Cloud providers offer powerful AI models through APIs, with pay-as-you-go pricing and no local hardware requirements.
AWS Bedrock AWS Bedrock provides Claude models through Amazon’s infrastructure.
Configuration Add to ~/.ai-runner/secrets.sh:
export AWS_PROFILE = "your-profile-name" export AWS_REGION = "us-west-2"
Authentication Methods AWS Bedrock supports three authentication methods:
1. AWS Bedrock API Key (Recommended) export AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK = "your-bedrock-api-key" export AWS_REGION = "us-west-2"
2. AWS Access Keys export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = "your_access_key" export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = "your_secret_key" export AWS_SESSION_TOKEN = "your_session_token" # Optional export AWS_REGION = "us-west-2"
3. AWS Profile export AWS_PROFILE = "your-profile-name" export AWS_REGION = "us-west-2"
Usage # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --aws # Use specific tier ai --aws --opus task.md ai --aws --sonnet task.md ai --aws --haiku quick-fix.md
Custom Models Override default models in secrets.sh:
export CLAUDE_MODEL_OPUS_AWS = "global.anthropic.claude-opus-4-6-v1" export CLAUDE_MODEL_SONNET_AWS = "global.anthropic.claude-sonnet-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_HAIKU_AWS = "us.anthropic.claude-haiku-4-5-20251001-v1:0" export CLAUDE_SMALL_FAST_MODEL_AWS = "us.anthropic.claude-haiku-4-5-20251001-v1:0"
AWS Bedrock Setup Read the complete AWS Bedrock setup guide
Google Vertex AI Google Vertex AI provides Claude models through Google Cloud Platform.
Configuration Add to ~/.ai-runner/secrets.sh:
export ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID = "your-gcp-project-id" export CLOUD_ML_REGION = "global"
Authentication Vertex AI supports three authentication methods (in precedence order):
1. Service Account Key File export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS = "/path/to/service-account-key.json"
2. Application Default Credentials gcloud auth application-default login
3. User Credentials Prerequisites
Install Google Cloud SDK: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install
Authenticate with one of the methods above
Enable Claude models in Vertex AI Model Garden
Usage # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --vertex # Use specific tier ai --vertex --opus task.md ai --vertex --sonnet task.md ai --vertex --haiku quick-fix.md
Custom Models Override default models in secrets.sh:
export CLAUDE_MODEL_OPUS_VERTEX = "claude-opus-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_SONNET_VERTEX = "claude-sonnet-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_HAIKU_VERTEX = "claude-haiku-4-5@20251001" export CLAUDE_SMALL_FAST_MODEL_VERTEX = "claude-haiku-4-5@20251001"
Regional Overrides For specific model regional availability:
export VERTEX_REGION_CLAUDE_4_6_OPUS = "us-east5" export VERTEX_REGION_CLAUDE_4_6_SONNET = "us-east5"
Vertex AI Setup Read the complete Vertex AI setup guide
Anthropic API Direct API access to Anthropic’s Claude models.
Configuration Add to ~/.ai-runner/secrets.sh:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
Getting an API Key
Sign up at console.anthropic.com
Navigate to API Keys
Create a new API key
Add it to your secrets.sh
Usage # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --apikey # Use specific tier ai --apikey --opus task.md ai --apikey --sonnet task.md ai --apikey --haiku quick-fix.md
Custom Models Override default models in secrets.sh:
export CLAUDE_MODEL_OPUS_ANTHROPIC = "claude-opus-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_SONNET_ANTHROPIC = "claude-sonnet-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_HAIKU_ANTHROPIC = "claude-haiku-4-5" export CLAUDE_SMALL_FAST_MODEL_ANTHROPIC = "claude-haiku-4-5"
If you’re also logged into Claude Pro, you’ll see an “Auth conflict” warning from Claude Code. This is normal - Claude Code will use the API key for billing. The warning is just informational.
Anthropic API Docs Read the Anthropic API documentation
Microsoft Azure Microsoft Foundry on Azure provides Claude models through Azure.
Configuration Add to ~/.ai-runner/secrets.sh:
export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_API_KEY = "your-azure-api-key" export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_RESOURCE = "your-resource-name"
Or provide the full URL:
export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_BASE_URL = "https://your-resource-name.services.ai.azure.com"
Authentication Methods 1. API Key (Recommended) export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_API_KEY = "your-azure-api-key" export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_RESOURCE = "your-resource-name"
2. Azure Default Credentials az login export ANTHROPIC_FOUNDRY_RESOURCE = "your-resource-name"
Usage # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --azure # Use specific tier ai --azure --opus task.md ai --azure --sonnet task.md ai --azure --haiku quick-fix.md
Custom Models Azure model names are deployment names (user-defined). Override in secrets.sh:
export CLAUDE_MODEL_OPUS_AZURE = "claude-opus-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_SONNET_AZURE = "claude-sonnet-4-6" export CLAUDE_MODEL_HAIKU_AZURE = "claude-haiku-4-5" export CLAUDE_SMALL_FAST_MODEL_AZURE = "claude-haiku-4-5"
Microsoft Foundry Setup Read the complete Microsoft Foundry setup guide
Vercel AI Gateway Vercel AI Gateway provides unified access to 100+ models from multiple providers.
Configuration Add to ~/.ai-runner/secrets.sh:
export VERCEL_AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN = "vck_..." export VERCEL_AI_GATEWAY_URL = "https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh" # Optional
Getting a Token
Visit vercel.com/dashboard/~/ai
Create a new AI Gateway token
Add it to your secrets.sh
Usage with Claude Models # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --vercel # Use specific tier ai --vercel --opus task.md ai --vercel --sonnet task.md ai --vercel --haiku quick-fix.md
Use Any Model Vercel AI Gateway supports 100+ models from OpenAI, xAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic, Mistral, DeepSeek, and more — all through one API.
Use --model provider/model to run Claude Code with any supported model:
ai --vercel --model xai/grok-code-fast-1 # xAI coding model ai --vercel --model openai/gpt-5.2-codex # OpenAI coding model ai --vercel --model google/gemini-3-pro-preview # Google reasoning model ai --vercel --model alibaba/qwen3-coder # Alibaba coding model ai --vercel --model zai/glm-5 # Zhipu AI GLM-5 198K context
Example Coding Models Model ID Provider Description xai/grok-code-fast-1xAI Fast coding model openai/gpt-5.2-codexOpenAI Coding-optimized GPT (also openai/gpt-5.3-codex) google/gemini-3-pro-previewGoogle Latest reasoning model alibaba/qwen3-coderAlibaba Open-source coding model zai/glm-5Zhipu AI GLM-5, 198K context, MIT license
Browse All Models View all available models on Vercel AI Gateway
Configuration for Non-Anthropic Models When using non-Anthropic models, configure defaults in secrets.sh:
# Use a non-Anthropic model as default for Vercel export CLAUDE_MODEL_SONNET_VERCEL = "xai/grok-code-fast-1" # Set a specific background/small-fast model export CLAUDE_SMALL_FAST_MODEL_VERCEL = "xai/grok-code-fast-1"
Automatic small/fast model: When you use --model with a non-Anthropic model (e.g., xai/grok-code-fast-1), the background model is automatically set to the same model. This avoids mixing providers (e.g., xAI for main work + Anthropic for background). For Anthropic models on Vercel, the background model defaults to Haiku as usual.
Set as Default Provider ai --vercel --model xai/grok-code-fast-1 --set-default ai --clear-default
Claude Pro Uses your Claude Pro/Max subscription. No API keys needed.
Prerequisites
Claude Code installed
Logged in with Claude subscription:
Usage # Use default tier (Sonnet) ai --pro # Use specific tier ai --pro --opus task.md ai --pro --sonnet task.md ai --pro --haiku quick-fix.md
This is the default provider if you’re logged into Claude Code with a subscription.
Claude Pro has rate limits. When you hit a limit, switch to an API provider with --resume to continue your work.
Provider Comparison Provider Setup Complexity Cost Model Model Selection Best For Ollama Easy Free Open-source models Local, privacy, cloud fallback LM Studio Easy Free Custom models Apple Silicon, custom models AWS Bedrock Medium Pay-per-use Claude models AWS integration Vertex AI Medium Pay-per-use Claude models GCP integration Anthropic API Easy Pay-per-use Claude models Direct access Azure Medium Pay-per-use Claude models Azure integration Vercel Easy Pay-per-use 100+ models Multi-provider access Claude Pro Easiest Subscription Claude models Rate limits exist
Next Steps