Like many developers, I was tempted by the promises of all-in-one AI platforms like Mamouth.ia and ChatLLM.abacus.ai. Odd names, sure, but intriguing offerings: multiple LLMs, image generators, AI agents, code tools, and more all wrapped in a single dashboard for a fraction of the price of OpenAI, Claude, or Perplexity.
Sounds like a dream deal, right?
In reality, it's more like a slow trap.
đ It looks like a bargain (at first)
Letâs be fair: the offer is appealing.
For around âŹ10/month, youâre told youâll get:
- Access to various LLMs
- Custom AI agents
- Image, text, and code generation tools
- A centralized interface so you donât have to jump between services
And that centralization idea is powerful especially for those of us juggling tools all day.
But once youâre inside, things start to fall apart.
đś Heavily restricted models and no one warns you
After paying for the so-called "Pro" plan, I quickly realized something was off.
- The AI agents couldn't perform more than basic tasks
- Long prompts were cut off
- Response speed was painfully slow
- And key features? Locked behind yet another upgrade
Whatâs worse: none of this was made clear before payment.
The limitations are hidden behind flashy promises, only to be discovered when itâs too late.
đ¸ You pay... only to find out you need to pay more
Hereâs where things get frustrating.
You buy the "Pro" version, thinking it unlocks everything. But as soon as you try something slightly advanced boom: "This feature is only available with the Premium Plus plan." Which, of course, costs even more.
What you thought was a clever money-saving move⌠turns out to be a well-disguised upsell funnel.
đ§ "Cheaper" doesn't mean "better"
The mistake we all make is comparing price without considering value.
Sure, Mamouth.ia or ChatLLM.abacus.ai may seem cheaper. But youâre not getting GPT-4 Turbo or Claude 3.5. In many cases, youâre getting:
- Weaker open-source models disguised as "premium"
- Throttled access to actual LLMs
- Poor UI/UX
- And a lack of transparency that should make anyone nervous
Even when real models are used, the experience is subpar laggy, buggy, frustrating.
â My advice: Don't fall for the illusion of value
Iâm not saying these platforms are entirely useless.
If youâre experimenting casually, summarizing emails, or writing basic content, they can be decent.
But if you're a developer, builder, writer, or anyone who depends on AI tools, youâll end up losing:
- Time
- Focus
- And money
Youâd be far better off paying for one high-quality service that does what it promises.
Have you tested these platforms? Maybe I got unlucky or maybe I'm not the only one who got fooled.
Would love to hear your experience in the comments.
Let's stop being ripped off and swindled.
Top comments (0)