Quickstart

From account to first answer in five minutes.

1. Account and API key

1. Sign up in the console with an email address and a password, and accept the terms and the privacy policy. No payment details are needed for this. The console then emails you a confirmation link. New accounts get €1 of starting credit for our self-hosted models.
2. Open API keys and create a key. It starts with hk_live_ and is shown only once. Store it right away.
3. Put it in an environment variable:

export OPENHIPPO_API_KEY="hk_live_..."

On Windows (PowerShell):

$env:OPENHIPPO_API_KEY = "hk_live_..."

The curl examples below are written for bash/zsh.

2. First request

The example uses openhippo/gpt-oss-120b, a self-hosted model in Augsburg that works with the starting credit.

curl

curl https://api.openhippo.io/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENHIPPO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "openhippo/gpt-oss-120b",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello from Augsburg."}]
  }'

Python

pip install openai

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.openhippo.io/v1",
    api_key=os.environ["OPENHIPPO_API_KEY"],
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openhippo/gpt-oss-120b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Say hello from Augsburg."}],
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

TypeScript

npm install openai

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: "https://api.openhippo.io/v1",
  apiKey: process.env.OPENHIPPO_API_KEY,
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: "openhippo/gpt-oss-120b",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Say hello from Augsburg." }],
});
console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);

The response has the familiar OpenAI shape. Shortened, for orientation only (placeholders "…"):

{
  "id": "…",
  "choices": [
    {
      "index": 0,
      "message": { "role": "assistant", "content": "…" },
      "finish_reason": "…"
    }
  ],
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": …,
    "completion_tokens": …,
    "total_tokens": …
  }
}

The text is in choices[0].message.content, the usage in usage.

If the key is missing or wrong, you get 401 invalid_api_key, see Errors.

3. Check your usage

What the current key has spent this month:

curl https://api.openhippo.io/v1/usage \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENHIPPO_API_KEY"

More under Authentication & basics.

Where next?

• Models: every model with price, location and § 203 suitability.
• Chat, streaming, tool calling
• Coding agents: Claude Code, OpenCode, Cline.
• Partner models (e.g. aki-io/glm5.3-754b) unlock after your first top-up: Prepaid & pricing.