Startup·API

StartupAPI.io

>_ Live, pay-as-you-go access to Claude

see what you spend
>_ Live pay-as-you-go API for Claude

See what you spend.
Down to the token.

StartupAPI is a live, pay-as-you-go service for Claude models. No subscriptions, no lock-in — you're charged only for the requests you make, and the number you see is the number you pay.

Create your account Read the docs

No card to start. You pay $0.00 until your first request.

A real request — prompt, stream, tokens, settled cost. Estimated at representative Claude rates.

THE PROBLEM

Most APIs hide what you're paying.

A subscription is a turnstile.

You pay to stand there — whether you ship one request or none. The bill arrives detached from what you actually did.

StartupAPI is a live service.

You're charged only when you make a request, in proportion to the tokens you use — nothing when you're idle. Nothing hidden, nothing recurring.

LIVE PRICING

Price a request before you send it.

Pick a model, shape the request, and watch the estimate resolve. No sign-up, no guessing.

Fast and economical for everyday requests.

estimated cost $0.0000 per request
input1,000 tok$0.0000
output600 tok$0.0000

Estimate at representative Claude rates. Your exact per-token price is shown at current pricing — failed requests are never charged.

GETTING STARTED

Four steps. Then you're building.

Self-serve from first click to first request — no sales call, no waiting on approval. Each step prints as you go, and the last one is your API key.

  • No card required to create your account.
  • Prepaid credits — you can never be billed by surprise.
  • Works with Claude Code the moment your key exists.
Create your account
01Create accountemail only
02Add creditsprepaid wallet
03Generate API keyscoped · revocable
04Start buildingClaude Code ready
your key sk-startupapi-••••••••••••••••

Built for people who want the real number, not the invoice.

The developers who want to know the cost of a call before they make it — and the exact cost after.

  • Indie developers
  • Students
  • Startups
  • Small teams
  • AI engineers
  • Automation builders

TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN

Exactly what happens. Nothing hidden.

What we keep

  • Your prepaid balance and token-level usage history
  • API keys, stored hashed — shown once at creation
  • The per-request cost math, visible in your dashboard

What we don't

  • No monthly subscription, no auto-renew, no lock-in
  • Failed requests are never charged
  • No surprise invoices — you can't spend past your balance

cost= (input_tokens + output_tokens) × model_rate

Deducted from your prepaid wallet per successful request. That's the entire billing model — see your live rates in pricing.

STILL WONDERING

A few honest answers.

The questions developers actually ask before their first request. More in the full FAQ.

Do I need a subscription?

No. You prepay for credits and spend them per request. No monthly fee, no auto-renew.

Are these genuine Claude models?

Yes — real Anthropic Claude models (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus) through a simple API. See Models.

What happens if I run out of credits?

Requests stop cleanly until you top up. You can never be billed past your balance.

Can I use Claude Code?

Yes. Point Claude Code at your StartupAPI key and start building. See the Quickstart.

Ready when you are.

Create your account and make your first call in minutes. Billing starts at zero and only moves when you make a request.

Create Account Read Documentation