Hosted AI vs. bring your own API key: which should you use?

Hosted AI, included in every plan

Every PocketPhantom plan ships with hosted AI, so the app answers the moment you install it — no API key, no setup. Requests are relayed through PocketPhantom's own server to Anthropic's Claude and stream straight back to you. They are never stored to a profile and never used for training. Claude Sonnet is the default, with other Claude models available on higher tiers.

Bring your own key

If you would rather use your own account, you can supply a personal key from Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), or Google (Gemini). With a personal key, captures go straight from your machine to the provider you chose, with no relay in between, and usage draws on your own quota with that provider. This is optional — the included hosted AI covers everything out of the box.

Privacy: how the two differ

On both paths, PocketPhantom does not save your prompts or screenshots to a profile or use them for training. The difference is the route the data takes:

• Hosted AI: your capture passes through PocketPhantom's relay on the way to Anthropic, then streams back. Nothing is stored.
• Your own key: your capture goes directly from your machine to your chosen provider, governed by that provider's data terms and your account with them.

If you prefer there to be no middleman at all, your own key is the more direct path. If you would rather not manage provider accounts, the hosted route keeps it simple.

Cost and model choice

Hosted AI is bundled into your monthly plan — higher tiers (Pro, Power, Max, Ultra) include a larger monthly allowance, so cost is predictable and there is nothing else to pay. See the pricing page for the tiers.

With your own key you pay your provider directly for what you use, which can be cheaper or more expensive depending on volume, and it unlocks the full range of models you have access to — including OpenAI's GPT and Google's Gemini families alongside Claude.

Which should you use?

Start with the included hosted AI: it works immediately and is enough for most people. Switch to your own key if you want a specific model that is not in your plan, you already pay a provider and want to use that quota, or you prefer captures to reach the provider with no relay in between. You can change your mind later in settings — it is not a one-way door.

Ready to try it? Download PocketPhantom for Windows.

Frequently asked questions