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Use Any AI Model in Cursor, Cline, and Windsurf with One API Key

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LemonData
·February 26, 2026·19 views
#cursor#cline#windsurf#ide-integration#tutorial
Use Any AI Model in Cursor, Cline, and Windsurf with One API Key

Use Any AI Model in Cursor, Cline, and Windsurf with One API Key

AI coding assistants lock you into their default models. Cursor uses GPT-4 and Claude. Cline defaults to Claude. Windsurf has its own model selection. If you want to try DeepSeek for cheap iterations or Gemini for long-context tasks, you're out of luck with the built-in options.

An OpenAI-compatible API aggregator solves this. One API key, one base URL, and you get access to every model through the same interface your IDE already supports.

Here's how to set it up in each tool.

Cursor

Cursor has native support for custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

Setup

  1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd+, on Mac, Ctrl+, on Windows)
  2. Navigate to Models → OpenAI API Key
  3. Enter your configuration:
API Key: sk-lemon-xxx
Base URL: https://api.lemondata.cc/v1
  1. In the model dropdown, you can now type any model name: gpt-4.1, claude-sonnet-4-6, deepseek-chat, gemini-2.5-pro

Recommended Model Configuration

Task Model Why
Tab completion gpt-4.1-mini Fast, cheap, good at short completions
Chat claude-sonnet-4-6 Best at understanding complex codebases
Cmd+K edits gpt-4.1 Good balance of speed and quality
Long file analysis gemini-2.5-pro 1M token context window

Cost Comparison

Cursor Pro costs $20/month with limited premium model usage. Using your own API key:

  • Light usage (50 requests/day): ~$5-8/month with GPT-4.1-mini
  • Medium usage (200 requests/day): ~$15-25/month with mixed models
  • Heavy usage (500+ requests/day): ~$40-60/month

For light to medium users, bringing your own key is cheaper. Heavy users may find Cursor Pro's unlimited plan more economical.

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Cline is an open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code that supports custom API providers.

Setup

  1. Install Cline from the VS Code marketplace
  2. Open Cline settings (click the gear icon in the Cline panel)
  3. Select "OpenAI Compatible" as the provider
  4. Configure:
Base URL: https://api.lemondata.cc/v1
API Key: sk-lemon-xxx
Model: claude-sonnet-4-6

Using Anthropic Native Protocol

For Claude models, Cline also supports the Anthropic API directly, which gives you access to extended thinking and prompt caching:

  1. Select "Anthropic" as the provider
  2. Configure:
API Key: sk-lemon-xxx
Base URL: https://api.lemondata.cc

Note the base URL has no /v1 suffix when using the Anthropic protocol.

Recommended Models for Cline

Cline makes many API calls per task (reading files, planning, executing). Cost-conscious users should consider:

  • Planning phase: claude-sonnet-4-6 (best at multi-step reasoning)
  • Execution phase: gpt-4.1-mini (fast, cheap for file edits)
  • Review phase: gpt-4.1 (good at catching issues)

Windsurf (Codeium)

Windsurf supports custom model providers through its settings.

Setup

  1. Open Windsurf Settings
  2. Navigate to AI Provider settings
  3. Add a custom OpenAI-compatible provider:
{
  "provider": "openai",
  "apiKey": "sk-lemon-xxx",
  "baseURL": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

Continue (VS Code / JetBrains)

Continue is an open-source coding assistant that works with both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.

Setup

Edit ~/.continue/config.json:

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude Sonnet 4.6",
      "provider": "openai",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
      "apiBase": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1",
      "apiKey": "sk-lemon-xxx"
    },
    {
      "title": "GPT-4.1 Mini (Fast)",
      "provider": "openai",
      "model": "gpt-4.1-mini",
      "apiBase": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1",
      "apiKey": "sk-lemon-xxx"
    },
    {
      "title": "DeepSeek V3 (Budget)",
      "provider": "openai",
      "model": "deepseek-chat",
      "apiBase": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1",
      "apiKey": "sk-lemon-xxx"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "GPT-4.1 Mini",
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "gpt-4.1-mini",
    "apiBase": "https://api.lemondata.cc/v1",
    "apiKey": "sk-lemon-xxx"
  }
}

This gives you a model switcher in the Continue panel. Pick Claude for complex tasks, GPT-4.1-mini for quick completions, DeepSeek for budget-friendly iterations.

Cherry Studio / ChatBox / Other Clients

Any application that supports custom OpenAI API endpoints works with the same configuration:

API Key: sk-lemon-xxx
Base URL: https://api.lemondata.cc/v1
Model: (any model name)

Popular clients that support this: Cherry Studio, ChatBox, LobeChat, Open WebUI, BotGem, Chatwise.

Troubleshooting

Model not found error: Check the exact model name. Common mistakes: claude-3.5-sonnet (old name, use claude-sonnet-4-6), gpt-4-turbo (use gpt-4.1). The API will suggest the correct name in the error response.

Timeout errors: Some models (especially reasoning models like o3) can take 30-60 seconds. Increase your client's timeout setting.

Streaming not working: Make sure your client has streaming enabled. All models support SSE streaming through the aggregator.

Get started: lemondata.cc provides one API key for 300+ models. $1 free credit on signup, no credit card required.

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