Most AI-powered tools act as a middleman between you and the AI provider. You pay the tool’s subscription, and they make API calls on your behalf — often at a significant markup. Ace takes a different approach: Bring Your Own Key (BYOK).
What is BYOK?
With BYOK, you create your own API keys directly with AI providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. You enter these keys into Ace, and all AI requests go directly from your machine to the provider. Ace never sees, stores, or proxies your API traffic.
Why This Matters
1. Privacy
Your interview conversations — the questions you’re asked, the answers you give, the company names mentioned — are sensitive data. With BYOK:
- Your data goes directly to the AI provider — not through a third-party server
- No conversation logs on Ace servers — everything stays on your machine
- You control the data relationship — it’s between you and OpenAI/Anthropic/Google
2. Cost Control
AI API pricing is transparent and pay-per-use. With BYOK:
- No markup — you pay the provider’s actual rate
- Usage visibility — track your spending in the provider’s dashboard
- No surprise bills — set spending limits directly with the provider
3. Provider Choice
Different AI models have different strengths. With BYOK, you can:
- Switch models freely — Try GPT-4o, Claude, or Gemini
- Use the latest models — Access new releases immediately
- Optimize for your needs — Faster models for live interviews, more capable ones for practice
Setting Up Your API Keys
- OpenAI — Visit platform.openai.com, create an API key
- Anthropic — Visit console.anthropic.com, generate a key
- Google — Visit ai.google.dev, set up Gemini API access
Enter your keys in Ace’s settings. They’re stored locally on your machine and never transmitted to Ace servers.
The Bottom Line
BYOK isn’t just a feature — it’s a philosophy. Your interview data is yours. Your costs are transparent. Your choice of AI provider is unrestricted. That’s how it should be.
