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Posted on • Originally published at apivai.com

Best Cheap API for Cline, Aider & Roo Code (Save 90%)

#cline #aider #agents

Agentic coding tools are token-hungry

Cline, Aider, and Roo Code are excellent at multi-step edits, but agentic coding sends a lot of tokens — reading files, planning, retrying, and re-sending context. On official pricing that adds up fast. All three accept a custom OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoint, so you can route them through a discount gateway like APIVAI and keep the same workflow at a lower unit price.

The APIVAI base URL is https://api.apivai.com/v1. List models with /v1/models and pick one before configuring.

Cline (VS Code)

Cline supports an OpenAI-compatible provider in its settings:

  • API Provider: OpenAI Compatible
  • Base URL: https://api.apivai.com/v1
  • API Key: your APIVAI key
  • Model: an ID from /v1/models

Cline also works with Anthropic-style models; if you select an Anthropic provider, use the APIVAI endpoint and a Claude model ID. Start with a small task to confirm routing before a large refactor.

Aider (CLI)

Aider reads an OpenAI-compatible base URL and key from environment variables.

export OPENAI_API_BASE="https://api.apivai.com/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="YOUR_APIVAI_API_KEY"
aider --model claude-sonnet-4-6
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For Claude models, Aider routes them through the same OpenAI-compatible base URL when configured this way. Use a cheaper model for routine edits and escalate only when a change is hard.

Roo Code (VS Code)

Roo Code (a Cline fork) uses the same idea: choose the OpenAI Compatible provider, set the base URL to https://api.apivai.com/v1, paste your APIVAI key, and pick a model from /v1/models. Your existing Roo workflows and modes are unchanged.

Tips to keep agent costs down

  • Start agents on a mid or cheap model; only switch to a frontier model for genuinely hard steps.
  • Keep the working context tight — fewer files in context means fewer tokens per step.
  • Confirm the endpoint with a one-line task before letting an agent run a long plan.

Troubleshooting

  • 401: the key is missing or not saved in the tool's settings.
  • 404: the base URL is missing /v1 or includes it twice.
  • Model error: the configured model is not in the current /v1/models list — pick a returned ID.

Get started

Create an APIVAI key, set the OpenAI-compatible base URL in Cline, Aider, or Roo Code, choose a model from /v1/models, and run a small task. The same agent workflow now runs at a lower per-token cost.

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