---
title: Providers
url: https://arcana.otnelhq.com/docs/providers
---

# Providers



Arcana supports 33+ LLM providers through the [models.dev](https://models.dev) catalog. You bring your own API keys — Arcana auto-detects which providers are available and lets you switch models mid-session.




## How Providers Work



Set any provider's API key via environment variable. Arcana detects it automatically — no per-vendor configuration required.



```bash
# Set a key — Arcana detects the provider
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

# Verify detection
arcana doctor

# See all detected providers and models
arcana providers
arcana models
```




## Provider Comparison



Key metrics for the most popular providers. See [Model Recommendations](/docs/models) for task-specific picks.




### Tier 1 — Frontier Models



| Provider | Best Models | Context | Strengths | Env Var |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **OpenAI** | gpt-5.6-sol, gpt-5.4, gpt-4.1 | 1M | Best all-round, tool use, reasoning | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
| **Anthropic** | claude-opus-5, claude-sonnet-5, claude-fable-5 | 1M | Long context, agentic coding, safety | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` |
| **Google** | gemini-3.6-flash, gemini-3.5-flash, gemini-3.1-pro | 1M | Huge context, multimodal, fast, cheap | `GEMINI_API_KEY` |




### Tier 2 — Strong Alternatives



| Provider | Best Models | Context | Strengths | Env Var |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **xAI** | grok-4.5, grok-build-0.1 | 1M | Coding, science, math, real-time data | `XAI_API_KEY` |
| **MoonshotAI** | kimi-k3, coding-kimi-k3 | 1M | #1 coding arenas, 2.8T params, long-horizon | `KIMI_API_KEY` |
| **DeepSeek** | deepseek-v4-pro | varies | Very cheap, high-capability reasoning | `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` |
| **AWS Bedrock** | claude, llama, mistral | varies | Enterprise, IAM auth, no egress | `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID` |
| **Mistral** | mistral-large, codestral | 128K | Fast, European, open-weight options | `MISTRAL_API_KEY` |
| **Alibaba** | qwen3.8-max, qwen3-max | 1M | 2.4T params, full-stack dev, multilingual | `DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` |




### Tier 3 — Free & Self-Hosted



| Provider | Best Models | Context | Strengths | Env Var |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Ollama** | llama3, codellama, mistral | varies | Local, free, no API key needed | Auto-detected |
| **OpenRouter** | all models via proxy | varies | Single key for 300+ models | `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` |
| **Cloudflare** | gpt-4.1, claude, gemini, llama | 1M | Workers AI, edge inference, 200+ models | `CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN` |
| **Together** | llama, mixtral | varies | Fast inference, cheap | `TOGETHER_API_KEY` |
| **Groq** | llama, mixtral | varies | Ultra-fast inference | `GROQ_API_KEY` |




## All Supported Providers



Arcana auto-detects providers from environment variables. The full list includes:



            OpenAI  OPENAI_API_KEY  
            Anthropic  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY  
            Google Gemini  GEMINI_API_KEY  
            xAI  XAI_API_KEY  
            AWS Bedrock  AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID  
            DeepSeek  DEEPSEEK_API_KEY  
            Mistral  MISTRAL_API_KEY  
            OpenRouter  OPENROUTER_API_KEY  
            Ollama  Local — no key needed  
            Cloudflare  CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN  
            Together AI  TOGETHER_API_KEY  
            Groq  GROQ_API_KEY  
            Replicate  REPLICATE_API_TOKEN  
            Cohere  COHERE_API_KEY  
            Hugging Face  HF_TOKEN  
            Fireworks  FIREWORKS_API_KEY  
            Sambanova  SAMBANOVA_API_KEY  
            Novita AI  NOVITA_API_KEY  


Run `arcana doctor` to see which keys are detected on your system.




## Switching Providers



You can switch providers mid-session or configure defaults:




### Environment Variable



```bash
# Set the default provider
export ARCANA_PROVIDER=anthropic
export ARCANA_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4

# Or use provider-specific keys
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
```




### Config File



```json
{
  "provider": "anthropic",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4"
}
```




### Mid-Session Switch



```bash
# In the TUI, type:
/providers
# Then select a different provider/model
```




## Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)



Arcana works in two modes:



### BYOK Mode (Free)



Set your own provider API keys (`OPENAI_API_KEY`, `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, etc.) and Arcana connects directly. You pay your providers directly — Arcana does not mark up costs or take a cut.



### Arcana License Mode



For proxy, cloud sync, and Gateway features, you need an Arcana license. This is **not** a provider API key — it's a separate credential that unlocks Arcana's hosted infrastructure:



```bash
# Arcana license for proxy/cloud features
export ARCANA_LICENSE=your-license-key

# BYOK still works alongside your license
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
```



The proxy routes requests through Arcana's infrastructure using your license. BYOK mode (direct provider keys) is always free and requires no license.




## Setup Guides



Step-by-step setup for each major provider:



- [OpenAI](/docs/providers/openai) — GPT-4o, o1, o3 — set OPENAI_API_KEY
- [Anthropic](/docs/providers/anthropic) — Claude Sonnet, Opus — prompt caching
- [Google Gemini](/docs/providers/google) — 1M context, multimodal, free tier
- [xAI Grok](/docs/providers/xai) — Real-time data, OpenAI-compatible
- [AWS Bedrock](/docs/providers/amazon-bedrock) — IAM auth, enterprise, no egress
- [DeepSeek](/docs/providers/deepseek) — Very cheap, strong coding
- [Mistral](/docs/providers/mistral) — Fast, European, Codestral
- [OpenRouter](/docs/providers/openrouter) — 100+ models, single API key
- [Ollama](/docs/providers/ollama) — Fully local, free, no API key
- [Cloudflare Workers AI](/docs/providers/cloudflare-workers-ai) — Edge inference, serverless GPU, free tier
- [Together AI](/docs/providers/together) — Fast open-source inference, fine-tuning




## Troubleshooting



- Run `arcana doctor` to verify key detection
- Keys must be set *before* starting Arcana
- Some providers (Bedrock) require multiple env vars
- See [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting) for common issues