Get an API key for the model
It calls the AI model with your own API key, and the provider bills you directly. In mainland China, use DeepSeek. Outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, Claude is an option too.
Pick a provider
| Item | DeepSeek | Claude (Anthropic) | Other compatible APIs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Mainland China and abroad; the default for new installs | Anyone outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau | People already using another provider |
| Models | V4.1 Flash (default), V4 Pro | Opus 5.5 (default), Sonnet 5.5, Fable 5.1, Haiku 5.5 | The model ID you enter |
| Web | Search, but can't open pages | Search and open pages | None |
| Reads PDFs | No | Yes | Depends |
| Estimate per month | About CNY 9–18 (about USD 1–3) | About CNY 151 (about USD 22) (Sonnet) to CNY 294 (about USD 44) (Opus) | — |
| Paying | Top up in CNY with Alipay or WeChat Pay; PayPal or a card for overseas accounts | Prepaid credit in USD, by card | Depends |
Monthly figures are estimates for a typical user, worked out from the code, not measured. Details under “Costs and usage” below.
DeepSeek
- Sign in to the DeepSeek platformGo to platform.deepseek.com and sign in with your phone number, WeChat or email. Mainland China accounts must complete real-name verification before topping up.
- Add creditTop up a little on the Top up page; a few yuan lasts a while in dry run. Alipay and WeChat Pay work, and overseas accounts can use PayPal or a card. Credit doesn't expire.
- Create a keyOn the API Keys page, create a new key, name it something you'll recognise (say, Meow) and copy it.
- Paste it into the appIn the setup window's Assistant step, or in Settings → Assistant under DeepSeek API key. Click Save.
- Test itClick Test the Key (Test in the setup window). It sends one tiny request and tells you whether the key works.
Choose the model in Settings → Assistant → Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash is the default; V4 Pro is stronger at about 4× the price.
Prices (October 2026; DeepSeek's site has the current ones): V4.1 Flash costs CNY 1 per million input tokens (CNY 0.02 when cached) and CNY 4 per million output tokens. On weekdays 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00 Beijing time, peak pricing doubles that. DeepSeek caches repeated input on its own.
Note: DeepSeek's endpoint doesn't accept PDF files; use Claude if PDFs need reading. When your credit runs out, requests fail, the app's menu shows the error, and messages that arrive meanwhile aren't answered later. Top up and it carries on.
Claude (Anthropic)
Anthropic doesn't serve mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, and doesn't allow use from there. If that's where you are, use DeepSeek.
- Sign up for the Claude ConsoleGo to console.anthropic.com and create an account.
- Add a payment methodUnder Billing, add a card and buy prepaid credit (in USD).
- Create a keyUnder API Keys, click Create Key and copy it. It starts with sk-ant-.
- Choose ClaudeIn Settings → Assistant → Provider, pick Claude (Anthropic).
- Paste and testPaste the key on the same tab under Claude (Anthropic) API key, click Save, then Test the Key.
Choose the model in Settings → Assistant → Model: Opus 5.5 is Claude's default (USD 4 per million input tokens, 20 per million output); Sonnet 5.5 is faster (2 / 10); Fable 5.1 is the most capable (10 / 50); Haiku 5.5 is the cheapest (0.10 / 0.50). Claude's web search is billed per search: USD 10 per 1,000.
Other Anthropic-compatible providers
Kimi, GLM, Qwen, MiniMax and others offer an “Anthropic-compatible” API you can connect:
- In Settings → Assistant → Provider, pick Other (Anthropic-compatible).
- For Provider URL, use the Anthropic-compatible address from the provider's docs (it usually ends in /anthropic). For Model ID, the provider's model name.
- Paste that provider's key on the same tab, click Save, then Test the Key.
These endpoints aren't individually tested. Connected this way they get no web search, no effort setting and no retry on refusals. Use a pay-as-you-go key: many providers' coding-plan keys aren't allowed for this. The app sends the key in an x-api-key header, so an endpoint that only accepts Authorization: Bearer may not connect.
Costs and usage
| Model | Estimate per month (typical user) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | About CNY 9–18 | The default for new installs. Off-peak to peak hours; DeepSeek caches automatically. |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | About CNY 151 (about USD 22) | Assumes prompt caching. |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | About CNY 294 (about USD 44) | Claude's default. Assumes prompt caching; about CNY 505 without. |
Estimates, not measurements. A typical user gets about 80 one-to-one messages a day plus about 200 a day across 3 followed groups. List prices as of October 2026, at USD 1 = CNY 6.733. Every check in a followed group is a request, billed even when it stays quiet.
Settings → Assistant in the app shows this month's requests, input and output tokens, and an estimated cost at list prices. Every check in a followed group is a request, billed even when it stays quiet; following fewer groups is the quickest way to spend less.
Keeping your key safe
- The key lives in this Mac's Keychain and goes only to its provider, never to us.
- Don't share it or paste it into a chat.
- If you think it leaked, delete it in the provider's console, create a new one and paste that into the app.
Next: activate your license key, or run it dry and read the drafts first.