LLM Cost Control Starter App

Estimate, route, and de-risk AI spend before it burns cash.

A local-only starter kit for builders who want fast cost visibility, routing discipline, and a cleaner path from prototype to production.

Backend None

Mode Client-side

Gate Password

1 · Cost Estimator

Daily and monthly cost estimate

Choose a model, set tokens and usage, and see your spend immediately.

Provider / model

Input tokens / run Output tokens / run

Runs per day Number of agents

Input $ / 1M tokens Output $ / 1M tokens

Rates are starter defaults and editable. Update them whenever provider pricing changes.

Daily cost$0.00

Monthly cost$0.00

Per-agent monthly$0.00

Token load / day0

2 · Subscription vs API Explainer

UI access is not the same thing as API billing

Subscription

ChatGPT Pro/Plus and Claude Pro are product subscriptions for using the hosted chat experience. They are not a bucket of API credits.

Good for humans exploring ideas
Usage is governed by the chat product
Usually not the right billing model for embedded apps

API

API usage is metered by tokens. Your app pays for input and output, so every prompt, retry, and long context window matters.

Best for products and automation
Costs scale with token volume
Routing and caching cut spend fast

3 · Agent Cost Planner

Safe / caution / expensive score

A quick pressure test before you let a fleet of agents start hammering the API.

Number of agents Calls per day

Average context size (tokens) Retry rate (%)

Memory reads per day Model tier

Planner score 0

Safe

Lower is better. Fewer calls, smaller context, and cheaper models reduce risk.

Token pressure

Retry pressure

Memory overhead

4 · Model Routing Suggestions

Static reference table

Work type	Suggested route	Why
Status / routing	Cheap model	Fast, low stakes, high volume
Drafting / research	Mid model	Balanced quality and spend
Architecture / debugging	Premium model	Deeper reasoning, fewer retries
Live coding	Codex / Claude Code	Specialized coding workflows
Repetitive tasks	Local model candidate	Steady volume can justify self-hosting

5 · Local LLM Tradeoff Calculator

Know when self-hosting starts to win

Current VPS cost / month Upgraded VPS cost / month

Expected API savings / month Memory needed (GB)

Added VPS spend$0.00

Approx payback—

Net monthly gain$0.00

Recommendation—

6 · Beginner Setup Checklist

Guided launch screen

Use this to keep new builders out of expensive rabbit holes.

ChatGPT Plus / Codex for quick prototyping and coding help. Claude Pro / Claude Code for deeper drafting and agentic work. VPS if you truly need self-hosted memory or local models. Notion for durable notes, trackers, and handoffs. OpenClaw for orchestration, reminders, and routing. Optional local LLM only when usage is steady enough to justify it. API key warning: never ship keys in client-side code. Cost-control rules: set budgets, route cheap first, and cap retries.

Start cheap, measure, then upgrade only when the numbers prove it.

The fastest way to waste money is to let every task hit the premium model.