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Unkey

Unkey

API keys + container deploy

Best for API teams who will stay on API Management Free $0 (150k valid requests, 1k keys, no card) while they issue a…

Open source
Freemium
Code
Self-host

Verified 22 Oct 2026 · Asia/Shanghai

Pricing. Free — $0/month.

Visit website GitHub

Unkey

Open source · Verified 22 Oct 2026

GitHub Visit website

Unkey Create key dialog: name, prefix, external id, and ratelimit tabs

Decide

Full notes below

Pricing

Free — $0/month.
Pro — fixed request tiers: $25 / 250k, $50 / 500k, $75 / 1M, $100 / 2M, $250 / 10M, $500 / 50M, $1,000 / 100M.
Enterprise — custom quotas, IP allow-list, dedicated Slack.

Watch-outs

Free API Management is 150k valid requests and 1k keys.
Deploy is a second bill.
A key/deploy desk, not an OpenAPI reference.

Try instead if

Try Scalar if you need OpenAPI docs, client, and SDK generation when you do not need key verification.
Try Helicone if you need an LLM gateway with keys and logs when the traffic is model calls.
Try Portkey if you need a model gateway when you want routing, not a general API-key desk.

Introduction

Information

Websitewww.unkey.com
GitHubgithub.com/unkeyed/unkey
Last verified22 Oct 2026
Published date2026/10/22

Categories

Code / Agents
Open-source / Self-host

Tags

Freemium
Free tier
Code
Open source
Self-host

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What it is for

Unkey is an API-key + deploy desk: you issue keys with rate limits and roles, verify them at the edge, and optionally run the API itself as a container. Use it when the job is keys you start at $0 / 150k verifications, or Deploy from $5, not when you need a $20 chat seat.

What makes it unique: the cover is the official unkeyed/unkey docs Create key dialog (name, prefix, external id, ratelimit / credits / expiration tabs) — not a pricing card. The dialog itself is ops of keys.

Key features

API keys — create, rotate, disable, and verify keys with a prefix and an external id (pricing API Management). One secret. Bulk actions on a keyspace list are ops of this. The verify SDK is install.
Rate limits — per-key or per-identity caps, plus overrides (pricing; docs ratelimiting). A throttle, not a key. Overrides are this surface.
Identities — attach many keys to one user/workspace so limits and analytics follow the person (docs identities). A who, not a secret. External id on the create dialog is how you point at this.
Roles & permissions — RBAC on a key so one secret cannot call every route (README; docs roles). A grant, not a rate cap.
Unkey Deploy — run the API as containers (vCPU-seconds, memory, egress, active keys) (pricing Deploy). A host, not a key. Gateway policies sit on this.

Analytics and audit-log tables are ops. Valid verification requests (API Management) and credits / vCPU-seconds (Deploy) are the meters. Self-host of the source-available repo is allowed; they are not taking external PRs right now.

Who it's for

Best fit: API teams who will stay on API Management Free $0 (150k valid requests, 1k keys, no card) while they issue a first keyspace, then buy Pro at $25/month when they need 250k requests and team workspaces — or start Deploy Starter at $5 when they also want the container host.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) from unkey.com/pricing. Two independent products.

API Management (issue / verify keys). Invalid / rate-limited requests do not count.

Free — $0/month. 150k valid requests. 1k API keys. 1-day logs. 3-day audit. Unlimited APIs.
Pro — fixed request tiers: $25 / 250k, $50 / 500k, $75 / 1M, $100 / 2M, $250 / 10M, $500 / 50M, $1,000 / 100M. 1M keys. 7-day logs. 14-day audit. Workspaces + team members.
Enterprise — custom quotas, IP allow-list, dedicated Slack.

Unkey Deploy (containers). Included credits offset usage; unused credits do not roll (Starter leftover does carry once). First-month $5 credit offer through 2026-12-31.

Starter — $5/month ($0 then $5 with the credit). $5 usage included. Max 2 vCPU / 2 GiB. 1 custom domain. No team members. 3-day logs.
Pro — $25/month. $25 included. 8 vCPU / 8 GiB. Unlimited domains. Teams. 7-day logs.
Business — $50/month. $50 included. 16 vCPU / 32 GiB. 14-day logs.
Usage rates — vCPU $0.000006944/s; memory $0.000003472/GB-s; disk $0.00000006/GB-s; egress $0.05/GB; active key $0.002/month. Billed on average actual vCPU/memory, not the ceiling.

Confirm checkout; taxes follow your location.

Limitations / costs

Free API Management is 150k valid requests and 1k keys. Pro starts at $25 for 250k.
Deploy is a second bill. Starter is $5 and has no team members.
A key/deploy desk, not an OpenAPI reference. For docs + SDKs + MCP see Scalar. For an LLM gateway see Portkey.

Alternatives

Scalar — OpenAPI docs, client, and SDK generation when you do not need key verification.
Helicone — an LLM gateway with keys and logs when the traffic is model calls.
Portkey — a model gateway when you want routing, not a general API-key desk.

Official tutorial

No first-party Unkey getting-started video was listed on a channel we could verify by oEmbed (the @unkey handle is a different creator). Use the docs; do not embed a third-party walkthrough.

Written path: unkey.com/pricing plus the Create key docs screenshot.

Website

https://www.unkey.com

Repository

https://github.com/unkeyed/unkey

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official unkeyed/unkey Create key dialog. Dollars checked on unkey.com/pricing (API Management Free $0 / 150k; Pro from $25; Deploy Starter $5, Pro $25, Business $50).

Last verified

2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.