TaleForge uses your own AI account — you choose the provider and control costs. Follow the step-by-step guide below for your preferred AI.
Jump to the guide for your preferred AI provider
AI writing is incredibly affordable. A full chapter costs just $0.01-0.05. Most writers generate 50-100 chapters per month and spend less than $5. You can set hard spending limits on every provider to stay in control.
We encrypt your API key with AES-256-GCM — the same standard banks use. It's decrypted only at the moment of the API call, never stored in plain text, and never shared with anyone. Not even our team can read it.
GPT-4o — Creative writing, dialogue, brainstorming
Go to platform.openai.com and click "Sign up" in the top right corner. You can use your Google account, Microsoft account, or create one with your email.
Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the left sidebar → Billing → "Add payment method". Add a credit card or debit card. We recommend setting a monthly limit of $5.
In the left sidebar, click "API Keys" → click the green "+ Create new secret key" button. Give it a name like "TaleForge". Important: copy the key immediately — it starts with "sk-".
Go to TaleForge → Settings → API Keys → click "Add an API key". Select OpenAI, paste your key (starts with sk-...), and click "Add key".
Open TaleForge Settings →You're ready to start creating with OpenAI. Head to your dashboard and open any project.
Claude — Long-form narrative, character depth, literary style
Go to console.anthropic.com and click "Sign up". Enter your email and create a password, or sign in with Google.
Click the gear icon (⚙️) → Plans & Billing → "Add funds" or "Set up paid plan". Start with $5.
Click the gear icon (⚙️) → API Keys → click "Create Key". Name it "TaleForge". Copy the key immediately — it starts with "sk-ant-".
Go to TaleForge → Settings → API Keys → click "Add an API key". Select Anthropic, paste your key (starts with sk-ant-...), and click "Add key". Done!
Open TaleForge Settings →You're ready to start creating with Anthropic. Head to your dashboard and open any project.
Gemini — Research, non-fiction, multilingual content
Visit aistudio.google.com and sign in with your Google account. No separate signup needed!
Click "Get API Key" in the left sidebar → click "Create API Key" → select an existing project or create a new one. Copy the key.
Go to TaleForge → Settings → API Keys → click "Add an API key". Select Google AI, paste your key (starts with AI...), and click "Add key".
Open TaleForge Settings →You're ready to start creating with Google AI. Head to your dashboard and open any project.
Local AI — Privacy, offline use, no cost
Download and install Ollama from ollama.com. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Download Ollama →Open your terminal and run: ollama pull llama3.1 — this downloads a powerful open-source model (~4GB).
Ollama runs in the background. Just make sure it's running (llama icon in your taskbar).
Go to TaleForge → Settings → API Keys → Add Key. Select Ollama (Local). URL: http://localhost:11434. No API key needed!
Open TaleForge Settings →You're ready to start creating with Ollama. Head to your dashboard and open any project.
Set up takes less than 3 minutes. Your first 3 projects are free.
Get started free