From ce3fd09e1417b9b85c9cf3a8c9fe00ee760b54fc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2026 19:14:05 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] docs(faq): add alternative providers section (OpenRouter,
 Z.AI)
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- Added OpenRouter and Z.AI setup examples
- Emphasized using latest Claude 4.5 models, not deprecated 3.x

🦞
---
 docs/faq.md | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+)

diff --git a/docs/faq.md b/docs/faq.md
index bcb28abb1..e3b3f1651 100644
--- a/docs/faq.md
+++ b/docs/faq.md
@@ -530,6 +530,32 @@ Use `/model` to switch without restarting:
 
 **Tip:** `/model` is processed at the gateway level — it works even if you're rate-limited (429) on the current model!
 
+### Alternative providers (OpenRouter, Z.AI)?
+
+If you don't want to use Anthropic directly, you can use alternative providers:
+
+**OpenRouter** (pay-per-token, many models):
+```json5
+{
+  agent: {
+    model: "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4",
+    env: { OPENROUTER_API_KEY: "sk-or-..." }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Z.AI** (flat-rate plans, GLM models):
+```json5
+{
+  agent: {
+    model: "zai/glm-4.7",
+    env: { ZAI_API_KEY: "..." }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Important:** Always use the latest Claude models (4.5 series). Don't use older 3.x models — they're deprecated and less capable. Check [OpenRouter models](https://openrouter.ai/models?q=claude) for exact IDs.
+
 ### Model + thinking mode issues?
 
 Some models don't support extended thinking well: