Do I need an AI key to use the app at all?

No. Every number, chart, statistic and report is computed from your own trades without any model involved. A key adds interpretation on top — the Coach, chart reads, weekly reports, auto-tagging — and nothing else changes.

This is the single most misunderstood thing about the app, so plainly: AI is additive.

What works with no key: the Journal and every filter, the whole Analytics section, the Stats workbench's own computations, the Calendar and debrief, the Playbook, goals, imports and exports, capture, and the tilt system's arithmetic.

What is quiet without one: the Coach, Read chart, auto-tagging, the weekly report, pre-market briefings, setup health checks, the Stats Ask bar and the in-app assistant. Each says so where it would have been rather than hiding.

If you want one, start free. A Groq key costs nothing and switches on both the AI features and the better voice transcription. See which providers and what happens with no key.