Chatbox Desktop Setup for GLM, Kimi, Qwen & Free Models (2026)

Published 2026-09-13 · NovAI Team

Chatbox is a free, open-source desktop AI client (Windows / macOS / Linux) that talks to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. It's the fastest way to put NovAI's Chinese models into a polished chat app — with conversation history, prompt templates, and file uploads — without writing a line of code.

Setup

  1. Download Chatbox from chatboxai.app and open Settings → Model Provider.
  2. Click Add and choose the OpenAI API Compatible provider type.
  3. API Host / Domain: https://aiapi-pro.com/v1
  4. API Key: your NovAI key (create one in the dashboard; $2 free credit after email verification).
  5. Model: add glm-5.3, kimi-k2.7-code, qwen3.8-max, deepseek-v4-pro — or fetch the full live list from the /v1/models endpoint if your Chatbox version supports it.

What you get

Cost control

Every request deducts from your NovAI balance in real time. A typical heavy chat day on kimi-k2.7-code costs well under a dollar — check the dashboard usage panel any time.

Best NovAI models for coding agents

ModelInput $/1MOutput $/1M
kimi-k2.7-code (agent-tuned)$0.67$3.40
glm-5.3 (1M context flagship)$1.25$4.00
deepseek-v4-pro$0.57$1.15
doubao-seed-2.0-code$0.448$2.24
glm-4.7-flash (free forever)$0$0

For long agent loops, kimi-k2.7-code and deepseek-v4-pro give the best cost-per-task; for repo-wide refactors that need the full codebase in context, glm-5.3's 1M window is unmatched. Use free glm-4.7-flash for planning and lightweight edits.

A desktop chat with 40+ Chinese models — $2 free credit, four models free forever.

Get $2 Free Credit — No Credit Card →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I connect Chatbox to NovAI?

In Chatbox Settings > Model Provider, add an 'OpenAI API Compatible' provider with API host https://aiapi-pro.com/v1 and your NovAI API key, then add model ids like glm-5.3 or kimi-k2.7-code.

Can Chatbox use free models on NovAI?

Yes. glm-4.7-flash (chat), glm-4.1v-thinking-flash (vision), cogview-3-flash (images) and cogvideox-flash (video) are free forever - Chatbox works with all of them through the same configuration.

Is my chat data private?

Chatbox stores conversations locally on your device. Only the active request content is sent to the model API - through NovAI's gateway to the official Chinese provider endpoint.

Related guides: Codex CLI setup · Claude Code · Cline / Roo Code · Cursor · Chatbox · Cherry Studio