BYOK vs hosted tokens explained

July 2026 · Pricing & privacy

SimplRead needs an AI model to rewrite long text into slides. You can pay for that model in two ways: use SimplRead’s hosted tokens, or bring your own API key (BYOK) from a provider you already use. Neither path locks you into a subscription. Here is how they differ in practice.

Hosted tokens (SimplRead pays the provider)

With hosted tokens, you never paste an API key. SimplRead calls its own platform keys. New accounts get a free monthly allowance (currently five new simplifications per calendar month). When you need more, you buy a credit pack — a one-time top-up that lasts twelve months. One credit equals one new simplification; re-reading history is free.

Free hosted reading shows ads in the reader to help cover infrastructure. While you hold purchased credits, reading is ad-free and uses our stronger credit-tier model. When credits run out, you return to the free allowance (with ads) or add a key.

BYOK (you pay your provider)

Bring-your-own-key means you save an API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or another supported provider in Settings. SimplRead encrypts that key at rest and sends article text to your provider when you simplify. Usage appears on that provider’s bill at their rates. SimplRead does not meter BYOK against the five free hosted tokens.

BYOK is never paywalled: you can always add a key and keep reading. Ads may still appear in the reader unless you hold purchased credits (credits make the experience ad-free across paths). Choose BYOK when you want a specific model, already have provider credit, or prefer provider-side billing and quotas.

Privacy differences that matter

Hosted: Content is processed with SimplRead’s platform keys under our Privacy Policy and the model vendor’s terms for API use.
BYOK: Content is processed under your agreement with the provider. Your key stays encrypted on our servers; we use it only to fulfil your simplify requests.
History: Titles, URLs, and slides are stored in your SimplRead account either way, so you can reopen them later.

Which should you pick?

Start with hosted free if you want zero setup — paste a link and go. Switch to credit packs if you simplify often and want ad-free hosted reading without managing keys. Choose BYOK if you already live in an AI provider dashboard, need a particular model, or want unlimited volume billed elsewhere.

Many people use both over time: hosted for quick one-offs on a new device, BYOK on a laptop where a key is already configured. Settings let you choose per account.

What never changes

No subscription required to keep an account.
Re-reads from history do not spend credits.
Failed simplifications caused by our systems are not charged.
Chrome, web, Android, and iOS share the same balance and history when you are signed in.