--- title: "OpenAI" description: "Power your HolaClaw assistant with OpenAI's GPT models — and choose between signing in with your ChatGPT plan or using an API key." updated: 2026-06-11 canonical: https://holaclaw.ai/docs/ai-providers/openai --- OpenAI makes GPT, the family of models behind ChatGPT. They're fast, well-rounded, and great at following instructions — a safe, capable brain for almost any assistant you'd want to build. OpenAI is also the one provider in HolaClaw that gives you two ways to connect: sign in with the ChatGPT plan you already pay for, or bring your own API key. ```provider-card name: GPT company: OpenAI tagline: The models behind ChatGPT, with two ways to sign in. hue: 175 key-url: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys key-label: platform.openai.com auth: ChatGPT subscription or API key cost: $$ recommended: GPT-5.4 ``` ## Subscription or API key? This is the first decision to make, and it's the one thing that sets OpenAI apart. Pick whichever fits how you already use OpenAI. | | Subscription | API key | | --- | --- | --- | | **How you pay** | Reuse your ChatGPT plan — no separate bill | Pay per use, billed separately | | **What you need** | An active **ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team** plan | An account at platform.openai.com | | **How you connect** | Sign in through your browser | Paste a secret key | | **Recommended model** | GPT-5.4 Mini | GPT-5.4 | **Subscription mode** is the easiest path if you already pay OpenAI every month. In HolaClaw's words: "Reuse the OpenAI plan you already pay for — no separate bill. Your sign-in stays on this Mac." Nothing extra to set up, nothing extra to pay. **API key mode** is for people who don't have a ChatGPT plan, or who'd rather pay only for what their assistant actually uses. You create a key once and OpenAI bills you per message. > **Heads-up — a free ChatGPT account isn't enough.** Subscription mode reuses a paid plan. The in-app requirement spells it out: "Requires an active ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team subscription." If you use ChatGPT for free, you'll need to either upgrade your plan or switch to API key mode below. ## Where you set this up Both paths start in the same place: the **Create Assistant** flow, at **Step 2 · Model provider** — the screen that says "Connect the brain behind your assistant." 1. Start creating an assistant and go to Step 2. 2. Pick **GPT** in the provider sidebar. 3. Use the auth toggle — a segmented control near the top — to switch between **Subscription** and **API Key**. From here, the steps depend on which mode you chose. ## Connect with your ChatGPT subscription This uses an OAuth-style sign-in — meaning you log in on OpenAI's own website and approve access, instead of copying any secret yourself. 1. With the toggle set to **Subscription**, click the **Sign in with ChatGPT** button. 2. OpenAI's consent screen opens in your browser. This is OpenAI's page, not HolaClaw's — log in if you're not already, and review what you're approving. 3. Approve, and you'll be returned to HolaClaw automatically. That's it — your sign-in is stored locally on your Mac. There's no key to manage and no extra bill: your ChatGPT plan covers it. ## Connect with an API key An **API key** is a long secret code that proves a request comes from your account — think of it as a password your assistant uses on your behalf. Anyone who has it can spend on your account, so keep it private. 1. Go to [platform.openai.com/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) and sign in. 2. Create a new key and give it a name you'll recognize, like "HolaClaw". 3. Copy the key right away — it's shown in full only once. If you lose it, just make a new one. 4. Make sure your account has a payment method on the [billing page](https://platform.openai.com/account/billing), or requests will fail. 5. Back in HolaClaw, set the toggle to **API Key** and paste your key into the field. It's masked like a password, which is normal. > **Tip — no ChatGPT plan needed here.** API key mode is completely independent of ChatGPT subscriptions. You can use it whether or not you've ever paid for ChatGPT. As the app notes right below your credentials: "Your credentials stay on your Mac — we never send them anywhere." Whether you signed in or pasted a key, those credentials live inside the assistant's private virtual machine on your Mac. HolaClaw's servers never see them, and OpenAI bills you directly — HolaClaw adds nothing on top. ## Choosing a model The same three GPT models are available in both modes: | Model | Best for | Speed | Cost | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **GPT-5.5** | The latest flagship — top quality for hard tasks | Slower | Higher | | **GPT-5.4** | Everyday chat, planning, writing | Fast | Moderate | | **GPT-5.4 Mini** | Quick, cheap, lightweight assistants | Fastest | Lowest | **GPT-5.4** is the all-rounder and the recommended pick in API key mode — smart enough for a daily companion or a writing partner without costing much. **GPT-5.4 Mini** is the recommendation in subscription mode: it's fast and cheap, which keeps things snappy on your existing plan. **GPT-5.5** is OpenAI's newest flagship. Reach for it when your assistant tackles genuinely demanding work — deep reasoning, intricate analysis — and you want the best they offer. > **Tip — the model is set at creation.** You choose the provider and model when you create an assistant, and that choice sticks. If you later want a different model, create a new assistant with it — your existing one keeps the brain it was born with. ## What it costs In **subscription mode** there's nothing extra to pay — your ChatGPT plan already covers it. In **API key mode**, OpenAI charges per **token** — roughly a short word or word-fragment of text. Every message you send and every reply your assistant writes uses some, and you pay only for what you use. A chatty daily assistant on GPT-5.4 Mini typically costs cents a day; GPT-5.5 costs more for the same conversation. For current per-token prices, check your [billing page](https://platform.openai.com/account/billing) — we don't quote numbers here because they change. ## Troubleshooting When something goes wrong with the connection to OpenAI, HolaClaw shows a banner in the chat. Here's what each means: - **"OpenAI is out of credits"** — your account balance is empty. Top up on the [billing page](https://platform.openai.com/account/billing) and your assistant resumes on the next message. - **"OpenAI API key is invalid, expired, or out of credits"** — the key was revoked, mistyped, or the account can't pay. Create a fresh key at [platform.openai.com/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) and update it, or top up. **In subscription mode**, this banner can mean your ChatGPT plan lapsed — sign in again to reconnect. - **"OpenAI rate limit or quota reached"** — you're sending requests faster than your plan allows. Wait a little and try again, or upgrade with OpenAI. - **"OpenAI is currently unreachable"** — OpenAI's servers are having a moment. Nothing to fix on your end; the next attempt goes through once their service recovers. Still stuck? The [HolaClaw Discord](https://discord.gg/FbxAbS5sGQ) is a friendly place to ask. ## Next steps Not sure GPT is the right brain for this assistant? Compare every option in [Choosing an AI provider](/docs/ai-providers/choosing-a-provider) — and remember you can always create another assistant with a different one. If you'd like to weigh GPT against the alternatives, the guides for [Anthropic Claude](/docs/ai-providers/anthropic-claude), [Google Gemini](/docs/ai-providers/google-gemini), and [Grok](/docs/ai-providers/grok) cover the other big names.