API Documentation

CheapAI gives you OpenAI-compatible access to Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, and DeepSeek at up to 65% off official list prices. Same endpoints, real models, lower cost.

⚡ Connect Any App in 3 Steps

Works with any app that supports OpenAI or OpenAI Compatible connection. Just 3 simple changes:

https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app

Example: Python (OpenAI SDK)

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app",  # ← Change this
    api_key="your-api-key-here"               # ← Your API key
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",  # ← Any model from /models
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

Example: cURL

curl https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key-here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "openai/gpt-5.4", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]}'

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Detailed API reference and tool-specific integration guides below.

🚀 Quick Start

Our API is 100% OpenAI-compatible. Just change the base URL and you're ready.

Three Things You Need

30-Second Setup

# Install: pip install openai
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your-api-key-here",
    base_url="https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

🔑 Authentication

Get Your API Key

1. Visit Pricing
2. Complete the purchase flow and wait for payment confirmation
3. Use the API key and base URL delivered by email. If your product includes a separate dashboard activation step, follow the instructions in that delivery message.

Using Your API Key

Include your API key in the Authorization header as a Bearer token:

curl https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key-here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "openai/gpt-5.4", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]}'

🌐 Base URL

All API requests should be made to:

https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app

Endpoints

📋 Available Models

Browse all models at CheapAI Models directory — Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, and DeepSeek available via one OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Model Catalog

Model Aliases

Use short names for convenience:

List Models via API

curl https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key-here"

📖 Chat Completions

Request Body

{
  "model": "openai/gpt-5.4",
  "messages": [
    {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant."},
    {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}
  ],
  "temperature": 0.7,
  "max_tokens": 4096,
  "stream": false
}

Parameters

Response

{
  "id": "chatcmpl-xxx",
  "object": "chat.completion",
  "created": 1234567890,
  "model": "openai/gpt-5.4",
  "choices": [
    {
      "index": 0,
      "message": {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Hello! How can I help you today?"
      },
      "finish_reason": "stop"
    }
  ],
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": 10,
    "completion_tokens": 20,
    "total_tokens": 30
  }
}

⚡ Streaming Responses

Enable streaming by setting stream: true:

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a poem"}],
    stream=True
)

for chunk in response:
    if chunk.choices[0].delta.content:
        print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content, end="")

🔌 Integrations

Our API works with any tool that supports OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

💻 Code Examples

Python (OpenAI SDK)

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your-api-key-here",
    base_url="https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app"
)

# Basic completion
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

# Streaming
for chunk in client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a story"}],
    stream=True
):
    print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content or "", end="")

JavaScript/TypeScript

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key-here',
  baseURL: 'https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app',
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5.4',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }],
});

console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);

cURL

curl https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key-here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "openai/gpt-5.4",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

LangChain (Python)

from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI

llm = ChatOpenAI(
    model="openai/gpt-5.4",
    openai_api_key="your-api-key-here",
    openai_api_base="https://cheapai-netifly-app.up.railway.app"
)

response = llm.invoke("Hello!")
print(response.content)

💰 Pricing

Pay as you go - no monthly fees, no minimum spend.

Compare and Save

🔗 Setup Guides & Comparison Pages

Detailed walkthroughs and pricing comparisons for each provider and tool.

❓ FAQ

General Questions

Q: Is this API really OpenAI-compatible?

Yes! Our API uses the exact same request/response format as OpenAI. Any code or tool that works with OpenAI will work with CheapAI.

Q: How does CheapAI offer up to 65% off official AI API prices?

CheapAI aggregates usage across many developers and teams, purchasing API access at volume. The savings from bulk purchasing are passed directly to customers. You access the same real models through our OpenAI-compatible proxy — no code changes needed beyond the base URL.

Q: Is there a rate limit?

The service is designed for real developer workloads, but infrastructure protections and fair-use controls may still apply when needed for stability or abuse prevention.

Q: Do you store my data?

We aim to minimize retained data. Temporary technical processing or short-lived optimization layers may be used where needed for delivery, stability, or abuse prevention, and you should avoid placing real API keys in committed project files.

Which tool should I use?

• Claude Code - Best for terminal-based coding
• Roo Code / Kilo Code - Best for VSCode users
• Codex CLI - Best for OpenAI ecosystem
• Droid CLI - Best for Factory AI users
• OpenClaw - Best for multi-channel AI agents
• n8n - Best for workflow automation

Which model should I use?

• openai/gpt-5.4 - Best general-purpose OpenAI default
• anthropic/claude-opus-4-6-20260205 - Highest-end Claude reasoning
• anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6-20260217 - Fast daily Claude default
• google/gemini-3-pro-preview - Long-context premium option
• deepseek/deepseek-v3.2 - Code generation

🆘 Support