Bring Your Own Keys - varg

BYOK via the varg API is not available in v2 yet. The v1 gateway’s X-Provider-Key-* headers were not carried over, and passing provider keys in the request body is not supported. Requests are always billed in varg credits. BYOK support for v2 is planned — this page will be updated when it ships.

What works today

varg credits (default)

One VARG_API_KEY, all providers, metered billing. This is the supported path for the varg API:

curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/image \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "nano_banana_pro", "prompt": "sunset over mountains"}'

Estimate any cost before running with POST /v2/estimate. Cache hits are free.

Direct provider modules in the local SDK

For local rendering, the SDK ships direct provider modules (fal, elevenlabs, …) that call the providers with your own keys from env — bypassing varg entirely (no varg billing, but also no varg caching or file storage):

/** @jsxImportSource vargai */
import { Render, Clip, Image } from "vargai/react"
import { fal } from "vargai/ai"

// Uses FAL_KEY / FAL_API_KEY from your environment — billed by fal directly
const img = Image({
  model: fal.imageModel("nano_banana_pro"),
  prompt: "a cabin in mountains at sunset",
  aspectRatio: "16:9",
})

export default (
  <Render width={1920} height={1080}>
    <Clip duration={3}>{img}</Clip>
  </Render>
)

# .env
FAL_KEY=fal_xxx                 # fal.ai/dashboard/keys
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=xxx          # elevenlabs.io/app/settings/api-keys

This only applies to local rendering (bunx vargai render). Cloud render (POST /v2/render) and all API generation endpoints run on varg pooled keys and bill varg credits.

When to use which

Scenario	Use
API access (curl, agents, cloud render)	varg credits — the only supported path
Local rendering with existing provider accounts	Direct provider modules — your env keys, provider-direct billing
Getting started, prototyping	varg credits — one key, caching included