> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.voyager.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choose your setup

> Decide which agent you'll chat with and who pays for generated media, so you know what to connect during setup.

Before you install, make two choices: which AI you'll chat with, and who pays when Voyager generates new images, video or audio. You can change both later in **Settings → Accounts**.

<Note>
  Every setup starts with a free Voyager account, which you create or sign in to during setup. A paid Voyager plan is optional: you can finish setup and do all your work with your own Claude or ChatGPT and your own media keys.
</Note>

## Choice 1: Which agent you chat with

| If you have… | Choose | What it costs | Set it up |
| - | - | - | - |
| A Claude subscription or an Anthropic API key | **Claude** | Nothing extra from Voyager. Uses your Claude plan's limits, or Anthropic bills your key per use. | [Connect Claude](/setup/connect-claude) |
| A ChatGPT subscription or an OpenAI API key | **ChatGPT** | Nothing extra from Voyager. Uses your ChatGPT plan's limits, or OpenAI bills your key per use. | [Connect ChatGPT](/setup/connect-chatgpt) |
| Neither, or you want one bill | **Voyager models** | Needs a Voyager plan. Each chat turn uses plan credits. | [Use Voyager models](/setup/voyager-models) |

**Not sure?** If you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT, use it. It's the cheapest way to chat, and for heavy use of the most capable models it's usually the better deal. You can connect more than one and switch in any chat from the model picker.

If you connect both Claude and ChatGPT during setup, new chats start on Claude. Change the default any time in **Settings → General → Conversations → Model**.

<Tip>
  Prefer to pay per use? If Claude Code or the Codex CLI on your computer is signed in with an API key, setup accepts it like a subscription. After setup, you can also add an Anthropic or OpenAI API key in **Settings → Accounts → Use your own API keys**. The provider bills you directly.
</Tip>

## Choice 2: Who pays for generated media

Your chat subscription never pays for generated media. Images, video shots, voiceover, music and sound effects are billed separately, by whoever makes them.

| You want… | Choose | How you pay |
| - | - | - |
| To use accounts you already have with media services | **Your own keys or sign-ins**: Higgsfield, FAL, Google or ElevenLabs | Each service bills your account with them directly. |
| One bill and nothing to set up | **Voyager credits** | Credits from your Voyager plan. Top up or turn on auto-reload at [voyager.so/dashboard/billing](https://voyager.so/dashboard/billing). |
| No generated media | **Nothing** | Editing your own footage, captions and most motion graphics run on your computer and cost nothing. |

You can connect several. Voyager tries them in the order you set in **Settings → Accounts → Generation providers**.

<Warning>
  **Automatic fallback is on by default.** If the provider at the top of your list is out of credits, rejects its sign-in or is down, Voyager tries the next one, which may bill a different account. To stop this, turn off **Automatic fallback**, or tell the agent which provider to use for a job. See [Generation providers](/account/generation-providers).
</Warning>

Some things only come from Voyager credits. Voyager's managed voices, for example, always use credits. Plans also add cloud rendering and let you run more generations at once. Which models you can use depends on the plan. See [voyager.so/pricing](https://voyager.so/pricing) for what each plan includes.

## Common setups

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I have Claude or ChatGPT and want to spend nothing extra">
    Connect your subscription during setup. Skip media keys for now. You can edit your own footage, make motion graphics and work with your files right away. When you want generated media, add a key for a provider you already use, or get a plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I have Claude or ChatGPT and keys for media services">
    Connect your subscription, then add your keys in the **Media** section of setup or later in **Settings → Accounts**. Put the provider you want billed first at the top of the list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I have Claude or ChatGPT and want simple media billing">
    Connect your subscription for chat and get a Voyager plan for media. Leave **Voyager credits** in your provider list, and remove or move down any provider you don't want billed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I don't have Claude or ChatGPT">
    Get a Voyager plan. It covers both chat (with Voyager models) and media generation from one balance of credits.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What the agent does before spending

However you pay, the agent tells you what a paid step is likely to cost. Whether it waits for you depends on the **Question answers** setting in each chat:

* **Balanced** (the default) waits for you when a step would cost more than your limit. Otherwise it counts down and picks the recommended answer.
* **Always ask** always waits for you.
* **Autopilot** picks the recommended answer immediately, including paid generation above your limit.

Your limit starts at \$5. It's an instruction the agent follows, not a hard cap on spending. Set it in **Settings → Creative preferences**. See [Approvals and spending](/guides/approvals-and-spending).

## Next

<Card title="Check the requirements" icon="device-desktop" href="/get-started/requirements">
  Make sure your computer can run Voyager, then install it.
</Card>


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