patchbay gives your computer a single, simple address that every AI app can talk to. Instead of juggling separate logins, keys and settings for each service, you set things up once and everything just works.
Works on Windows · Free to use · Nothing to configure by hand
Most people who use AI tools end up with a messy collection of accounts. You might have a ChatGPT plan, a Claude subscription, a Grok login, some OpenRouter credit, and maybe a couple of API keys you bought directly from a provider. Each one has its own website, its own sign-in, and its own way of being used inside apps.
patchbay solves that by acting as a friendly middleman that lives quietly on your own computer. It opens one local address — a single doorway — and behind that doorway it keeps track of every model you have access to. Any AI application that asks patchbay for a model gets a sensible answer back, in the same language those apps already speak.
It speaks both of the two most common "languages" in this space: the OpenAI style and the Anthropic style. That means apps built for ChatGPT-style connections work, and apps built for Claude-style connections work too, without you changing anything.
Getting patchbay onto your Windows computer takes a couple of minutes and requires no technical skill.
Keep this page open while you download so you can follow along.
When you open patchbay for the first time, you will notice it does not take over your screen. It is designed to sit quietly in the background — near the clock on Windows, and in the menu bar on a Mac. That small icon is where everything happens.
There is nothing to memorise. Every address you need is displayed inside that small panel, ready to copy with a single click.
patchbay works with the accounts and keys you already have. You are not signing up for anything new, and you are not paying twice for the same model.
Connect your existing ChatGPT or Codex access so those models appear in the list alongside everything else.
Use your Claude subscription the same way. Sign-in is handled in your browser, so your password never touches patchbay.
Add your Grok account and its models become available through the same single address as the rest.
Already have OpenRouter credit? Point patchbay at it and unlock a wide catalogue of models in one step.
Paste any API key you own from a provider. Keys are stored on your own machine, not sent anywhere else.
Subscriptions use a familiar browser login, so there are no complicated tokens to copy or renew by hand.
To connect a service, click its name in the patchbay panel and follow the short prompt. Some services ask you to approve access in your browser; once you approve, the panel confirms the connection and the service moves from "waiting" to "ready".
Any application that can talk to an OpenAI-style or Anthropic-style service can talk to patchbay. In the app's settings you will find a field for the service address and a field for a key. Paste in the address shown in the patchbay panel, and paste in the key that patchbay displays for you.
That is the whole setup. Because patchbay answers in the same format those apps already expect, the app does not need to know that several different services are sitting behind it. You can switch which model gets used from the patchbay panel, without touching the app's settings again.
If you run several apps at once, that is fine too. They can all use the same address at the same time.
patchbay gives your computer a single, simple address that every AI app can talk to. Instead of juggling separate logins, keys and settings for each service, you set things up once and everything just works.
Works on Windows · Free to use · Nothing to configure by hand
Most people who use AI tools end up with a messy collection of accounts. You might have a ChatGPT plan, a Claude subscription, a Grok login, some OpenRouter credit, and maybe a couple of API keys you bought directly from a provider. Each one has its own website, its own sign-in, and its own way of being used inside apps.
patchbay solves that by acting as a friendly middleman that lives quietly on your own computer. It opens one local address — a single doorway — and behind that doorway it keeps track of every model you have access to. Any AI application that asks patchbay for a model gets a sensible answer back, in the same language those apps already speak.
It speaks both of the two most common "languages" in this space: the OpenAI style and the Anthropic style. That means apps built for ChatGPT-style connections work, and apps built for Claude-style connections work too, without you changing anything.
Getting patchbay onto your Windows computer takes a couple of minutes and requires no technical skill.
Keep this page open while you download so you can follow along.
When you open patchbay for the first time, you will notice it does not take over your screen. It is designed to sit quietly in the background — near the clock on Windows, and in the menu bar on a Mac. That small icon is where everything happens.
There is nothing to memorise. Every address you need is displayed inside that small panel, ready to copy with a single click.
patchbay works with the accounts and keys you already have. You are not signing up for anything new, and you are not paying twice for the same model.
Connect your existing ChatGPT or Codex access so those models appear in the list alongside everything else.
Use your Claude subscription the same way. Sign-in is handled in your browser, so your password never touches patchbay.
Add your Grok account and its models become available through the same single address as the rest.
Already have OpenRouter credit? Point patchbay at it and unlock a wide catalogue of models in one step.
Paste any API key you own from a provider. Keys are stored on your own machine, not sent anywhere else.
Subscriptions use a familiar browser login, so there are no complicated tokens to copy or renew by hand.
To connect a service, click its name in the patchbay panel and follow the short prompt. Some services ask you to approve access in your browser; once you approve, the panel confirms the connection and the service moves from "waiting" to "ready".
Any application that can talk to an OpenAI-style or Anthropic-style service can talk to patchbay. In the app's settings you will find a field for the service address and a field for a key. Paste in the address shown in the patchbay panel, and paste in the key that patchbay displays for you.
That is the whole setup. Because patchbay answers in the same format those apps already expect, the app does not need to know that several different services are sitting behind it. You can switch which model gets used from the patchbay panel, without touching the app's settings again.
If you run several apps at once, that is fine too. They can all use the same address at the same time.
If something does not seem to work, these are the usual culprits. Work through them in order and you will almost always find the answer.
Click the small upward arrow near your system clock to show hidden icons. If patchbay is not there, open it again from the Start menu. It may simply have been closed by accident.
Check that patchbay is still running and that you copied the full address from the panel. Addresses are easy to mistype, so use the copy button rather than typing by hand.
Sign out of that service in your browser, then try connecting again from the patchbay panel. This refreshes the permission and usually clears a stuck connection.
Open the patchbay panel and check which model is selected. Changing the selection there takes effect immediately, so you do not need to restart your app.
This can happen after an update. Approve the prompt and continue. Your connected accounts remain in place and do not need to be added again.
patchbay runs on your own computer. The list of services you connect, the keys you paste, and the address your apps use all stay on that machine. Your AI requests go from your computer to the service you chose, with patchbay handling the formatting in between.
Browser sign-in is used wherever a service supports it. That means your password is entered on the service's own page, not inside patchbay. For services that use keys, the key is stored locally and used only when an app makes a request to patchbay.
Because the proxy listens on a local address, it is meant for apps running on the same computer. It is not designed to be opened up to the internet, and it does not need to be.
No. Downloading, opening, and connecting accounts all happen through ordinary clicks. The technical part — translating between two API styles — is handled for you.
No. patchbay does not sell models or credits. It gives the access you already have a tidier home, so your apps can use it more easily.
Yes. Any number of compatible apps can use the same local address at the same time.
Your apps will no longer be able to reach the models through patchbay until you open it again. Your connections are remembered for next time.
Yes. Uninstall it the same way you would remove any other Windows program. Removing it does not affect your separate accounts with each AI service.
A Mac version with a menu-bar app is also part of the project, so Mac users can follow the same download page and choose the build that matches their computer.
You start your computer, and patchbay starts quietly in the background. You open your writing app, which is set to use the patchbay address. You ask it a question, and it answers using the model you selected last time. Later, you open a different tool for reviewing code. It also points at patchbay, and it gets a response from Claude without any extra setup.
At no point do you look up a key, paste a URL, or wonder which login belongs to which tool. When you want to change model, you click the patchbay icon, choose another entry, and carry on. That is the whole idea: one endpoint, every model you have, and no ceremony in between.