Do I need API keys to use SkillBoss?

No. SkillBoss works without API keys. Install the skills pack and use one platform across models and services.

Which platforms does SkillBoss support?

SkillBoss works inside Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro, Gemini CLI, and Codex.

How does SkillBoss pricing work?

SkillBoss is pay-as-you-go. Top up your wallet balance in USD and use it across 100+ AI models and services.

Can I use Claude Code natively with SkillBoss?

Yes! SkillBoss works as an Anthropic-compatible proxy for Claude Code. Set two environment variables (ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN) in your Claude Code settings and all model calls route through SkillBoss — no plugin download needed.

SkillBoss is a multi-AI gateway that provides unified API access to 50+ AI models including Claude 4.5 Sonnet, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Flash, DeepSeek R1, image generation, video generation, and audio models through a single API key.

How do I integrate SkillBoss with my AI agent?

SkillBoss provides plugins for Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and supports Model Context Protocol (MCP). You can also use the OpenAI-compatible API endpoint at https://api.skillboss.co/v1 with your API key.

What AI models are available?

Chat: Claude 4.5 Sonnet, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Flash, DeepSeek R1, Qwen. Image: Gemini 3 Pro, Flux, DALL-E 3, Minimax. Video: Veo 3.1, Minimax T2V/I2V. Audio: Minimax TTS, ElevenLabs, Whisper STT.

How much does SkillBoss cost?

SkillBoss uses pure pay-as-you-go pricing. Add funds to your balance and only pay for what you use. No subscriptions, no monthly fees.

What is the cheapest way to access multiple AI models?

SkillBoss provides pay-as-you-go access to 50+ AI models including Claude, GPT-5, and Gemini with a single API key. Pricing is often cheaper than direct API access due to volume aggregation.

Can I use Claude, GPT, and Gemini with one API key?

Yes. SkillBoss is a multi-AI gateway that provides unified access to Claude 4.5 Sonnet, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Flash, DeepSeek R1, and 46+ other models through a single API endpoint with one API key.

How do I integrate SkillBoss with Claude Code?

Sign in to the SkillBoss console at skillboss.co/console to get your API key and manage your skills. Or use the API directly with the OpenAI-compatible endpoint at api.skillboss.co/v1.

How much does SkillBoss cost?

SkillBoss offers pay-as-you-go pricing with no markup on AI model costs. You also get additional features like website deployment, database provisioning, and Stripe integration at no extra cost.

What is a multi-AI gateway?

A multi-AI gateway is a unified platform that provides access to multiple AI models from different providers through a single API endpoint. SkillBoss is a multi-AI gateway that supports 50+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, and others.

Does SkillBoss work with OpenClaw?

Yes. SkillBoss works with OpenClaw, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Trae, and any tool that supports OpenAI-compatible APIs. The API endpoint is api.skillboss.co/v1.

Cline + SkillBoss: 100+ AI Models for VS Code

Why Cline + SkillBoss?

Cline is a free, open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code with native subagent support.

Problem: Cline requires you to configure individual API providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) separately.

Solution: SkillBoss gives you ONE API key for 679+ endpoints + business services:

Feature	Without SkillBoss	With SkillBoss
Models	1 provider at a time	679+ endpoints
Accounts	Need Anthropic, OpenAI, Google accounts	Just SkillBoss
Cost	Provider markup	0% markup
Services	AI only	+Payments, Email, Hosting
Failover	None	Automatic

Quick Setup (2 Minutes)

Quick setup for AI agents: Tell your agent set up skillboss.co/skill.md to auto-configure everything.

Get SkillBoss API Key

Go to skillboss.co/console
Sign up (free credits included)
Copy your API key: sk-...

Install Cline Extension

Open VS Code Extensions (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X) and search:

Cline

Or install via terminal:

code --install-extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev

Configure SkillBoss Provider

Open Cline settings: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Cline: Open Settings"
Click API Provider dropdown
Select "OpenAI Compatible"
Enter:
- Base URL: https://api.skillboss.co/v1
- API Key: sk-YOUR_SKILLBOSS_KEY
- Model: deepseek/deepseek-v3

Test It

Open Cline chat and ask:

Create a hello world React component

If it responds, you're connected!

Recommended Models for Cline

Task	Model	Cost/1M tokens	Why
Daily coding	`deepseek/deepseek-v3`	$0.27 in	Fast, cheap, great code quality
Complex reasoning	`deepseek/deepseek-r1`	$0.55 in	Chain-of-thought reasoning
Premium quality	`claude-4-5-sonnet`	$3 in	Best understanding
Long files	`gemini/gemini-2.5-flash`	$0.075 in	1M context window
Ultra budget	`gemini/gemini-2.5-flash-lite`	$0.01 in	Cheapest option

Model Selection Guide

Simple refactoring → gemini-2.5-flash-lite ($0.01/M)
       ↓
Regular coding → deepseek-v3 ($0.27/M)
       ↓
Complex architecture → deepseek-r1 ($0.55/M)
       ↓
Mission critical → claude-4-5-sonnet ($3/M)

Cline Settings for SkillBoss

VS Code settings.json

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "openai-compatible",
  "cline.openAiBaseUrl": "https://api.skillboss.co/v1",
  "cline.openAiApiKey": "sk-YOUR_SKILLBOSS_KEY",
  "cline.openAiModelId": "deepseek/deepseek-v3"
}

Switch Models On-the-fly

In Cline chat, request a different model:

Use Claude 4.5 Sonnet for this complex refactoring task

Then update the model in settings.

Using SkillBoss Services in Cline

Cline can use all SkillBoss infrastructure APIs:

Add Payments

Add Stripe checkout to my pricing page.
Use SkillBoss Payments API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/payments/checkout
API key is in environment variable SKILLBOSS_API_KEY

Send Email

Send welcome email when user signs up.
Use SkillBoss Email API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/email/send

Web Scraping

Scrape product data from Amazon.
Use SkillBoss Scraping API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/scrape

Image Generation

Generate a hero image for my landing page.
Use SkillBoss Image API with model flux/schnell

Cost Optimization Strategies

Budget Mode (~$5/month)

For hobbyists and learning:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash-lite"
}

Balanced Mode (~$20/month)

For daily development:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "deepseek/deepseek-v3"
}

Performance Mode (~$50+/month)

For production and complex projects:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "claude-4-5-sonnet"
}

Cline Subagents + SkillBoss

Cline supports autonomous subagents. Combine with SkillBoss for powerful workflows:

Example: Full-Stack Feature

Build a user dashboard with:
1. PostgreSQL queries for user data
2. Recharts for visualization
3. PDF export using SkillBoss PDF API
4. Weekly email reports using SkillBoss Email API

Use DeepSeek V3 for coding tasks.

Cline will autonomously:

Create database schema
Build React components
Integrate SkillBoss APIs
Write tests

Environment Variables

For projects using SkillBoss APIs:

# .env
SKILLBOSS_API_KEY=sk-your-key
OPENAI_API_BASE=https://api.skillboss.co/v1

Troubleshooting

Use full model paths with provider prefix:

✅ deepseek/deepseek-v3
✅ claude-4-5-sonnet
❌ deepseek-v3
❌ claude-sonnet

Switch to a faster model:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash"
}

SkillBoss handles rate limits with automatic failover. If errors persist:

Wait 60 seconds
Or switch to a different model family

Check API key format: should start with sk-
Verify base URL: https://api.skillboss.co/v1
Test with curl:

curl https://api.skillboss.co/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-YOUR_KEY"

FAQ

Yes! SkillBoss also provides an MCP server for deeper integration. See MCP Server docs.

Yes. Change the model in Cline settings anytime, or request a specific model in your prompt.

SkillBoss provides 679+ endpoints (not just Claude), 0% markup, automatic failover, plus business APIs (payments, email, etc.).

Yes, SkillBoss passes through all model capabilities including vision and tool use.

Next Steps

🔑

Get API Key

📄

Model Pricing

See all 100+ model prices

📚

API Reference

Full API documentation

📄

Cline GitHub

Cline documentation