A cheap BYOK key for Cline

Cline runs on your own API key. Make it a cheap one — same models, drop-in OpenAI-compatible, a fraction of the per-token cost.

Get a cheap key

Cheaper per token

Open-weight models on cost-efficient infrastructure at a fixed USD margin — roughly 10× less than OpenRouter on the same model. Predictable rates, no monthly fee.

Drop-in OpenAI-compatible key

Pick the OpenAI Compatible provider in Cline, set the cheaptokens base URL and your key, and you're done. Pay-as-you-go from a USD balance topped up with USDT — ideal after subscription plans stopped covering third-party agents.

Drop-in: set provider + base URL

env

# Cline → Settings → API Provider: OpenAI Compatible
Base URL: https://api.cheaptokens.dev/v1
API Key:  YOUR_CHEAPTOKENS_KEY

Same model, a fraction of the price

Per-million-token rates versus OpenRouter on the same model.

Model	OpenRouter	cheaptokens	You save
MiniMax-M2.7	$0.24 / $0.96	$0.025 / $0.1	~10× cheaper
Kimi-K2.6	$0.66 / $3.41	$0.07 / $0.35	~9× cheaper

Same models. USD per 1M tokens (input / output). OpenRouter shown for comparison. · Open cost calculator

FAQ

Which Cline provider do I choose?

Pick the OpenAI-Compatible provider in Cline and paste our base URL and key — no plugin required.

Do Plan and Act modes keep working?

Yes — both modes use the same endpoint, so planning and execution run on the cheaper tokens.

Are large multi-file edits affected?

No — the full context window is available, so multi-file diffs behave the same.

Related use cases

For Cursor For Kilo Code For coding

Bring a cheaper key

Create an account, top up with USDT, and plug the key into Cline.

Get started

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Cline. Compatible via the standard OpenAI API.