Why is my AI agent so expensive to run?

The usual cause is that your agent calls a premium model (Claude Opus 4.7 at $15/$75 per 1M tokens, GPT-5.2 at $1.75/$14) for every request — including trivial ones like simple Q&A, code formatting, or translation. For those tasks, Gemini Flash ($0.30/M output) or Claude Haiku ($5/M) would deliver the same quality at 15-250x lower cost. In a typical agent workload, about 80% of calls don't need the premium model. CodeRouter analyzes each call in 10ms and routes it to the cheapest capable model — typical users save 70-90% on their monthly bill.

How do I reduce OpenClaw AI API costs?

OpenClaw is OpenAI-compatible, so you can change its base_url to a smart routing proxy like CodeRouter. The proxy analyzes each call (coding vs formatting vs reasoning) and sends it to the cheapest model that can handle it. No code changes — just one config line in your openclaw.json. Typical OpenClaw users cut their token bill 70-90% without any loss in output quality. Pricing starts at $29/mo (Starter plan, 10M tokens included) or $99/mo (Pro, 20M tokens + 500K Opus quota).

CodeRouter vs OpenRouter — which is better for cost savings?

OpenRouter and LiteLLM give you multi-model access under one API key — but you still manually pick which model to call. That's why most developers default to the premium model and bleed money. CodeRouter is different: we automatically pick the cheapest capable model per task, in 10ms. OpenRouter solved access; CodeRouter solves cost. CodeRouter also adds features OpenRouter doesn't: per-end-user token tracking (for SaaS agent builders sharing keys with customers), auto top-up, BYOK fallback opt-in, and OpenClaw-native integration.

What's the cheapest model for coding agents in 2026?

For code formatting and simple edits: Claude Haiku 4.5 ($1/$5 per 1M) or DeepSeek V3.2 ($0.28/$0.42). For medium-complexity coding: Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($3/$15) or Gemini 2.5 Pro ($1.25/$10). Only use Claude Opus 4.7 ($15/$75) or GPT-5.2 ($1.75/$14) for genuinely complex reasoning or architectural design. A smart router like CodeRouter makes this decision per-call automatically based on the task — you don't need to configure it by hand.

How does task-aware routing save money vs. just using one model?

Most AI agent workloads break down roughly as: 60% simple Q&A/translation/formatting, 25% medium coding/analysis, 15% complex reasoning. If you send all of them to Claude Opus ($75/M output), you pay full price for every call. If you task-route instead: 60% → Gemini Flash at $0.30/M (250x cheaper), 25% → Claude Haiku at $5/M (15x cheaper), 15% → Opus (no change). Blended savings ≈ 80-90% vs. Opus-everything, with no quality degradation. This is the math behind the 70-90% typical savings.

Is CodeRouter safe with my data?

Yes. CodeRouter is a routing proxy — we classify the task type (in 10ms, on our servers) to pick a model, then forward your request directly to the model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) over encrypted connections. We don't train on your data. We log minimal metadata (token counts, model used, timing) for usage dashboards, not prompt content beyond a 500-char snippet for classifier improvement which you can opt out of. BYOK keys are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM.

How do I track per-customer API costs when I share my CodeRouter key across my SaaS users?

Pass a stable per-customer ID in the OpenAI SDK's 'user' parameter with every request. CodeRouter writes this to each usage log and surfaces aggregated per-end-user breakdowns in your dashboard — requests, cost, tokens, models used, first/last seen. This is built-in and included with every plan. It's essential for SaaS agent builders (e.g. an OpenClaw-based product) who share keys across customers and need to attribute cost back to each one.

🦞 Agents are great — until the bill arrives. We fix that.

Your Agent is burning tokens?
Cut 70–90% off your AI bill, one click.

OpenClaw and AI agents are amazing — but they burn Opus-priced tokens for every little task. CodeRouter fixes that. We analyze each call in 10ms and route it to the cheapest model that can actually handle it — Flash for Q&A, Haiku for formatting, Opus only when it truly matters. One config change. Same Agent. Same quality. Typical users save 70–90% on their monthly AI bill.

Cut My Bill →See The Math

request.py

# Point your AI agent at CodeRouter. That's it.
client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://www.coderouter.io/api/v1",
    api_key="cr_your_key_here"
)

# Smart routing: best model for each task, automatically
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="auto",  # ← picks the optimal model
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing"}]
)
# → Routed to best quality/cost model. High quality, low cost.

OpenRouter solved access. We solve cost.

Other routers give you a key. We pick the model.

Here's what your deployed Agent actually does — and what it should cost:

📝 Simple Q&A / translation → Gemini Flash. $0.30/M tokens

💻 Code completion / formatting → GPT-5 Mini or Haiku. Pennies per call

🏗️ Complex reasoning / architecture → Here Opus earns its price. $75/M tokens — worth it

OpenRouter / LiteLLM let you access many models under one key — but you still pick manually. We're built for people who've already deployed OpenClaw or their own Agent and just want the bill to stop hurting. Your Agent sends model: "auto", we decide per-call, you save.

🦞 OpenClaw-native — one config line, no code changes

$75

Opus output per 1M tokens

$0.30

Flash output per 1M tokens

80%

of calls can run on cheap models

250x

cost multiplier you're wasting

How one-click cost reduction works

From deployed to saving 70–90% in 2 minutes.

No model picking. No SDK rewrite. Change one config line in OpenClaw (or any OpenAI-compatible agent) and your bill starts dropping immediately.

Plug in CodeRouter

One config line in OpenClaw — change your base_url to our endpoint. Or run our one-liner setup script. That's the whole integration.

Your Agent sends model: "auto"

Stop picking models manually. Your Agent tells us what it needs; we handle the rest. The classifier analyzes each request in 10ms.

We route to the cheapest model that works

Q&A → Flash. Formatting → Haiku. Reasoning → Opus. We pick per task — based on capability score and cost — not round-robin or manual override.

Bill drops. Analytics arrive.

Output quality stays the same. Typical workloads save 70–90% (up to 250× cheaper on simple calls like Q&A). You also get per-end-user attribution, auto failover, and a cost dashboard — all included.

Built for Agents already running

Everything you need to cut Agent costs — nothing you don't.

We focused on the problems people actually have after deploying an Agent: unpredictable token bills, manual model picking, no per-customer tracking.

🧠

Task-aware routing (not just multi-model)

OpenRouter gives you access to many models. We actually pick which one runs each call. Q&A? Flash. Format code? Haiku. Reasoning? Opus. Real 10ms per-call analysis — not manual selection.

🤖

OpenClaw-native — one config line

Purpose-built for OpenClaw and any OpenAI-compatible Agent. Change your base_url or run our one-liner. No SDK rewrite, no business logic changes. Already-deployed Agents start saving in minutes.

🔑

50+ models, one API

GPT-5.2, Claude Opus 4.7, Gemini 3 Pro, DeepSeek, Kimi, Qwen — all behind one CodeRouter key. Mix and match freely; we handle provider quirks.

📊

Cost dashboard + savings analytics

See exactly what each Agent call cost, what it would've cost without smart routing, and which models are being used. Drill down by end-user, model, or task type.

⚡

Routing strategies

Cheapest / Balanced / Best quality. Set at the account level for Starter, or per-key on Free. Pro gets enhanced balanced routing with 30% Opus boost on hard tasks.

🛡️

Auto failover

If a provider 5xxs or times out, we automatically retry on the next best model — transparently to your Agent. Zero downtime for your users.

🏪

Auto top-up + quota management

Pre-authorize automatic top-ups so your Agent never stops on weekend card-decline rotations. Email alerts at 80% / 100% so you see it coming.

New

🔄

Streaming support

Full SSE streaming, same shape as OpenAI. Tokens flow as they're generated — no buffering, no delays, even with smart routing in the middle.

🌍

Request-response size limits + safety

Built-in request size limits (1MB), per-user rate limits, key scoping, and auth validation. All the guardrails your production Agent needs — without you building them.

Where your Agent's money actually goes

You're paying Opus prices for Flash-level tasks.

Here's what a typical Agent session actually contains — and what each task should cost vs. the Opus-for-everything reality.

Your Agent's Task	You're Paying (Opus)	Should Cost (Smart Routed)	Savings
Simple Q&A / Lookup	Opus — $15/$75 per 1M	Gemini Flash — $0.075/$0.30	~250x cheaper
Code Formatting / Lint	Opus — $15/$75 per 1M	Haiku — $0.25/$1.25	~15x cheaper
Translation	Opus — $15/$75 per 1M	GPT-5 Mini — $0.25/$2	~37x cheaper
Summarization	Opus — $15/$75 per 1M	DeepSeek — $0.28/$0.42	~180x cheaper
Complex Architecture	Opus — $15/$75 per 1M	Opus — $15/$75 (worth it here!)	Right model ✓

Integration

Change one URL. That's the whole integration.

If your Agent already uses OpenAI's SDK (and OpenClaw does), you're two minutes from saving. No new SDK, no code rewrite, no refactor — just a new base_url.

Python

cURL

Node.js

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://www.coderouter.io/api/v1",
    api_key="cr_your_key_here"
)

# Auto-route: cheapest model that delivers quality
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="auto",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python quicksort"}],
    extra_body={"strategy": "cheapest"}  # save money on AI
)

# Or specify a model directly
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="claude-sonnet-4.6",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Analyze this dataset..."}]
)

curl https://www.coderouter.io/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cr_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "auto",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing"}],
    "strategy": "cheapest"
  }'

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: 'https://www.coderouter.io/api/v1',
  apiKey: 'cr_your_key_here',
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'auto',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Build a React component' }],
});

Quick Start

🚀 Start saving in 60 seconds

Plug in. Point your Agent at us. Watch the bill drop.

Pick a Plan

Starter ($29/mo) covers most deployed OpenClaw setups. Pro ($99/mo) adds Opus quota + enhanced routing for heavy reasoning workloads. No provider keys needed.

View Plans →

Grab your CodeRouter key

Point your Agent at us

Change the base_url in OpenClaw config (or any OpenAI-compatible Agent). Your Agent keeps running exactly the same — just cheaper.

Setup Guide →

Setup Command

curl -fsSL https://www.coderouter.io/setup.sh | bash -s -- cr_YOUR_KEY_HERE

📖 Full Setup Guide

Pricing

Pay less the moment you plug in.

Subscribe, change one URL, watch your bill drop. Top up only if you need more; Pro plan includes Opus for heavy reasoning.

Free (BYOK)

$0/mo

Bring your own API keys — we handle the smart routing

All 50+ models available
Explicit model selection
Streaming & fallback chains
30 requests/min

Get Started Free

Starter

$29/mo

We provide the API keys — just build

10M tokens/month included
Smart balanced routing
200 requests/min
$8 = 3M token top-up packs
AI cost analytics dashboard

Get Started

Pro

$99/mo

Enhanced routing with Opus boost

20M tokens + 500K Opus tokens/month
Enhanced quality routing + Opus boost
600 requests/min
$12 = 3M top-up · $40 = 500K Opus top-up
Priority support

Get Started

Your Agent is burning tokens?
Cut 70–90% off your AI bill, one click.

🏎️ Your Agent is paying $75/M for 'what's the weather'

Plug in CodeRouter

Your Agent sends model: "auto"

We route to the cheapest model that works

Bill drops. Analytics arrive.

Task-aware routing (not just multi-model)

OpenClaw-native — one config line

50+ models, one API

Cost dashboard + savings analytics

Routing strategies

Auto failover

Auto top-up + quota management

Streaming support

Request-response size limits + safety

Pick a Plan

Grab your CodeRouter key

Point your Agent at us

Why token costs matter for Agents

What is an LLM Router?

AI Token Costs in 2026

LLM API Pricing Guide 2026

Best LLM Routers in 2026

Cut Cursor & Windsurf Costs by 80%

OpenRouter vs CodeRouter vs LiteLLM

Your deployed Agent is burning tokens right now.

Your Agent is burning tokens?Cut 70–90% off your AI bill, one click.

🏎️ Your Agent is paying $75/M for 'what's the weather'

Plug in CodeRouter

Your Agent sends model: "auto"

We route to the cheapest model that works

Bill drops. Analytics arrive.

Task-aware routing (not just multi-model)

OpenClaw-native — one config line

50+ models, one API

Cost dashboard + savings analytics

Routing strategies

Auto failover

Auto top-up + quota management

Streaming support

Request-response size limits + safety

Pick a Plan

Grab your CodeRouter key

Point your Agent at us

Why token costs matter for Agents

What is an LLM Router?

AI Token Costs in 2026

LLM API Pricing Guide 2026

Best LLM Routers in 2026

Cut Cursor & Windsurf Costs by 80%

OpenRouter vs CodeRouter vs LiteLLM

Your deployed Agent is burning tokens right now.

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Your Agent is burning tokens?
Cut 70–90% off your AI bill, one click.