OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini — picking a provider in JustZix
JustZix's AI Helper lets you bring your own API key from OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini. A fair question follows: which one should you use? The honest answer is that inside JustZix the three are far more alike than different — and this post explains why, where they actually differ, and how to switch.
Bring your own key — all three, equally
AI Helper has no built-in model and no JustZix-hosted AI. You supply an API key from a provider you already have an account with. In Settings → AI Helper there are key fields for each of the three providers, a default-provider selector, and a live model picker. You can store keys for one, two or all three.
The provider-independent protocol
Here's the design decision that makes provider choice low-stakes. AI Helper's agentic features — the tool calls for inspecting the page and creating rules — run on a provider-independent text protocol. The tools (query_page, list_structure, open_temp_pane, set_temp_pane_code, create_folder, create_group, create_rule) are described to the model as text, and the model replies in text. JustZix parses that text the same way regardless of who served the response.
The practical consequence: the up-to-8-step tool loop, the TEMP-window testing, the confirmation dialogs — all of it works identically on OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini. No provider gets a "better" integration. Switching providers does not change what AI Helper can do.
So what actually differs?
Three things, and none of them are about JustZix:
| Factor | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Cost | Each provider prices tokens differently, and prices change. You pay your provider directly — JustZix takes no cut and adds no fee. |
| Model choice | Each provider offers a range of models — faster/cheaper vs. slower/stronger. The live model picker lists what your key can access. |
| Reasoning style | Models differ slightly in how they follow multi-step instructions and write CSS/JS. Differences are real but usually small for this kind of task. |
A fair word on each
We won't crown a winner — your account, budget and preference decide. But honestly:
- OpenAI — widely used; a broad model lineup from light to heavy. If you already have a key, it's a fine default.
- Anthropic — strong at careful, multi-step instruction-following, which suits AI Helper's "inspect, test, confirm" workflow well.
- Gemini — competitive pricing and a generous free tier on some models, which makes it easy to try AI Helper at low or no cost.
All three handle the core job — read a page, write a selector, propose a rule — perfectly well. Pick the one whose pricing and models suit you; you are not locked in.
Choosing a model within a provider
The provider matters less than picking a sensible model. A rough guide:
- Lighter / faster models — great for straightforward tasks ("hide this element", "change this color"). Cheaper, quick replies.
- Heavier / stronger models — worth it for tricky pages: Shadow DOM, dynamic class names, multi-step JS. Slower and pricier per call, but fewer wrong turns.
The live model picker in Settings shows the models your key can reach, so you don't have to memorise model names.
Switching providers — it's instant
You can change provider at two levels:
- Default — set the default provider in Settings → AI Helper. New chats start there.
- Per conversation — the chat window has provider and model pickers right in it. Switch mid-task and the next message goes to the new provider.
Because the protocol is provider-independent, the conversation history carries over — you don't restart the task when you switch.
Where keys live, and the sync option
Keys are stored in chrome.storage.local. Each key has an optional "sync" checkbox: tick it and that key syncs through the JustZix cloud (entity ai_keys) to your other devices; leave it unticked and the key stays local-only on that browser. You decide per key — sync your low-risk experiment key, keep a sensitive one local.
A recommendation, honestly
If you have no key yet: start with whichever provider gives you the cheapest path to trying it — often Gemini's free tier — on a lighter model. If AI Helper becomes part of your workflow, add a second provider's key as a fallback and for heavier tasks. The cost is whatever your provider charges; JustZix itself stays free.
See also
- AI Helper setup: API keys — adding keys and choosing models, step by step.
- API keys: privacy and sync — the sync checkbox and how keys stay off the page.
- Meet AI Helper — what the assistant is and how to open it.
Download JustZix — free, no account. Bring a key from any of the three providers; AI Helper treats them all the same.
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