Choosing an AI provider
ReplyRabbit works with seven AI providers. Choose based on three things: cost, the quality of the drafts you want, and whether your data has to stay on your own hardware. If you are unsure, start with OpenAI or Anthropic and change it later in your mailbox settings.
The seven providers
Five providers are cloud services and two run locally on your own machine. Cloud providers bill per token (you pay them directly); local providers have no per-token cost.
| Provider | Type | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Cloud | The default starting point. Available on the Free tier, so you can try ReplyRabbit with one provider before upgrading. | platform.openai.com |
| Anthropic | Cloud | Claude models. A strong all-round choice for natural, careful support replies. | anthropic.com |
| Google AI Studio | Cloud | Gemini models, including fast, low-cost options. | ai.google.dev |
| OpenRouter | Cloud | One API key, many models from different vendors. Good for experimenting and comparing models without signing up everywhere. | openrouter.ai |
| Z.AI | Cloud | GLM models. A capable, cost-conscious cloud option. | z.ai |
| Ollama (Local) | Local | Runs models on your own hardware (localhost:11434), so nothing leaves your server and there is no per-token cost. | ollama.com |
| LM Studio (Local) | Local | Runs models on your own hardware (localhost:1234), private with no per-token cost. | lmstudio.ai |
Free tier uses OpenAI
Cloud vs local
Cloud providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI Studio, OpenRouter, Z.AI) are the easiest way to start and usually offer the top draft quality. You pay per token, and the conversation content you draft from leaves your server and is sent to that provider's API.
Local providers (Ollama, LM Studio) run the model on your own hardware. Nothing leaves your server, and there is no per-token cost. The trade-off is that you need a reasonably capable machine, and draft quality depends on the local model you run. Local models require a paid tier (Pro or Team).
Which should I choose?
- Just getting started: use OpenAI or Anthropic. They give good results out of the box, and OpenAI is available on the Free tier so you can try ReplyRabbit first.
- Want to compare models: use OpenRouter. One API key gives you access to many models from different vendors, so you can experiment without separate accounts.
- Privacy or cost control matters most: use Ollama or LM Studio. Your customer data never leaves your server and there is no per-token bill, at the cost of running the model on your own hardware (Pro or Team tier).
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