Welcome to Lesson 6 of the How to Own Your AI System course.
In the last lesson we installed BrainDrive, and showed you how to run your first local AI model.
In this lesson we’re going to learn how to use API based models in your BrainDrive.
Local vs. API: You Don’t Have to Choose
Local models give you complete privacy. API models give you access to the most powerful models available - the same models used in Big Tech AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
With BrainDrive, you don’t have to choose one or the other. You can use both, and without the Big Tech lockin.
- Local models: Complete privacy, your data never leaves your computer
- API models: Maximum power, access to the most advanced AI available, without giving up control of the rest of your AI system.
Switch between them anytime based on what you’re working on.
The default way to access API based models in your BrainDrive is via OpenRouter.ai.
What is OpenRouter?
OpenRouter is an API service that gives you access to hundreds of AI models from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and more.
Instead of setting up individual connections to each model provider, you set up one connection with OpenRouter, and it gives you access to them all.
OpenRouter also centralizes billing. Instead of managing separate accounts and bills from all the different providers, you have one account and one bill.
Understanding API Billing
With API-based models, you pay per use - not monthly subscriptions.
How it works:
API providers charge by the “token” (roughly 75% of a word). You’re charged one rate for input tokens (what you send) and another rate for output tokens (what the AI responds with).
What does this cost in practice?
Let’s look at GPT-5.1, one of the most powerful models available:
- Input: $2.50 per million tokens (about 750,000 words)
- Output: $10 per million tokens
That means a typical 10-message conversation costs about $0.02 to $0.10 depending on length.
Compare to ChatGPT Plus:
ChatGPT charges $20/month for unlimited GPT-5.1 access. With OpenRouter, you’d need hundreds of conversations per month to spend $20. Most people use far less.
The bottom line: Unless you’re having hundreds of lengthy conversations every month, API access is cheaper than subscriptions.
And GPT 5.1 is one of the most expensive models to use. OpenRouter offers dozens of models at lower prices - some are even free.
See all pricing: Check OpenRouter.ai/models to compare prices across hundreds of models. You can filter by price, sort from cheapest to most expensive, and find the best model for your budget.
Setting Up OpenRouter in Your BrainDrive
1. Add the OpenRouter Plugin to Your BrainDrive
Your BrainDrive connects to OpenRouter using a plugin.
To add the plugin to your BrainDrive click on “plugins” in the left hand menu.
Then click the 1-click install button in the upper right hand corner.
And paste the OpenRouter Plugin link below in the space provided:
2. Create an OpenRouter account
Go to OpenRouter.ai and sign up.
3. Create Your API Key
Copy your API key and put it somewhere safe. It won’t show again, however if you lose it it’s also easy to just deleted it and create another one.
3. Add credits
Add $5-10 to your account to get started. You pay only for what you use.
6. Add your API key to BrainDrive
Back in BrainDrive, go to Settings → AI Providers → OpenRouter
Paste your API key and click “Save”
7. Test it
Go to your chat page. The model dropdown now shows dozens of models - GPT-4, Claude Sonnet, Gemini, and more.
Select one and start chatting.
That’s all there is to it.
Congratulations!
You now have access to both private locally running models AND the most powerful AI models from top providers - all running in your own AI system.
Think about what that means: Complete privacy when you need it. Cutting-edge power when you want it. Your choice. Your control.
And we’re not even done yet.
In the next lesson, I’m going to show you how to create custom AI personas for different tasks - like having a writing coach, a research assistant, or a fitness expert, all tailored to your specific needs.
Ready to make your AI system even more powerful?
I’ll see you in the next lesson.