Providers¶
Set up OpenAI/Anthropic/Gemini/Ollama quickly and consult a single capability matrix. Requires Python 3.10+ and pip install alloy-ai.
Setup (quick)¶
Pick a provider, set its API key, and choose a model ID via ALLOY_MODEL. No code changes required.
OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export ALLOY_MODEL=gpt-5-mini
Anthropic (Claude)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=...
export ALLOY_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4-20250514
# Anthropic requires max_tokens; Alloy uses 512 if unset
Google Gemini
export GOOGLE_API_KEY=...
export ALLOY_MODEL=gemini-2.5-flash
Ollama (local)
export ALLOY_MODEL=ollama:<model>
Fake (offline/demo)
export ALLOY_BACKEND=fake
Capability Matrix (canonical)¶
| Provider | Text | Tools | Structured Outputs | Streaming Text | Streaming + Tools | Streaming + Structured | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Uses Responses API; auto-finalize missing structured output on OpenAI when enabled. |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Requires max_tokens (Alloy uses 512 if unset). |
| Google Gemini | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Requires max_tool_turns configured; uses google-genai. |
| Ollama (local) | Yes | No | Limited | No | No | No | No native structured outputs; primitives best-effort via JSON prompt; streaming and tools not implemented in scaffold. |
| Fake (offline) | Yes | No | Yes (deterministic stub) | Yes | No | No | Offline backend for CI/examples; not for production. |
Note: “Streaming + Structured” means sequence‑of‑objects only (e.g., list[T]); Alloy does not stream partial object deltas.
Migration notes¶
- Model naming may change; prefer lightweight defaults (e.g.,
gpt-5-mini,gemini-2.5-flash). - Tool result shapes and limits vary; Alloy normalizes common cases and raises clear errors where not supported.
- See Guide → Streaming for exact streaming semantics and preview status.