Granular Hosted models

In short

Use Claude, GPT, Gemini and more in Granular with no AI subscription or API key: the AI Add-on gives you hosted models paid for with credits.

Updated 2026-10-20

The AI Add-on (Granular Hosted) gives you Claude, GPT, Gemini and many more models inside Granular with no AI subscription to manage and no API keys to paste. You pay Granular, Granular pays the model companies, and a credit balance tracks what you have used.

What Granular Hosted is

Granular needs an AI model behind it to do any work. Usually you supply that yourself: you sign in with your own Claude or Codex account, or paste your own API key. That works well, but it assumes you already have one.

Granular Hosted removes that assumption. It is a paid add-on where Granular runs the AI connection for you:

  • No separate AI subscription. You don't need a Claude or ChatGPT plan.
  • No API keys. Nothing to create, paste or keep safe.
  • One bill. Model use appears on your Granular bill, not on several AI companies' bills.
  • Many models, one switch. Change model mid-conversation without signing in to anything.

It works on any plan, including Free. It is separate from the Pro plan: Pro lifts the limits on projects, sessions and agents, while the AI Add-on supplies the models.

New to Granular with no AI subscription? You can start with free AI credits during setup, no card needed.

The models, and what each is good for

The hosted lineup is 32 models from 9 companies: the leading AI labs plus strong challengers. Every one of them is agent-capable, meaning it can reliably use tools, which is what Granular needs. Models that are only good at chatting are left out on purpose.

Below is the same information the app shows when you hover over a model in the picker: strengths scored out of 5 for coding, reasoning, writing and everyday tasks, and the cost of a typical turn in credits. (A turn is one request and the agent's work on it.) The typical turn used here is a deliberately cautious estimate. Real turns often cost less.

Anthropic

ModelGood forCodingReasoningWritingEverydayCredits per turn
Claude Opus 5.5The most capable model: elite coding and reasoning, and cheaper than Opus 55552about 10
Claude Opus 5Elite coding and reasoning, at flagship price5552about 13
Claude Fable 5.1The newest Fable: flagship-class, with the strongest long-form writing5552about 13
Claude Fable 5As capable as Opus 5, with an extra edge for long-form writing5552about 13
Claude Opus 4.8Last-generation flagship, still top-tier for coding and writing5452about 13
Claude Opus 4.7Earlier Opus 4 flagship4442about 13
Claude Opus 4.6Earlier Opus 4 flagship4442about 13
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (default)The balanced default: much of Opus 5's quality, far cheaper4444about 8
Claude Sonnet 5.5The newest Sonnet: fast, balanced, at half Opus 5.5's price4444about 5
Claude Sonnet 5Previous-generation Sonnet: a strong daily driver at a fraction of Opus 5's cost4444about 5
Claude Haiku 4.5Fast everyday model: quick chores over hard reasoning3235about 3

OpenAI

ModelGood forCodingReasoningWritingEverydayCredits per turn
GPT-6 AstraOpenAI's most capable, built for long, complex work5551about 25
GPT-5.6 SolFrontier coding: strongest on multi-step agent work5433about 5
GPT-5.6 TerraBalanced everyday model at a mid-tier price4444about 6
GPT-5.6 LunaFast and affordable: high-volume chores and light agent work3335about 1
GPT-5.5Frontier general model: strong reasoning on hard professional work4542about 14
GPT-5.1OpenAI's previous flagship4543about 4
GPT-5.1 CodexOpenAI's previous best coder5432about 4
GPT-5.1 Codex MiniA cheap, capable coder4324about 1
GPT-5 MiniCheap, fast general model for everyday chores3335about 1

Google

ModelGood forCodingReasoningWritingEverydayCredits per turn
Gemini ProGoogle's flagship: top-tier reasoning and huge memory for long documents4543about 6
Gemini 3.8 FlashGoogle's newest Flash: better coding and agent work, still cheap4435about 2
Gemini 3.5 FlashNear-Pro coding at Flash speed4333about 4
Gemini 3.5 Flash-LiteLightest current Gemini: focused small tasks3235about 1
Gemini FlashFast, cheap and capable: a great everyday workhorse3335about 1
Gemini Flash-LiteThe lightest, fastest option: quick chores2235about 1

DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Grok, Qwen and Mistral

ModelGood forCodingReasoningWritingEverydayCredits per turn
Grok 4.6 (xAI)A well-rounded, up-to-date generalist4443about 4
DeepSeek v3.1Strong open coder and reasoner, at a fraction of the cost4434about 1
Kimi K2 Thinking (Moonshot)Capable reasoning over long documents at a very low price4433about 1
GLM-4.6 (Z.ai)Strong coding agent at a fraction of the cost4334about 1
Qwen3 Max (Alibaba)Strong multilingual coding, low cost4433about 2
Mistral Medium 3.1A solid all-rounder for writing and everyday work3344about 1

How the model list is laid out

In the model button under the message box, the AI Add-on's models are grouped by maker: Anthropic, OpenAI and Google first, then the other makers. Each group shows its newest models first. Older versions of a model are folded under Previous generation · N; click it to open. In the Anthropic group, that's where you'll find Claude Opus 5, Opus 4.8, 4.7 and 4.6, Fable 5, Sonnet 5 and Sonnet 4.6.

Type in the search box to find a model by name or maker, and pin the ones you use most so they stay at the top (pin icon, or Cmd+D / Ctrl+D). Each row shows roughly how many credits a typical turn uses. See Pick and pin models.

Not sure where to start? Use Claude Sonnet 4.6. It is the default because it balances quality and cost well. (Because Sonnet 5.5 is newer, you'll find Sonnet 4.6 under Anthropic's Previous generation.) Reach for a flagship when a task is genuinely hard, and drop to a 1-credit model for chores. You pick the model for each message, so switching costs nothing but a click, and hovering any model shows its card before you choose.

How credits work

Hosted use is measured in credits, and the rule is simple:

100 credits = $1 of model use, at the AI company's own price.

A credit buys the same amount of real work whichever model you spend it on. A more expensive model simply uses credits faster, in proportion to what it really costs.

Your balance has two parts, and they behave differently:

  • Monthly credits come with your tier and reset at the start of each billing period. Unused monthly credits do not carry over.
  • Credit pack credits are bought separately and roll over until you use them.

Granular always spends your monthly credits first, so the credits that don't expire are the last to be touched.

Tiers and credit packs

The AI Add-on is billed monthly. The only difference between the tiers is how many credits arrive each month. Every tier unlocks the same models.

TierPriceCredits each month
Base$20/month1,600
Plus$50/month4,000
Max$100/month8,000

Need more in a given month? Credit packs are one-time purchases whose credits roll over until spent: $10 for 800 or $25 for 2,000.

Two things to know when choosing. First, every tier and pack buys credits at the same rate. There is no bulk discount, so choose based on how much you'll really use. Second, remember that monthly credits reset each billing period while pack credits keep. If your use is uneven, a smaller tier topped up with packs in busy months often fits better than a big tier you only sometimes fill.

You'll find both in Settings → Billing & plan. If you're signed in when you buy, the purchase is added to your account automatically. You'll also get an unlock code by email as a backup. To move between Base, Plus and Max later, use Change plan on the AI Add-on in the same place. See Plans and pricing.

Watching your balance

The credits gauge sits beside the model picker, under the message box, and updates as you work. For the fuller picture:

  • The gauge shows remaining credits at a glance, without leaving the conversation.
  • Settings → Billing & plan shows your tier (marked Your tier), when it renews, and the email it bills to.

Counting credits happens in the background after your answer has arrived. It never slows down or interrupts a conversation.

When credits run out

Nothing breaks and nothing is lost. Hosted messages simply pause until there is balance again. Your sessions, files, terminals and history are untouched.

You have three ways forward:

  • Top up or move up a tier if hosted models are how you want to work.
  • Switch to your own Claude or Codex sign-in if you have one. Work continues immediately.
  • Switch to your own API key and pay the AI company directly. See Connect an AI model.

Granular Hosted is a convenience, not a lock-in. The app works fully on an AI connection you own.

Using your own model instead

Switching away from Hosted takes one change in the model picker:

You can keep the AI Add-on and still use your own sign-in day to day. The picker works per conversation, so nothing forces you into one or the other.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Claude without a Claude subscription?
Yes. The AI Add-on includes Anthropic's Claude models alongside OpenAI, Google and others, paid with Granular credits. New users can start with free credits.
What is a credit worth?
100 credits equal $1 of model use at the AI company's own price. A credit buys the same amount of work whichever model you spend it on.
Do unused credits expire?
Your monthly credits reset at the start of each billing period, and unused ones don't carry over. Credits from a credit pack roll over and are used only after the monthly ones run out.
Do I need the Pro plan to use Granular Hosted?
No. The AI Add-on works on any plan, including Free. Pro lifts the limits on projects, sessions and agents; the AI Add-on supplies the models. They are billed separately.
Can I still use my own Claude or Codex sign-in?
Yes. Granular Hosted is one option in the model picker, not a replacement. Switch back any time, even mid-conversation.
Does Granular see my prompts?
A hosted message passes through Granular's server on its way to the AI company. If you'd rather your prompts never touch our servers, use your own sign-in or API key instead. The app works the same either way.
Can I use Hosted on more than one computer?
Yes. Sign in to the same Granular account on each computer. Your AI Add-on and credits follow your account, and paid purchases work on up to 2 of your computers at once. See Account and sign-in.

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