API Keys Setup

Lobsta needs an AI provider API key to work. This guide covers how to get one — including free options if you want to try before committing.

Free Options

🆓 OpenRouter (Recommended for Free)

OpenRouter aggregates multiple AI providers and offers free models with no credit card required.

1. Go to openrouter.ai (opens in a new tab)
2. Click Sign In (use Google, GitHub, or email)
3. Go to Keys → Create Key
4. Copy your key (starts with sk-or-)

Free models available:

• google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp:free — Fast, capable
• meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free — Great quality
• qwen/qwen-2.5-72b-instruct:free — Excellent reasoning

In LobstaKit, select OpenRouter as provider and use one of these model names.

🆓 Google AI Studio (Gemini)

Google offers generous free tier for Gemini models.

1. Go to aistudio.google.com (opens in a new tab)
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click Get API Key → Create API key
4. Copy your key

Free limits: 15 requests/minute, 1M tokens/day
Models: gemini-2.0-flash, gemini-1.5-pro

🆓 Groq (Fast & Free)

Groq offers free API access with rate limits.

1. Go to console.groq.com (opens in a new tab)
2. Sign up / Sign in
3. Go to API Keys → Create API Key
4. Copy your key

Free limits: 30 requests/minute
Models: llama-3.3-70b-versatile, mixtral-8x7b-32768

🆓 Kimi (Moonshot AI)

Kimi K2.5 offers a free tier with good performance.

1. Go to platform.moonshot.cn (opens in a new tab)
2. Create account (may require phone verification)
3. Navigate to API section
4. Generate your API key

Models: moonshot-v1-8k, moonshot-v1-32k, moonshot-v1-128k

Paid Options (Better Limits & Models)

Anthropic (Claude) — Recommended

Best overall quality. New accounts get $5 free credits.

1. Go to console.anthropic.com (opens in a new tab)
2. Sign up with email
3. Go to API Keys → Create Key
4. Copy your key (starts with sk-ant-)

Pricing: ~$3/M input tokens, ~$15/M output tokens (Sonnet)
Models: claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

OpenAI (GPT-4)

1. Go to platform.openai.com (opens in a new tab)
2. Sign up / Sign in
3. Go to API Keys → Create new secret key
4. Copy your key (starts with sk-)

Pricing: ~$2.50/M input, ~$10/M output (GPT-4o)
Models: gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini

Configuring in LobstaKit

Once you have your API key:

1. Open LobstaKit web interface
2. Go to Setup tab
3. Select your AI Provider from dropdown
4. Paste your API Key
5. Choose your preferred Model
6. Click Save Configuration

Which Should I Choose?

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API key" error

• Make sure you copied the full key
• Check there are no extra spaces
• Verify the key is for the correct provider

"Rate limit exceeded"

• Free tiers have usage limits
• Wait a few minutes or upgrade to paid

"Model not found"

• Double-check the model name spelling
• Some models require specific access (e.g., GPT-4 needs payment method)