Comparison · Updated September 2026
PolyCog vs TypingMind — same keys, different workflow
Both apps run on your own API keys, so the AI bill is identical. What you are choosing is the interface — and what it does when you want more than one model's answer.
One prompt, two workflows: TypingMind's multi-model chat runs models side by side and can merge the answers; PolyCog runs them in parallel, scans for disagreements, has them debate, and synthesizes one answer.
The short version
TypingMind and PolyCog are both BYOK, so a prompt to Claude or GPT costs the same provider list price in either. TypingMind is a polished single-chat client — folders, agents, plugins, MCP, a knowledge base — sold as a one-time license from $39, and its Premium tier runs one prompt across several models side by side with a merge step. PolyCog is built around the multi-model step itself: models answer in parallel, a difference scan shows where they disagree, they debate, and a flagship writes one synthesis; sessions live in your account and open on any device. If you want one excellent chat client at a one-time price, TypingMind. If the point is several models arguing toward one answer, us.
Same keys, same AI bill
Both apps send your prompts straight to the providers under your own accounts. Neither resells AI usage, so this comparison is about the interface, not about who pays for the models.
TypingMind
BYOK · one-time license: $39 · $79 · $99 (regular $198) — for the interface only
You→ AI providers, directly
Your keys stay in your browser's local storage and go straight to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and twenty-odd other providers at their list prices. TypingMind never sees the AI bill either.
PolyCog
BYOK · free tier, $10/mo, or $250 lifetime — for the interface only
You→ AI providers, directly
Your keys, stored encrypted in your account so sessions can run and save server-side, hit the same APIs at the same list prices. A debate session simply makes more calls — and the estimate shows them.
TypingMind's licenses, as listed
From typingmind.com/buy on the date above. One-time purchase, "buy once, use forever"; the price does not include API costs or extra cloud storage. A license key works on up to five devices.
| License | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic features; chat history is not saved and a reminder popup appears periodically |
| Standard | $39 once | Removes the popups; basic chat, AI agents, chat and plugin sharing, voice input |
| Extended | $79 once | Web search, vision, image generation, text-to-speech, document upload |
| Premium | $99 onceShown as 50% off a regular $198 | Multi-model chats, projects and folders, artifacts and canvas, unlimited plugins, free updates |
| Bulk license | $395 onceRegular $790 | One key for up to 10 users on 50 devices, with Premium features |
| TypingMind Teams | From $83/moStarter, 5 seats; +$8 a seat | A separate subscription product with admin-set keys, roles and a self-hosted option by quote |
Cloud sync is opt-in: 50 MB is free (TypingMind says that is about 5,000 chats) and 1 GB and 5 GB plans are sold separately. Multi-model chat — the feature this page is really about — is a Premium feature.
Feature comparison
Checked September 2026 against typingmind.com, its documentation and its Teams pricing page. TypingMind ships often; where a row says "listed", it is from the feature list on the buy page.
| PolyCog | TypingMind | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | BYOKInterface is free, $10/mo or $250 once; AI usage billed by the providers | BYOKInterface is a one-time license; AI usage billed by the providers |
| Interface price | Free tier · $10/mo · $250 onceFree: 4 models, 3 debate rounds, 20 saved sessions | $39 · $79 · $99 oncePremium shown as 50% off $198; free version with limits; bulk key $395 |
| Multi-model workflow | Debate + synthesisParallel answers, difference scan, debate rounds, one synthesized answer | Side by side + merge (Premium)Separate thread per model, pick a primary, "Finalize" merges the responses; no debate step described |
| Providers and models | 5 providersOpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, xAI — current text models | 22+ providersPlus local and custom models, custom endpoints, cloud credits |
| Plugins, agents, knowledge base | NoFile uploads and a memory feature | YesPlugin marketplace, custom JS plugins, MCP, 50+ agents, RAG knowledge base, artifacts, canvas |
| Where chats live | Your accountAny device, share links, PDF export; 20 saved sessions free, 250 paid | This browserLocal storage by default; cloud sync opt-in, 50 MB free; 5 devices per key |
| Where your API keys live | Encrypted on PolyCog's serverNeeded so sessions run and save in your account | In your browserLocal storage, never sent to TypingMind; optional password encryption |
| Spend controls | Estimate + monthly capRounded up; the cap stops runs | Cost estimation"API token cost estimation" listed; provider limits still apply |
| Try without API keys | Sample mode3 prompts a day on shared keys, no signup | Needs a keyThe free version still runs on your own key |
| Teams | Not yet | YesBulk key for 10 users; Teams from $83/mo for 5 seats |
| If the company disappears | Keys still workYour provider accounts are yours | Keys still work + self-host packageEvery licensed user can download the static self-host build |
Where your chats live
The quiet architectural difference, and the one you notice on the second device.
TypingMind's design is the stricter one for privacy: the keys never leave your browser unless you turn sync on. PolyCog's design is the more convenient one: nothing to install or sync, and a session is never stranded on one machine. Both are honest trade-offs, not flaws.
Where TypingMind beats us
A comparison you can trust has to cut both ways — and TypingMind is a very good product.
Sticker price
$39 to $99 once, no renewal, versus PolyCog's $10 a month or $250 once. Our free tier exists, but a Premium license is cheaper than ten months of our paid plan and a quarter of our lifetime price.
Breadth
Twenty-two-plus providers, local and custom models, custom endpoints, and cloud credits from AWS, Azure, GCP, OpenRouter and Vercel. PolyCog covers five providers' current text models, on purpose.
Plugins, agents, knowledge
A plugin marketplace, custom JavaScript plugins, MCP connectors, fifty-plus agents, a RAG knowledge base, artifacts and a canvas. PolyCog has file uploads and a memory feature and stops there.
Local-first, self-hostable, team-ready
Keys never leave the browser; every licensed user gets a self-host package; a bulk key covers ten people and Teams is a real product. PolyCog is one person, one account, hosted by us.
- TypingMind Premium: $99 once
- TypingMind Standard: $39 once
- PolyCog Free: $0
- PolyCog Paid, monthly: $10 × months
- PolyCog Paid, lifetime: $250 once
Interface price only. Both apps bill AI usage through your own provider accounts; a PolyCog debate session makes more calls than a single chat, and the per-session estimate says how many cents that is.
Where PolyCog wins
The debate, not just the columns
Side-by-side answers leave the reconciling to you; a merge produces one text from several. PolyCog adds the step in between: each model reads the others and replies before the synthesis, and the disagreements are flagged, not smoothed over.
Nothing to install, nothing to sync
Sessions are saved to your account, open on any device, shareable by link, exportable to PDF. No license key to manage across five devices.
A cap, not just an estimate
Every session shows an estimate rounded up, and a monthly cap you set stops runs before you cross it. TypingMind lists cost estimation; a hard stop is ours.
Try it with no keys at all
Sample mode runs on our shared keys with fast models, three prompts a day, no signup. TypingMind needs an API key from the first message.
Common questions
Is TypingMind worth it?
For a single-chat BYOK client, yes: a one-time $39 to $99 license, no renewal, plugins, agents, folders and a knowledge base, with the AI bill at provider list prices. It is the wrong tool only when what you want is several models arguing toward one answer, or sessions that follow you across devices without setting up sync.
Is TypingMind free?
Partly. TypingMind's documentation says the web app is free to use with basic features, but chat history is not saved and a reminder popup appears periodically; a license removes that, from $39 one-time. PolyCog's free tier saves 20 sessions and runs four models with three debate rounds, and sample mode needs no keys at all.
Can TypingMind run several models at once?
Yes, on the Premium license: the same prompt goes to several models side by side, each with its own thread, and a Finalize mode merges the responses into one final answer. What its documentation does not describe is a debate — a round in which each model reads the others' answers and replies before anything is synthesized. That round is PolyCog's core step.
Do both really cost the same to run?
For the AI itself, yes: both are BYOK, so a prompt to Claude Sonnet 5 costs the same Anthropic list price in either app. What differs is the interface price — TypingMind $39 to $99 once, PolyCog free, $10 a month or $250 once — and how many calls a session makes. A PolyCog debate session calls every seat more than once, which is the point, and the per-session estimate shows it before you run.
Where are my API keys stored?
TypingMind keeps them in your browser's local storage, optionally encrypted with a password, and never sends them to its servers. PolyCog stores them encrypted on its server, because sessions run and are saved there — that is what lets a session continue on your phone. If keys-never-leave-the-browser is your rule, TypingMind is the stricter design.
Can I use both?
Yes. The same API keys work in both. Many people keep a chat client for everyday single-model work and open PolyCog when a question deserves a second, third and fourth opinion.
See the difference in one prompt
Run the same question through several frontier models, watch them debate, and read the synthesis. Free sample mode, no signup, no keys needed.
Free tier forever · $10/mo · $250 lifetime · your API keys, your bill