[ Duck.ai Alternatives ]

SilentAPI vs Duck.ai

Sources: Duck.ai privacy help, Duck.ai privacy policy and terms, DuckDuckGo subscription.

Why people look for Duck.ai alternatives

• There is no public API for apps, scripts, or agents
• The free plan has daily limits
• Paid access is a subscription, with no crypto option
• The model list is small compared to API services

The 7 best Duck.ai alternatives

1. 1. SilentAPI

   Best for private AI chat and API use with crypto, Monero, Tor, and I2P.

   SilentAPI is the most complete private option on this list. One account gives you a private web chat and one API key for 39 chat models, plus image, video, speech, music, OCR, vision, and lookup APIs on the same balance. You sign up with a username only. Crypto payments are anonymized, so your wallet can not be tied to your account, and Monero works through direct deposits. The website, the chat, and the API all run on Tor and I2P. SilentAPI does not keep your prompts or outputs, and the model providers can not see who sent a request. A failed route falls back to the next compatible route.

2. 2. OpenRouter

   Best for the largest model catalog with card billing.

   One API for hundreds of models. It needs an account and adds a 5.5% fee on card purchases and a 5% fee on crypto. No Monero.

3. 3. NanoGPT

   Best for the largest pay per use model list with no account.

   Pay per use chat and API with 1,000+ models, no account, crypto and Monero payments, and an official Tor onion API.

4. 4. PayPerQ

   Best for pay per query with no signup and encrypted hardware chat.

   Pay per query chat and API with Bitcoin, Lightning, Litecoin, and Monero payments, no signup, and chat in encrypted hardware (TEE).

5. 5. Venice.ai

   Best for a private consumer chat app with a free tier.

   Private chat app and API. Chats stay in your browser, and requests are relayed without storage. It takes card, Bitcoin for plans, USDC wallet credits, and VVV staking, but not Monero.

6. 6. Tinfoil

   Best for open models in verifiable secure hardware, paid by card.

   Private chat and an OpenAI compatible API that run open models in secure enclaves. Email or Google sign in, card only, and higher token prices than SilentAPI on shared models.

7. 7. Proton Lumo

   Best for Proton users who want encrypted chat history.

   Private chat by Proton with a no logs policy and zero access encryption. Open source models in European data centers. No public API.

How to switch from Duck.ai to SilentAPI

SilentAPI uses the OpenAI request format, and it also accepts the Anthropic and Gemini formats. In most apps you change two values: the base URL and the API key. Then change the model names to the SilentAPI model IDs from the services page.

Create one key per project, and set a monthly budget and an expiry date on each key. Credits are prepaid, so a key can never spend more than your balance.

When Duck.ai is the better choice

Duck.ai is free, needs no account, and works in any browser. For casual private chat, it is one of the simplest choices.

How we compared

We compared each service on the points that matter for private AI chat and API use: signup, payment, Monero, logging, Tor and I2P access, and model range. We read each service's own pricing, privacy, terms, and documentation pages on October 6, 2026, and we link those pages under each table.

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