don’t want automatic top-ups.
- Open API keys, click Create new secret key and copy it (it starts with
sk-). - Connect it in Nodi.
If you choose Restricted permissions, the key must be allowed to use models (Model capabilities), or Nodi will say the key isn’t allowed to generate text. The simplest option is All.
Claude (Anthropic)
- Sign in to the Claude Console and buy credit under Billing (the minimum is US$5).
- Open API keys, click Create key and copy it (it starts with
sk-ant-). - Connect it in Nodi.
Hugging Face
- Create an account at huggingface.co.
- Open Access Tokens, create a Fine-grained token and turn on Make calls to Inference Providers. Copy it (it starts with
hf_). - Connect it in Nodi. Free accounts include a small monthly credit.
Connect your key in Nodi
- Open Nodi and click Set up AI in the AI panel, or go to Settings → AI.
- Find your provider and click Connect.
- Paste the key and click Verify & save. Nodi checks the key with the provider before saving it.
- Pick a model. Nodi suggests one, and you can search the list, see prices and filter free models.
That’s it: open a board, click AI, and generate a summary, find insights or chat with your notes.
How much does it cost?
You pay the provider by the amount of text it reads and writes (“tokens”). A summary of a board with around 30 notes is usually less than a cent or two of a dollar with small and mid-sized models, and more with the largest ones. The model list in Nodi shows each model’s price when the provider shares it.
Tip: set a monthly spending limit in your provider’s billing settings. Nodi doesn’t set one for you.
Is my key safe?
- Nodi checks the key with the provider, encrypts it on the server and never shows it again. Only its last characters are kept so you can tell keys apart.
- It’s only used to call the provider when you ask for a summary, insights or a chat answer, and only with the notes you’re analyzing.
- You can remove it any time in Settings → AI, and revoke it in the provider’s console.
More details in our Privacy Policy.
Common problems
- “rejected the API key”: the key was copied incompletely, revoked or deleted. Create a new one and connect it again.
- “isn’t allowed to generate text”: the key has restricted permissions. Create one with access to models (OpenAI: All; Hugging Face: Inference Providers).
- Out of credit or quota: add credit with the provider, wait for the free limit to reset, or switch to another model.
- Slow answers: free models are often slower. Try a paid model or a different free one.
Still stuck? Write to privacy@nodinotes.app.