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

# Models & Groups

> Marketplace and groups in plain language — read before creating a token

The two words that confuse first-timers most are model marketplace and groups. This page explains both as if you've never seen them before.

## What Is the Model Marketplace

Think of ruoli as a "supermarket for AI models."

Lots of companies build large AI models — Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's GPT, Google's Gemini, and various domestic Chinese models. Normally you'd sign up, top up, and configure each one separately — a hassle. ruoli puts them all on one shelf: with a single account and one API Key, you can call all of them.

That shelf is the [model marketplace](https://ruoli.dev/pricing). Open it and you can see:

* Which models are available right now
* How much each one costs

<Info>
  **Prices are not fixed.** Just as grocery prices float with supply costs, the same model can cost differently across times and channels. So treat the marketplace price as authoritative — this doc doesn't hardcode amounts.
</Info>

## What Is a Group

This is the concept people stumble on most, but it's actually simple.

Back to the supermarket. For the same item (say, a bottle of cola), a store might buy from several suppliers:

* Supplier A: cheap, but occasionally out of stock
* Supplier B: a bit pricier, but reliable supply
* Supplier C: throws in a freebie

AI models work the same way. For the same model (say Claude), ruoli connects several different supply channels behind the scenes — some cheaper, some more stable, some with better "caching" (repeated content costs less).

ruoli bundles these channels by source, and each bundle is a group.

When you create an API Key (token), you pick one group — like choosing which supply channel to use. That choice decides three things:

1. Which models you can call
2. Whether it's cheap or expensive
3. How stable the channel is

Each group also carries a multiplier, a discount factor — lower means cheaper. A multiplier of 0.3 is roughly 30% of the base price.

<Warning>
  **Picking a group is the most common beginner mistake.** If the group you chose doesn't include the model you want, calls fail immediately with "no available channel" or "model not found."

  So before creating a token, check the [marketplace](https://ruoli.dev/pricing): which group is your model in?
</Warning>

## Two Examples

There are many groups; here are two common ones to give you a feel. The full list and live prices are in the [marketplace](https://ruoli.dev/pricing):

| Group     | Multiplier | When to use                        |
| --------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `cn`      | 0.8        | Domestic Chinese models            |
| `gpt-pro` | 0.3        | GPT / Codex coding, want stability |

## Got It Wrong / Want to Switch

A group is bound to a token and can't be changed after creation. To switch, just create a new token with a different group — keep or delete the old one.