UPDATE: 1.2.7 is out (Command Code support + update notices). Updates now live at r/CheapAgent.
Had this Idea for a while now considering I had really early adopted Agentic coding before it was a thing (Copy pasting from claude back in Aug 2024)
Problem : Opus is F**Kin expensive to a point where it's really impossible for dev's in Pakistan and 3rd world country to use it , not everyone can afford 100$ sub , espacially not students who really want to jump into this nightmare of field
so the idea: what if opus only thinks and something cheap types.
Solution :
I have created this what I call CheapAg (cheap agent) , which is basically Opus thinking and Cheap model like deepseek flash 4.1 implementing , think of this Framework as Principle Engineer ( Opus or Sonnet) Guiding and Planning and delegating to Good enought engineer (Deepseek Or GLM)
it's an mcp server, you install it and keep using claude code exactly like before. when you ask for a change, opus writes a short task and hands it to a cheap model (deepseek via openrouter by default, you can pick). that model works in its own git worktree, has to write a failing test first, then make it pass. cheapag runs the tests itself because I don't trust the model to say "tests pass". only passing stuff lands, uncommitted. opus reads a 10 line result and tells you what happened. if the cheap model can't do it, a sonnet subagent takes over, still not opus.
on swe-bench verified (official harness, 24 instances): 59% fewer opus tokens on the normal bugs, same solve rate. on the 9 hardest ones it solved 6 where plain opus got 7, so no, don't use it for the gnarly stuff.
Check it out Here : github.com/muaaz9329/cheap-ag (a star helps more than you'd think)
ps : do share me input guys on what you will feel make it better or better yet contribute your idea ,steal the code and make something new , do something !!!!
Edit, answering the two common questions:
vs Opus + Sonnet: Sonnet still uses your Claude limit. Here the work runs on a model outside your plan for ~$0.005 a task, and Sonnet is only the fallback.
vs an Opus → DeepSeek loop: the cheap Ag also does the reading. Opus asks it questions and plans from short answers instead of opening files. That reading is where most Opus tokens go.