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By default, Alter offers a variety of models, listed alphabetically by their hosting company. You can also use your API key or use your local model.

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Choosing your model

After opening Alter, just type / to show available models and select the model you want to use.

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Chosing a favorite model

Select the star icon next to a model with your mouse to mark the model as your favorite. Favoriting a model When using your API key or a local model, these appear at the top under Custom.
All other interactions are routed through Alter Cloud.

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Using Alter Cloud

By default, Alter is set up with /best , our internal model router, choosing the best model based on your query. Router and model example You can change the default model in Settings > Defaults > Model.

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List of the models via Alter Cloud

Alter provides access to 92+ models across 10 providers through its unified router. Use the /models endpoint to list current models, or see the API Gateway Guide for detailed model information. Provider Overview (as of Beta 71):
ProviderModel CountExample Models
Alter4best, fair, fast, light
Claude (Anthropic)4claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-sonnet-4-20250514
OpenAI17gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, gpt-5, o3, o4-mini
Gemini (Google)10gemini-2.5-pro, gemini-2.5-flash, gemini-3-pro-preview
Mistral9mistral-small-latest, codestral-2501, pixtral-large-latest
Groq7Llama, Qwen, and other optimized models
Together26DeepSeek, Llama, Qwen, and specialty variants
xAI8grok-3-latest, grok-4 series
Cerebras5Llama, Qwen, and DeepSeek variants
Perplexity2sonar, sonar-pro (web search capable)
Key Model Characteristics:
FeatureModelsContext
Vision CapableGPT-4O, Gemini 2.5+, Claude, Mistral PixtralAnalyze images/video
Highest ContextAlter models, Gemini1M+ tokens
FastestAlter light, GPT-4O mini, Gemini FlashLow latency
Most CapableGPT-4O, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Claude SonnetComplex reasoning
Web SearchPerplexity SonarReal-time info
Code SpecialistMistral CodestralCode generation
For the complete current list of all 92+ models, check available models directly through the API: 
curl https://alterhq.com/api/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Or see the API Gateway Guide for detailed information on model selection and usage.

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Using Your API Key

Custom Local You can use your own API key to connect directly to your provider’s endpoint:
  1. Go to Settings > API keys > Custom provider.
  2. Enable Custom Provider
  3. Pick your provider in the list
Once connected, a tick will appear next to Custom Endpoint.
Your provider’s models will be listed under the Custom section.
We only support OpenAI compatible endpoints meaning you can’t use your Anthropic API keys.
Here’s a list of the supported platforms for custom keys, based on the provided image:
  1. Azure
  2. Gemini
  3. LM Studio
  4. Mistral
  5. Ollama
  6. OpenAI
  7. Open Router
  8. Custom (Any OpenAI compatible endpoint)

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Setting Up an Azure Endpoint in Alter

  1. Enable Custom Provider: In Alter’s settings, enable the “Custom provider” option.
  2. Choose Azure: Select Azure as your provider.
  3. Enter Complete Chat Completion Endpoint URL: Provide the full chat completion endpoint URL, including the api-version parameter and the model name within the URL. For example: https://yourinstance.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/your-model-name/chat/completions?api-version=2024-02-15-preview
  4. Enter API Key: Enter your Azure OpenAI API key.
Important Considerations
  • Complete Endpoint Required: Make sure to use the complete chat completion endpoint, as Alter extracts the model name from the URL.
  • Model Name in URL: The model deployment name must be included in the URL path.
  • API Version: The URL must include the api-version parameter.

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Where to find your API keys

ProviderURL for generate an API Key
Google (Gemini)https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikeyLink
Mistralhttps://console.mistral.ai/api-keys/
OpenAIhttps://platform.openai.com/api-keys[Link]

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Locally using Ollama or LM Studio

Custom Local To use Alter with local models (via Ollama or LM Studio):
  1. Go to Settings > API keys > Custom provider.
  2. Enable Custom Provider
  3. Pick Ollama or LM Studio in the list of provider
Once connected, a tick will appear next to Custom Endpoint.
image alt Your local models will be listed under the Custom section. Custom model