Your Own Model API Keys and Local-first: StoryCode's Usage Boundary
StoryCode commercialization is not about moving every AI call into the cloud. It is about letting users choose clearly between local models, their own model API keys, and StoryCode-hosted capabilities. These are the most important boundaries.
Use your own model API keys (BYOK)
Connect providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Azure, and Gemini. Cost, quota, and data-handling boundaries are primarily controlled by your provider setup, and calls made with your own model API keys do not consume StoryCode Credits.
Local models: keep inference on your machine or network
When you choose local models or an internal model gateway, code, prompts, and context can stay closer to controlled infrastructure, which fits privacy-sensitive teams.
Hosted Credits: for cloud resources StoryCode pays for
Credits are used only for hosted models, cloud embedding/rerank, Web Search, cloud speech, media generation, and similar capabilities that create direct cost for StoryCode.
Local files, Git, and Shell do not consume Credits
Agent reads and writes against local files, Git inspection, terminal commands, local Knowledge, and local Workflow execution should not consume StoryCode Credits.
Smart routing: pick the right model for the task
Pro capabilities gradually strengthen long tasks, subagents, background agents, and context strategy so different tasks can use better model and execution choices.
Safety boundary: approvals, sandboxing, and policy
Local-first does not mean unconstrained execution. StoryCode uses permission prompts, sandboxing, execution policy, and device connection controls to reduce tool-use risk.
When Do You Need Pro?
If you only need local-first work with your own model API keys, Free should be enough to start. Pro is valuable when you need advanced agent automation, subagents, background work, long task resume, advanced Knowledge, smart routing, and monthly hosted Credits.
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