Why Using API Keys Is Better Than Paying for ChatGPT or Claude

October 6, 2025

You're paying for ChatGPT Plus. Or Claude Pro. Maybe both. You think you're getting premium AI access.

You're not. You're getting scammed.

Here's what you're actually paying for: a subscription business model that needs to extract maximum revenue from you while giving you the minimum access necessary to keep you subscribed.

Let me show you the better way: using API keys directly with OpenAI and Anthropic.

What Even Are API Keys?

API keys are how developers access AI models directly. Instead of using ChatGPT's consumer interface, you connect straight to OpenAI's API and pay only for what you use.

Think of it like this:

• Consumer apps (ChatGPT Plus): You pay a monthly subscription to use their interface, which connects to their API on your behalf. They control everything. You get what they give you.
• API keys: You pay OpenAI directly per token. No middleman. No markup. No artificial limits. You get flagship models at cost.

The best part? Most people spend $2-10/month on API usage. A fraction of subscription costs.

Direct API access. Add your OpenAI and Anthropic keys. Pay them directly. No middleman markup. No subscription rent-seeking.

Why API Keys Beat Consumer Apps

1. You Pay Way Less

Consumer apps charge monthly subscriptions whether you use them once or a thousand times.

API access: You pay per token. Here's real pricing:

• GPT-5: ~$0.02 per 1,000 tokens
• GPT-5 Turbo: ~$0.01 per 1,000 tokens
• Claude Sonnet 4.5: ~$0.003 per 1,000 input tokens, ~$0.015 per 1,000 output tokens

A typical conversation might be 5,000-10,000 tokens total. That's $0.10-0.20 per conversation.

Most people spend $2-10/month with normal usage. Power users might hit $15-20/month, but that's with usage that would hit artificial limits constantly on consumer apps.

I tracked my usage for a month using Cumbersome (which shows real-time costs): $2.47 total. Absurd.

2. You Get Better Models

Consumer apps secretly route to cheaper models to manage costs. ChatGPT Plus claims you're using GPT-5, but during peak times or when you hit vague "usage limits," they route to GPT-5 Turbo or older versions.

With direct API access, you pick the exact model. GPT-5? You get GPT-5. Claude Sonnet 4.5? You get Claude Sonnet 4.5. No bait and switch.

Choose any model from OpenAI or Anthropic. What you pick is what you get. No secret routing to cheaper versions.

3. No Artificial Usage Limits

ChatGPT Plus limits you to ~40 messages per 3 hours with GPT-5. Claude Pro has similar vague limits that change based on "demand."

These limits don't exist to protect server capacity. They exist to protect subscription margins. If heavy users could use unlimited flagship models, OpenAI and Anthropic would lose money on their subscription plans.

With API keys, there are no message limits. You pay per token, so there's no reason to restrict you. Want to process 100 documents? Go ahead. Want to have a 500-message conversation? Your call. The only limit is your budget.

4. Full Technical Control

Consumer apps hide parameters to keep interfaces "simple." You can't adjust temperature, top-p, frequency penalty, or max tokens. You get what they give you.

With API access, you control everything:

• Temperature (creativity vs consistency)
• Max tokens per response
• Frequency and presence penalties
• Custom system prompts
• Streaming vs batch responses

This is the same control developers get. You're not treated like a child who can't handle "advanced" settings.

5. You Can Use Multiple Models Without Multiple Subscriptions

Want to try GPT-5 for creative writing and Claude for analysis?

• Consumer route: Monthly subscription for ChatGPT Plus + monthly subscription for Claude Pro. Multiple recurring charges.
• API route: Add keys for each provider. Pay only for tokens you actually use across both. Total cost: still $2-10/month for most people.

Switch models mid-conversation. Compare responses. Use the best model for each task. No need to maintain multiple monthly subscriptions.

Every model from OpenAI and Anthropic in one app. Switch mid-conversation. Compare responses. Pay only for what you actually use.

But I'm Not a Developer...

You don't need to be. Getting API keys takes 5 minutes and requires zero coding knowledge.

And once you have them, you get access to features like Face/Off Mode that generate multiple responses and pick the best one automatically.

Here's exactly how to do it:

How to Get OpenAI API Keys (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Create an OpenAI Account

Go to https://auth.openai.com/create-account

Sign up with email or Google. This is NOT a ChatGPT account. This is a developer account that gives you API access.

Step 2: Add a Payment Method

OpenAI requires a payment method for API access. This is pay-as-you-go billing. You're charged only for what you use.

Go to https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/billing

Add a credit card. Set a spending limit if you're worried about costs (e.g., $10/month max).

Step 3: Create an API Key

Go to https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys

Click "Create new secret key."

Give it a name (e.g., "My iPhone").

Copy the key. You'll only see it once. Store it somewhere safe temporarily (you'll enter it in the app next).

Step 4 (Optional): Enable Streaming

This isn't required, but it makes responses appear word-by-word instead of all at once (much better UX).

Go to https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/general

Find the "Verify your organization" option and complete verification. This typically requires a phone number and maybe a $5 initial credit purchase.

Once verified, streaming works automatically.

How to Get Anthropic API Keys (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Create an Anthropic Account

Go to https://console.anthropic.com/login

Sign up with email. This gets you access to the Anthropic Console and API.

Step 2: Add a Payment Method

Like OpenAI, Anthropic uses pay-as-you-go billing.

Go to https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing

Add a credit card. Anthropic might give you some free credits to test with.

Step 3: Create an API Key

Go to https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys

Click "Create Key."

Copy the key. Store it somewhere safe temporarily.

Now What? How Do I Actually Use These Keys?

You need an app that supports direct API access. You've got a few options:

1. OpenAI Playground / Claude Console: Free browser tools. Decent for testing, but browser-only. No mobile app. No cross-device sync.
2. Build your own: If you're a developer, you can build a custom interface. Most people don't want to do this.
3. Use Cumbersome: Native iPhone, iPad, and Mac app that supports your OpenAI and Anthropic API keys directly.

Cumbersome is built specifically for this use case. It's 100% free. You add your keys, and the app connects directly to OpenAI and Anthropic on your behalf.

Settings → API Keys. Add your OpenAI and Anthropic keys. The app connects directly to their APIs. Your conversations never pass through our servers. We don't see your data. We're completely out of the money flow.

What About Privacy?

This is actually where API keys are dramatically better than consumer apps.

With ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro: Your conversations go to their servers. They store them. They promise not to train on your data (maybe), but they still have access to everything you've ever typed.

With API keys in Cumbersome: Your device connects directly to OpenAI and Anthropic. Your conversations sync via your personal iCloud account, not our servers. We literally cannot see your data because it never passes through our infrastructure.

This isn't a privacy policy promise. It's architectural. We don't have a backend database. We can't see your conversations even if we wanted to.

iPhone, iPad, Mac. Your conversations sync via your personal iCloud account. API keys sync via iCloud Keychain. We never see your data. Privacy by architecture, not by policy.

But What If I Use It A LOT?

Even power users typically spend $10-20/month. Consumer apps would limit you WAY before you hit this usage. You'd be constantly hitting artificial message limits.

With API access, no limits. You just pay for what you use. And if you're worried, you can set spending limits in both OpenAI and Anthropic's dashboards.

The Real Reason Consumer Apps Exist

OpenAI and Anthropic make WAY more money from subscriptions than from API usage.

Think about it: Most consumer app users pay monthly but use only a fraction of that in actual API tokens. That's a massive markup, plus OpenAI and Anthropic control the experience, own the relationship, and can upsell you to "teams" or "enterprise" plans.

The entire consumer app model is designed to extract maximum revenue while giving minimum access. They're not trying to give you the best AI experience. They're trying to maximize ARPU (average revenue per user).

API keys flip the script. You pay only for what you use. No markup. No artificial limits. No subscription rent-seeking.

Who Should Use API Keys Instead of Consumer Apps?

Honestly? Almost everyone who currently pays for ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro.

This is perfect for:

• Anyone paying monthly subscriptions for ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro (you'll save big)
• Power users hitting usage limits on consumer apps (no limits with API access)
• People who care about privacy (your data never goes through third-party servers)
• Multi-model users who want to try different AI models without multiple subscriptions
• Anyone who likes transparency over black-box interfaces

The only people who should stick with consumer apps:

• You don't want to manage API keys (fair)
• You genuinely use AI so much that subscriptions are cheaper than your token usage (rare, and you'd hit usage limits anyway)

Try It

Get Cumbersome for iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It's 100% free. Add your API keys. Start paying way less for better AI access.

Or keep paying monthly subscriptions for artificial limits and watered-down models. Your call.