BYOK (bring your own key) is cheaper than managed AI whenever you run enough rows for the saved markup to outweigh the seat fee and holding a provider account. In Sorzio, managed AI across 300+ models and 16+ providers bills the provider's raw token cost times 1.65 plus a $0.0035 base fee per succeeded row, while BYOK on Pro ($39/month) and Scale ($99/month, 3 seats included) bills the provider's raw rate directly to your own account with 0% Sorzio markup and $0 base fee on generative AI. Both modes run the exact same batching engine across Google Sheets, Hosted Lists, and Claude or ChatGPT via MCP (https://www.sorzio.com/api/mcp). This article shows the per-row math, the break-even volume, and when managed mode still wins.
What is the difference between BYOK and managed AI pricing?
The difference is who holds the provider relationship and what margin sits on each model call. In managed mode, Sorzio calls any of 300+ models across 16+ providers (including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Perplexity, xAI Grok, Mistral, and OpenRouter) on platform keys and deducts from your Sorzio balance. In BYOK mode, you save your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, or OpenRouter key in Settings, Sorzio calls the provider directly as you, and your provider invoices you at list price with zero Sorzio inference charge. For a fuller definition see the BYOK glossary entry.
Everything else is identical between the two modes. The spreadsheet sidebar, Hosted Lists, MCP tools, prompt templating, self-healing output verification, retries, and result writing all behave the same.
The pricing math, side by side
Sorzio managed Generative AI uses two numbers: a markup of 1.65x on the provider's raw token cost, and a base fee of $0.0035 per succeeded row ($3.50 per 1,000 rows). BYOK uses one number: the provider's raw token cost, billed directly to your provider account with $0 Sorzio charge on the AI step. Pre-run cost previews start from a unified 1,000 input / 150 output token baseline per row (adapting automatically to your workspace's real median token usage).
So for a row whose raw model cost is R:
- Managed cost per row =
(R x 1.65) + $0.0035 - BYOK cost per row =
R(billed by your provider)
At the 1,000 input / 150 output token baseline on a budget model like GPT-4o-mini (R ≈ $0.00024), 1,000 rows cost roughly $3.90 managed versus $0.24 under BYOK.
Worked example one. A fast mid-range prompt costing $0.0010 per row in raw tokens:
- Managed:
($0.0010 x 1.65) + $0.0035=$0.00515per row. - BYOK:
$0.0010per row.
Across 100,000 succeeded rows that is $515 managed versus $100 of provider spend under BYOK. The $415 gap is the markup and base fee you stop paying.
Worked example two. A frontier model on a rich enriched context prompt costing $0.0080 per row:
- Managed:
($0.0080 x 1.65) + $0.0035=$0.0167per row. - BYOK:
$0.0080per row.
Across 100,000 rows that is $1,670 managed versus $800 BYOK, an $870 gap. The absolute saving is larger on the frontier model, while the proportional saving is larger on budget models where the fixed $0.0035 base fee dominates.
To model R for your own model and token budget, plug your prompt length into the AI cost calculator, which compares managed and BYOK side by side.
When is BYOK cheaper than managed?
BYOK is cheaper on the AI step at every volume, because it removes a markup and a fee that are always positive. The honest question is not whether BYOK is cheaper per row (it always is) but whether the total saving justifies holding a provider account.
The saving on the AI step for N succeeded rows is:
saving = N x ((R x 0.65) + $0.0035)
At R = $0.0010 that is N x $0.00415. So:
- 1,000 rows saves about
$4.15. Not worth provisioning a key. - 10,000 rows saves about
$41.50. Covers a Pro subscription by itself. - 100,000 rows saves about
$415. Clearly worth it. - 1,000,000 rows saves about
$4,150a month. The markup is now the single largest avoidable line in your bill.
The break-even is not a hard number; it is the point where the monthly saving exceeds the small overhead of managing a provider key and a second invoice. For most teams that lands somewhere between ten and fifty thousand rows a month. Below it, managed mode is the rational choice. Above it, BYOK is.
When does managed mode win?
Managed mode wins whenever convenience outweighs a margin measured in dollars rather than hundreds of dollars.
- Low or occasional volume. A few hundred rows now and then saves pennies under BYOK. Not worth a provider account.
- No existing provider account. Managed mode needs no key and no signup with OpenAI or anyone else. You top up a Sorzio balance and run.
- One consolidated bill. Managed keeps AI, Verify, and Enrich on a single Sorzio balance instead of split across provider invoices.
- Active prompt design. While you are still iterating on a prompt, managed mode lets you test without provisioning keys. Move to BYOK once the workflow is stable.
A common path is to start managed, validate the workflow, then move the AI step to BYOK once monthly volume makes the margin visible. Because both modes use the same engine, switching is a key paste in Settings, not a migration. For the mechanics of running prompts across a column either way, see AI in Google Sheets.
Two things that do not change between modes
First, only succeeded rows are charged in either mode. Failed and skipped rows cost nothing on the Sorzio side regardless of which mode you pick, so a noisy input list does not inflate your bill.
Second, generative AI BYOK is unlocked on Pro ($39/month, 1 seat) and Scale ($99/month, 3 seats included + $19/month per extra seat, which also unlocks BYOK for No2Bounce email verification plus Jina and Firecrawl enrichment), while Decision Mode (typesafe-ai/jev-1.14.0 at $1.00 per 1,000 rows base fee) always settles directly from your Sorzio credit balance. Sorzio earns on the seat, not on a tax over your BYOK inference. Key setup, supported providers, and AES-256-GCM encryption are covered on the bring your own API key page and the AI prompts help guide.
A quick decision rule
If you run more than roughly ten thousand generative AI rows a month and already have (or are happy to open) a provider account, upgrade to Pro ($39/month) for BYOK and pocket the markup. If you run less than that, or you want a single bill and zero key management across 300+ models, stay managed. New accounts get up to $20 in welcome credit ($5 at signup plus $15 when you verify a payment card or make your first deposit) to validate managed workflows first, then switch to BYOK once volume justifies it. Start at the Sorzio home page to compare plans.
Common questions
Is BYOK always cheaper per row than managed?
Yes on the AI step. BYOK bills only the provider's raw rate, while managed adds a 1.65x markup and a $0.0035 base fee per succeeded row. The per-row saving is always positive; whether the total justifies a provider account depends on volume.
What is the break-even volume for BYOK?
There is no fixed number, but for most teams the monthly saving exceeds the overhead of managing a key somewhere between ten and fifty thousand rows a month. Below that, managed mode is usually the simpler choice.
Does managed mode ever cost less than BYOK?
Not on the per-row model cost, no. Managed mode is never cheaper per row, but it removes the cost of holding a provider account and consolidates billing, which can be worth more than the margin at low volume.
Do failed rows cost money in either mode?
No. Only succeeded rows are charged in both managed and BYOK mode, so failed or skipped rows are free on the Sorzio side.
Can I switch between BYOK and managed without losing work?
Yes. Paste a key to use BYOK or remove it to fall back to managed. Both modes use the same batching engine, so switching is a settings change, not a migration.