Cheap Ag

Cheap Agent is a command-line tool that helps software developers significantly reduce their usage of costly Claude Opus tokens when coding with Claude Code. Instead of having every coding request handled by Opus, it delegates certain tasks—like writing code, tests, or making changes—to a much cheaper language model such as DeepSeek. All code produced via the cheaper model is verified automatically by running tests, ensuring only working changes are proposed.

The tool integrates seamlessly with existing Claude Code workflows with a single command and is compatible with Claude Pro and Max plans. Cheap Agent intelligently decides which tasks can be offloaded, slashing Opus token use by more than half for many typical development tasks, based on real-world tests with open source projects.

Developers looking to stretch their Claude plan budget, especially in cost-sensitive or high-volume coding environments, can now offload routine or less complex coding work without sacrificing correctness or workflow convenience. As an open-source tool, it can be quickly installed via npm and set up in under a minute. The tool is free, runs on major platforms, and only requires paying for a few dollars' worth of API usage with the supported cheaper models, making it a practical utility for programmers prioritizing both efficiency and budget.

Cheap Agent is designed for individual developers, small teams, and startups who rely on Claude Code for programming tasks but need to manage budgets carefully. It's particularly valuable to those working on frequent code generation, bug fixing, and feature addition—especially in educational contexts, open source projects, or environments where cost per token is a real barrier.

This tool is also relevant for engineering leaders or product managers looking to optimize AI-augmented coding workflows without increasing spend. Developers in regions where premium plans are less affordable will benefit from maximizing the value of every Claude subscription, using automation to handle routine code changes while still ensuring quality through automated testing.