Folder Brain, part two
Try other AI models
Once your business lives in plain files, the model is the part you can swap. This page shows one way to try other models, what they cost, and what to check first.
No folder yet? Start with the folder brain guide.
Sources opened and quoted on 24 September 2026
OpenRouter, one key for most models
Normally, trying a different model means another account, another card, another key. OpenRouter is the shortcut. In their words:
“OpenRouter gives you access to hundreds of AI models through a single API endpoint.”
One account, one key, and you can change which model answers by changing one line. Your folder does not change at all.
How to start
- 1Make an account at openrouter.ai and add a small amount of credit.
- 2Create one API key. That single key reaches every model in their catalogue.
- 3Open your account settings and turn off routing to providers that train on your data. Do this before you send anything real.
- 4In whatever tool you are using, set the model name, for example deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash, and paste your key.
- 5Point it at your folder. Same four files, different model.
Step 3 is the one people skip
Different providers handle your data differently. OpenRouter says: “If you opt out of training in your account settings, OpenRouter will not route to providers that train.” Check the setting yourself before you send anything. It does not make anything private. It changes which providers you get routed to.
What the Chinese models are
You keep hearing names like DeepSeek, Qwen and Kimi. They are large AI models built by Chinese companies, and two things make them worth knowing about.
They cost less. Often much less, for work that is good enough for a lot of everyday jobs.
They publish their weights. That means the model itself is a file anyone can download. You can run it on a computer you control, and nothing you type leaves the building. The big American labs mostly do not do this with their best models.
| Who | Model | In | Out | Downloadable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeekChina | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | $0.15 | $0.60 | Yes |
| MiniMaxChina | MiniMax M3 | $0.30 | $1.20 | Yes |
| Z.aiChina | GLM 5.3 | $1.40 | $4.40 | Yes |
| AlibabaChina | Qwen3.8 Max | $2.00 | $6.00 | Yes |
| MoonshotChina | Kimi K3 | $3.00 | $15.00 | Yes |
| AnthropicUS | Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 | $20.00 | No |
| OpenAIUS | GPT-5.6 Terra | $2.00 | $12.00 | No |
Price is US dollars per million tokens of text going in and coming out. A token is a chunk of text. Anthropic’s glossary puts it at “approximately 3.5 English characters”, and says that varies by language. Prices pulled from the OpenRouter catalogue on 24 September 2026, where 458 models were listed. Downloadable means the weights are published on Hugging Face, checked on 16 September 2026. These prices change. Look them up before you rely on them.
Three ways to reach them
Through OpenRouter
Easiest. One key, and you type the model name, for example deepseek/deepseek-v4.1-flash. You are still sending your text over the internet to whoever is hosting it.
Direct from the company
Each lab runs its own website and its own API. More setup, one more account, and your data goes to that company under its own terms.
Downloaded, on your own machine
Because the weights are public, you can run one locally with a tool like Ollama or LM Studio. Nothing leaves your computer. You need a capable machine, and the smaller models that fit on a laptop are weaker than the hosted ones.
Think about this before you paste client information anywhere
Using a hosted model means sending your text to a company, under that company’s terms, often in another country. That is true of American providers too. If you handle health data, client records, or anything covered by a contract or by GDPR, read the terms of whoever hosts the model, and check what you are allowed to send. Running a downloaded model on your own machine is the one route where the text does not leave.
What I have not tested
- I have not run my own workspace on a Chinese model, or on a model running on my own machine. The files are plain text so they will be readable. Whether the answers are as good is a separate question, and I have not measured it.
- The prices in the table were pulled from OpenRouter on 24 September 2026. They change. Check the live number before you budget anything.
- Cheaper does not mean better for your job. A model that costs a tenth as much can still cost you more in time.