> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getcellm.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hosted Models

> How to use hosted models

> **See also:** [Breaking Down Tasks for AI](/usage/breaking-down-tasks) for practical advice on model selection and structuring your tasks.

Cellm supports hosted models from Anthropic, AWS, Azure, DeepSeek, Google, OpenAI, Mistral, and any OpenAI-compatible cloud provider. These models are more powerful than anything you can run on your own computer.

<Warning>
  AI providers use data from free tiers and even some consumer plans to improve their models. Review each provider's data usage policies before sending sensitive information. For data privacy guarantees, consider [local models](/models/local-models) or [Cellm's subscription plans](https://getcellm.com/pricing).
</Warning>

## Model sizes

We split hosted models into three tiers based on their size and capabilities, balancing speed, intelligence, and problem-solving skills:

|                   | Small Model                                                                                                         | Medium Model                                                                                                        | Large Model                                                                                                         |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Speed             | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" />     | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" />   | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /> |
| Intelligence      | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /> | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" />   | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" />     |
| World Knowledge   | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /> | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" /> | <Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="solid" /><Icon icon="star" iconType="regular" />   |
| Recommended model | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite                                                                                               | Gemini 3 Flash                                                                                                      | Claude Opus 4.6                                                                                                     |

## Provider setup

To use hosted models, you need an API key from your chosen provider. Below are setup instructions for the most popular providers.

### Mistral (Recommended - Free Tier)

Mistral offers a generous free tier with access to powerful models.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Go to [console.mistral.ai](https://console.mistral.ai) and sign up. Check your inbox and verify your email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a plan">
    Choose between "Experiment" (free tier) or "Scale" (pay-as-you-go). The free Experiment tier offers generous usage limits.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate billing">
    Navigate to your Organization settings at [admin.mistral.ai](https://admin.mistral.ai) and add payment information. This activates your API keys even if you're using the free tier.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create API key">
    Under the "Workspace" tab, go to "API Keys" and click "Create new key". Give your key a name and set an expiration date, then click "Create".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save your key">
    Copy the key immediately and store it securely - you won't be able to see it again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure in Cellm">
    In Excel, open Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `mistral` provider, click the provider icon, and paste your API key. Try a model like:

    ```mdx Mistral example theme={null}
    =PROMPTMODEL("mistral/mistral-small-latest", "Summarize customer feedback", A1)
    ```

    And go nuts.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Mistral's free tier is excellent for getting started - you get significant usage before incurring costs.
</Tip>

### OpenAI

OpenAI provides access to GPT models, including GPT-5.4 and GPT-5.4-mini.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Go to [platform.openai.com](https://platform.openai.com) and sign up or sign in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add payment method">
    OpenAI requires a payment method to use the API. Click "Start building" and add your payment details to purchase API credits.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create API key">
    Click your profile icon in the top-right, select "View API keys", then click "Create new secret key". Copy the key immediately - you won't be able to see it again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure in Cellm">
    In Excel, open Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `openai` provider, click the provider icon, and paste your API key. Try a model like:

    ```mdx OpenAI example theme={null}
    =PROMPTMODEL("openai/gpt-5.4-mini", "Classify sentiment as positive, neutral, or negative", A1)
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  OpenAI no longer provides free trial credits, so you'll need to add funds before making API calls.
</Info>

### Google Gemini

Google Gemini offers powerful AI models with a generous free tier.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access Google AI Studio">
    Go to [ai.google.dev](https://ai.google.dev) and sign in with your Google account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get API key">
    Click "Get API key" in the left sidebar, then click "Create API key". Select an existing Google Cloud project or create a new one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save your key">
    Copy the generated API key and store it securely.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure in Cellm">
    In Excel, open Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `gemini` provider, click the provider icon, and paste your API key. Try a model like:

    ```mdx Gemini example theme={null}
    =PROMPTMODEL("gemini/gemini-3-flash-preview", "Extract person names from text", A1)
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Google Gemini offers 1,500 requests per day on the free tier, making it excellent for testing and development.
</Tip>

### Anthropic (Claude)

Anthropic provides Claude models, known for their strong reasoning capabilities.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Go to [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com) and sign up. Click "Start Building" to access the console.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up billing">
    Add a payment method to purchase credits. Anthropic offers free credits for new accounts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create API key">
    Navigate to "API Keys" in the left sidebar and click "Create Key". Give your key a name and click "Create".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save immediately">
    Copy the key immediately - it's only shown once. Store it in a password manager.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure in Cellm">
    In Excel, open Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `anthropic` provider, click the provider icon, and paste your API key. Try a model like:

    ```mdx Claude example theme={null}
    =PROMPTMODEL("anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6", "Analyze customer feedback", A1)
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### DeepSeek

DeepSeek provides cost-effective AI models with OpenAI-compatible API.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Go to [platform.deepseek.com](https://platform.deepseek.com) and sign up.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate API key">
    Navigate to the "API Keys" section and click "Create new API key". Optionally assign a name to your key.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save your key">
    Copy the key immediately and store it securely - it won't be displayed again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure in Cellm">
    In Excel, open Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `deepseek` provider (or `openaicompatible` with base address `https://api.deepseek.com`), click the provider icon, and paste your API key. Try a model like:

    ```mdx DeepSeek example theme={null}
    =PROMPTMODEL("deepseek/deepseek-chat", "Summarize text", A1)
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Other OpenAI-compatible providers

You can use any provider compatible with OpenAI's API format, including OpenRouter or LiteLLM.

<Info>
  Local models running on localhost are free to use. However, a Cellm subscription is required to access online APIs like openrouter.com or cerebras.ai. See [Cellm's subscription plans](https://getcellm.com/pricing) for details.
</Info>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose OpenAI Compatible provider">
    In Cellm's ribbon menu, select the `OpenAI Compatible` provider.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure endpoint">
    Click the provider icon to open settings. Enter the API endpoint URL and your API key.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test the connection">
    Enter a model name and try a test prompt to verify the configuration works.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Best practices

* **Store API keys securely**: Use a password manager or environment variables
* **Monitor usage**: Check your provider dashboard regularly to track costs
* **Start small**: Begin with smaller, cheaper models and scale up as needed
* **Test thoroughly**: Verify API setup with a few test prompts before processing large datasets