Proxy
Open-source AI agent proxy that routes each request to the cheapest suitable model, cutting API costs up to 90%.
If you run Claude Code or similar agents and face Anthropic's per-token billing, RelayPlane is a no-cost must-have. It installs in seconds, cuts costs dramatically, and blocks runaway bills in real time. For teams needing SSO or managed hosting, look elsewhere.
Verified 1d ago · liveness 71/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/proxy
- Teams using Claude Code under Anthropic's per-token billing who need to stay within subscription caps
- Developers running multiple AI agents with per-tenant budget enforcement requirements
- Organizations wanting a local, open-source proxy with anomaly detection to prevent runaway agent costs
- Cost-conscious users of LLM-powered coding tools who want to route simple tasks to cheaper models automatically
- Users who prefer a fully managed cloud SaaS with no self-hosting burden
- Teams using exclusively GPT-4o or Gemini without Anthropic models (cost-saving potential is lower)
- Non-technical users not comfortable with CLI installation or environment variable configuration
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Skip RelayPlane if you need a fully managed cloud gateway with SSO, RBAC, and official support, or if you're non-technical and prefer a hosted solution without any self-hosting or CLI setup.
You must keep the machine running the proxy always on; if it goes down, your agents lose API access
RelayPlane is free (MIT-licensed) with no paid tiers, making it a zero-cost option for cost-conscious teams. It compares favorably to managed gateways like LiteLLM (which has paid tiers) and Helicone (which charges per event), so it's a budget-friendly choice for startups and individual developers.
In short
Proxy — Open-source AI agent proxy that routes each request to the cheapest suitable model, cutting API costs up to 90%. Best for Teams using Claude Code under Anthropic's per-token billing who need to stay within subscription caps, Developers running multiple AI agents with per-tenant budget enforcement requirements, Organizations wanting a local, open-source proxy with anomaly detection to prevent runaway agent costs. Free to use.
What's new in Proxy
Checked yesterdayAcross the latest 5 updates: 5 changelog entries.
v1.9.39: Live cost ticker shipped end-to-end
Added 'relayplane watch' CLI subcommand with live cost ticker, backed by new /v1/stats/live endpoint, works fully local.
v1.9.38: Claim-nudge
Auto-initiates device-auth flow at 100-request threshold to convert anonymous users to workspace members.
v1.9.37: Cost-reframe positioning
Homepage hero pivot to cost-reframe positioning; pricing alignment; internal watch CLI scaffolding added.
v1.9.36: TokenPool credential quarantine
Evicts credentials after 2 consecutive 401s, ensuring next request uses a known-good token.
v1.9.35: Internal watch-command module
Added internal watch-command module to CLI for live cost ticker; not yet exposed as subcommand.
What people actually say about Proxy — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
105 mentions across 6 sources (Hacker News, Product Hunt, App Store, Bluesky, Stack Overflow, Lemmy) · researched Jul 6, 2026.
- +Open-source MIT license allows full code transparency and customization.
- +Local proxy adds zero latency overhead (~6ms) and no cloud dependency.
- +Smart model routing cuts API costs by assigning cheaper models to simple tasks.
- +Multi-credential pool avoids rate limits by round-robining across keys.
- +Anomaly detection catches token explosions and repetition loops automatically.
- −No community feedback available to verify claimed features or reliability.
- −Telemetry on by default may conflict with local-first privacy expectations.
- −Response cache is exact-match only, limiting benefit for varied prompts.
- −Dashboard requires localhost access; no cloud monitoring option.
- −Potential credential leakage if proxy is exposed on a network.
- • Self-hosting infrastructure (server, networking, maintenance)
- • Potential API costs if using paid model keys through the proxy
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is Proxy? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: September 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Task classification and routing (simple/agentic/judgment)
- Multi-credential pool with round-robin across Pro, Max, API keys
- Quota-aware failover before credential caps hit
- Anomaly detection in sliding window (velocity, token explosion, repetition)
- Hard budget caps per agent/tenant/day with block/downgrade/warn/alert actions
- Auto-downgrade to cheaper model on budget threshold
- Credential quarantine after 2 consecutive 401s
- Live cost dashboard at localhost:4100
- CLI watch subcommand 'relayplane watch' with real-time spend ticker
- Per-agent cost tracking via system-prompt fingerprinting
- Tamper-proof, exportable audit trail
- Anthropic prompt-caching-aware accounting
- Response cache (SHA-256 keyed, exact-match, gzipped disk)
- Emergency kill endpoint (POST /admin/kill)
- Rate limiting (per-model 1-minute sliding windows)
About Proxy
RelayPlane is an open-source, MIT-licensed proxy that sits between your AI agents and LLM providers, intercepting every API call to slash costs without rewriting code. It classifies each request as simple, agentic, or judgment, routing routine work (scoring, dedup, voice checks) to $0.10 models like Haiku or Groq, while keeping frontier work on Opus or Sonnet. With 11 providers supported and claimed savings of up to 90% on routine-heavy pipelines, it's built for teams using coding agents like Claude Code, Cursor, or OpenClaw who need to control spend under Anthropic's June 2026 per-token billing shift. The proxy runs locally, processing requests in under 6 ms, and requires just one environment variable (ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:4100). Key features include a multi-credential pool that round-robins across Pro, Max, and API keys, quota-aware failover that shifts traffic before 429s, and anomaly detection in a sliding 100-request window to catch velocity spikes, token explosions (like a 72,900-token loop), and repetition. Hard budget caps per agent, tenant, or day let you configure actions like block, downgrade, warn, or alert. The live dashboard at localhost:4100 shows per-agent spend, model distribution, and cost guardrails—no telemetry, no login. An audit trail is tamper-proof and exportable. RelayPlane is free and MIT-licensed, with no paid tiers, making a rare zero-cost option in the AI gateway space, though you own the hosting burden. Unlike managed cloud gateways like LiteLLM or Helicone, RelayPlane prioritizes privacy and control, but lacks SSO, RBAC, and official support. It's best for technical teams comfortable with CLI setup who want to cut agent costs significantly without ongoing fees.
Behind the Verdict
RelayPlane is a rare tool that delivers on its core promise: significant cost savings on AI agent API bills, with zero monetary cost. It's a local proxy that classifies requests and routes them to the cheapest suitable model, and the numbers are compelling—up to 90% savings on routine-heavy pipelines, with typical savings of 40-60%. The setup is genuinely simple: one command to install, one environment variable to point your agent at, and you're done. It works with any tool that speaks the OpenAI or Anthropic API, including Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw, and Aider. What sets it apart from cloud gateways like LiteLLM or Helicone is privacy and control: everything runs locally, no telemetry by default, no mandatory cloud login, and no per-seat fees. It's also feature-rich for a free tool: budget caps with configurable actions, anomaly detection to catch runaway loops, a multi-credential pool with failover, and a live dashboard. The development pace is notable—frequent releases add features like the live cost ticker (`relayplane watch`) and credential quarantine. However, it's not for everyone. The local deployment means you must keep the host machine running and accessible. There's no SSO, RBAC, or official support, so it's not an enterprise solution. Savings depend on your traffic mix; if you mostly do complex reasoning, you won't see the 90% figure. And while the proxy handles many tasks, it's not a replacement for a fully managed API gateway with compliance guarantees. Overall, for technically savvy teams that want to cut costs and control spend, RelayPlane is a must-try—especially given it's free. Just be prepared to handle your own hosting and monitoring.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Proxy actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
You use Claude Code daily and notice your API bill is high. You install RelayPlane, set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to localhost:4100, and configure simple tasks to route to Haiku.
Outcome: Your simple requests cost 60x less, and you see an immediate reduction in your monthly bill without changing your workflow.
You run several AI agents for different tasks and need to control costs per agent. You set daily budget caps, enable anomaly detection, and configure alert actions.
Outcome: You catch a runaway loop before it burns your budget; the proxy blocks further requests and alerts you, saving you from a $40/hour surprise.
You need to control costs but avoid sending data to third-party cloud gateways. You deploy RelayPlane locally, with no telemetry or cloud login.
Outcome: Your LLM calls stay on-prem, you get detailed cost tracking, and you maintain full privacy and control.
Use Cases
- Route simple classification and scoring tasks to Haiku or GPT-4o-mini, cutting costs by 60x compared to Opus
- Pool multiple Anthropic Pro and Max credentials to stay under per-subscription quota caps and avoid 429 errors
- Set a daily hard budget cap per agent to stop runaway agent bills that can reach $40/hour in API costs
- Monitor real-time cost per model and per agent via the local dashboard without telemetry or cloud login
- Enable anomaly detection to auto-kill agents stuck in repetition loops consuming tens of thousands of tokens
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-09-01
Limitations
- RelayPlane runs locally by default, so the machine hosting the proxy must remain on and accessible to agents.
- The maximum cost savings depend on the mix of simple vs. complex tasks in your traffic; typical savings are reported as 40-60%, with the potential for up to 90%.
- Budget enforcement and anomaly detection are configurable but rely on proxy-side token counting, which may differ from provider billing.
- The free tier includes all features; no paid tier is required.
as of 2026-09-02
Verification history
We have re-verified Proxy 8 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Showing the 6 most recent of 8 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Proxy tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Open Source
$0
Ideal for
Solo developers, startups, and teams wanting a zero-cost, self-hosted proxy for AI agent cost control
What this tier adds
Free, MIT-licensed, includes all features: budget caps, anomaly detection, all providers, no paywalls.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Proxy's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
RelayPlane is free (MIT-licensed) with no paid tiers, making it a zero-cost option for cost-conscious teams. It compares favorably to managed gateways like LiteLLM (which has paid tiers) and Helicone (which charges per event), so it's a budget-friendly choice for startups and individual developers.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Proxy — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
RelayPlane installs in under 30 seconds (npm install -g @relayplane/proxy) and starts with one command. You can be routing traffic within 3 minutes, including setting the environment variable. The dashboard is immediately available at localhost:4100.
Switching to or from Proxy
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From LiteLLM: point your base URL to localhost:4100 and remove the old gateway config; RelayPlane speaks OpenAI/Anthropic APIs
- ↗To a managed gateway like Helicone: export your request logs from RelayPlane and configure the new gateway with the same API keys
Integrations
Resources & Guides
- Documentationrelayplane.com
Docs · Proxy
Full product docs from relayplane.com
- Documentationrelayplane.com
Installation · Proxy
Full product docs from relayplane.com
- Documentationrelayplane.com
Openclaw Setup · Proxy
Full product docs from relayplane.com
- Documentationrelayplane.com
Cost Optimization · Proxy
Full product docs from relayplane.com
- Documentationrelayplane.com
Providers · Proxy
Full product docs from relayplane.com
Tutorials & Learning
Official links
Tools that pair well with Proxy
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Proxy, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Proxy vs Spider Cloud
If you're running AI coding agents like Claude Code and want to slash API costs while keeping full data control, Proxy is the clear choice — it's free, open-source, and actively adding cost-tracking features. If you need real-time web data for RAG or agent workflows, Spider Cloud's high-speed Rust crawling and AI extraction (including new Browser AI commands) are more relevant. The two tools solve different problems: Proxy optimizes LLM spend, Spider Cloud feeds agents with fresh external content.
Proxy vs Presto Voice
Presto Voice and Proxy are incomparable in purpose and audience. Presto Voice is a specialized enterprise voice AI for QSR drive-thrus, while Proxy is an open-source cost-saving tool for LLM developers. Your choice depends on whether you run a chain of fast-food restaurants or manage AI agent costs.
Proxy vs Temporal Ai
Temporal AI and Proxy serve completely different needs: Temporal is for building resilient, long-running workflows that survive failures, while Proxy slashes LLM API costs via smart routing and budget caps. Choose Temporal if you need durable AI agent pipelines; choose Proxy if your primary pain point is runaway LLM costs.
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MakeHub.ai
OpenAI-compatible API gateway that routes each request to the cheapest and fastest LLM provider.
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