Jun 14, 2025
When we started building Rectify, we asked ourselves a simple question: What would a truly developer-first debugging tool look like in the vibe coding era?
For those unfamiliar with the term, vibe coding is the new reality where developers build at unprecedented speeds using AI assistants. Whether you're using Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot, or any other AI tool, you're shipping features in minutes that used to take hours. But there's a problem: while we've revolutionized how we write code, we're still debugging like it's 1999.
The answer to our question led us to a decision that might seem unconventional in today's SaaS landscape: Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK).
The Problem We All Face
If you're using AI tools for development today, you know the frustration. You're paying for the platform, and then paying again for the AI when you run out of credits, often with hefty markups. You're locked into whatever models the platform chose. You're counting credits instead of fixing bugs. And worst of all, you're constantly worried about costs instead of focusing on what matters: building great software.
We've been there. We've felt that anxiety. And we decided there had to be a better way.
What Is BYOK?
Before we dive into why we chose this path, let's clarify what Bring Your Own Keys actually means.
With BYOK, instead of paying us for AI usage, you connect your own API keys from AI providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. It's like bringing your own cloud storage to a photo editing app—you get the powerful interface and features, but you're using your own resources for the AI processing.
Here's how simple it is:
Create an API key with your preferred AI provider (like Anthropic for Claude)
Add that key to Rectify
Start debugging with AI assistance, paying only what the AI provider charges
Why BYOK Is Different
Bring Your Own Keys isn't just about pricing—it's about respect. It's about acknowledging that developers are smart enough to manage their own AI usage. It's about transparency in an industry that's become unnecessarily complex.
Here's what BYOK means for you:
You're In Control
Your API keys. Your choice of models. Your spending limits. We provide the debugging intelligence and interface—you bring whatever AI models work best for your workflow. Prefer Claude for complex debugging? Great. Want to use GPT-4 for certain projects and Gemini for others? Perfect. It's your choice.
No Hidden Costs
When you use AI through Rectify, you pay exactly what the AI provider charges. Not a penny more. We believe in honest, transparent pricing. You pay us for our debugging platform. You pay AI providers for AI usage. Simple, clear, fair.
Freedom to Experiment
Want to try that new model everyone's talking about? Go for it. Found a more cost-effective option? Switch immediately. Developing something sensitive that needs local models? We support that too. Your debugging workflow shouldn't be constrained by our business model.
Did you know Google's Gemini offers free credits that might be all you need for lighter debugging work? With BYOK, you can start there and upgrade only when you need more power. That's the kind of flexibility we believe in.
The Philosophy Behind Our Choice
Some companies see AI costs as a profit center. We see them differently. We believe:
Developers deserve transparency. You should know exactly what you're paying for and why.
One size doesn't fit all. Your debugging needs are unique. Your AI choices should be too.
Innovation requires freedom. The best debugging happens when you can use the best tools for each situation.
Trust beats lock-in. We want you to use Rectify because it makes you more productive, not because you're trapped.
Making BYOK Work for Everyone
We know managing API keys might sound daunting. That's why we've worked hard to make it as simple as possible. It takes less than a minute: get a key from your chosen provider, paste it into Rectify, and you're ready to go. Whether you're an individual developer or part of a large team, we've built systems to make BYOK painless.
For those just starting out, you don't even need to spend money on AI credits immediately. Providers like Google Gemini offer generous free tiers, and many developers find these sufficient for their debugging needs. Start free, scale when you need to—that's real flexibility.
But more importantly, we've built BYOK with safeguards. Set spending limits. Get alerts. Track your usage. Use budget-friendly models when appropriate. We want you to feel confident, not anxious, when debugging with AI.
A Different Kind of AI Tool
In an industry racing to maximize AI revenue, we're taking a different path. We're betting that developers will choose transparency over convenience taxes. That they'll appreciate honest pricing over hidden markups. That they'll value freedom over lock-in.
This isn't the easiest path for us as a business. It would be simpler to mark up AI costs like everyone else. But we're not building Rectify to be another AI tool. We're building it to be the debugging platform we wished existed—one that respects developers' intelligence and budgets equally.
The Future We're Building
We envision a future where:
You never have to decode mysterious credit systems
You can use any AI model that helps you debug faster
You know exactly what you're paying for, always
Your debugging tool is a partner, not a toll booth
Join Us
We built Rectify with BYOK because we believe developers deserve better. Better transparency. Better control. Better economics. Better debugging.
If you're tired of AI tool pricing that feels like a black box, we invite you to try a different approach. One built on transparency, trust, and putting developers first.
Because at the end of the day, we're developers too. And we're building the tool we want to use.
Ready to debug without the markup? Check out Rectify and join thousands of developers who've chosen transparency.
