Quick Start — CheapAI | OpenAI-Compatible API in 30 Seconds

1

Get Your API Key

Go to Pricing page
Choose your top-up amount ($5 minimum)
Pay via PayPal — instant key delivery after payment
Copy your API key (starts with sk-)

Your key is shown once. Save it — if you lose it, contact support for recovery.

2

Make Your First API Call

Python

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-your-key-here",
    base_url="https://cheapai.space/v1"
)

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

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

Node.js

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: 'sk-your-key-here',
    baseURL: 'https://cheapai.space/v1'
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: 'cheapai-chat',
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
});
console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);

curl

curl https://cheapai.space/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-key-here" \
  -d '{"model":"cheapai-chat","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello!"}]}'

3

Choose Your Model

cheapai-flash

Lightning fast

Chatbots & support
Summarization
Simple Q&A
High volume tasks

Recommended

cheapai-chat

Balanced & capable

Content writing
Coding assistance
Data analysis
General purpose

cheapai-pro

Advanced reasoning

Complex math
Logic puzzles
Deep analysis
Step-by-step reasoning

All models: $1 per million tokens. Minimum charge 1 cent per request.

Vision — Image Understanding

All models support image inputs using OpenAI's vision format. Same $1/M tokens pricing.

Python — Image URL

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="cheapai-chat",
    messages=[{
        "role": "user",
        "content": [
            {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this image."},
            {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": "https://example.com/photo.jpg"}}
        ]
    }]
)

Python — Base64 Image

import base64

with open("photo.jpg", "rb") as f:
    b64 = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode()

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="cheapai-chat",
    messages=[{
        "role": "user",
        "content": [
            {"type": "text", "text": "Describe this image."},
            {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": f"data:image/jpeg;base64,{b64}"}}
        ]
    }]
)

Track Your Usage

Visit your Dashboard to see:

Remaining Balance

Real-time

Token Usage

30-day chart

Request History

Last 50 calls

FAQ

How much does it cost?

$1 per million tokens — ~10x cheaper than GPT-4o. Minimum charge 1 cent per request. No monthly fees, no minimums.

Is it really OpenAI-compatible?

Yes. Change base_url to https://cheapai.space/v1 in your OpenAI SDK. All your existing code works.

Does my balance expire?

No. Your credits never expire. Use them whenever you want.

Can I use streaming?

Yes! Set stream: true in your request for real-time token-by-token output (Server-Sent Events). Fully OpenAI-compatible.

What happens if I run out of credits?

API calls return a 402 error. Top up on the pricing page to continue.

Need Help?

Questions, issues, feedback — we're here.

hello@cheapai.space

Copy the address above and email us directly

We typically respond within a few hours.

Quick Start Guide