--- title: "Claude Code: Cost & Optimization Diagrams" description: "Model selection, cost optimization, subscription tiers, token reduction strategies" tags: [cost, optimization, models, tokens, subscription] --- # Cost & Optimization How to get maximum value from Claude Code while controlling token consumption and costs. --- ### Model Selection Decision Flow Not all tasks need the most powerful model. A lower-cost model saves money only when it passes the same task acceptance gate without increasing retries, review, or rework. > **This diagram assumes an unconstrained budget (Max/API).** On tighter plans (Pro, Teams Standard), apply the budget modifier below. ```mermaid flowchart TD A([Task to complete]) --> B{Task complexity?} B -->|Simple| C["Simple tasks:
typo fixes, renames,
formatting, translations"] C --> D([Haiku 4.5
💰 Lower public token rate
~2x cheaper than Sonnet 5]) B -->|Standard| E["Standard tasks:
feature implementation,
bug fixes, refactoring"] E --> F([Sonnet 5
💰💰 Balanced candidate
Validate on your task set]) B -->|Complex| G{Needs deep
reasoning?} G -->|Yes| H["Complex tasks:
architecture decisions,
security review,
multi-file analysis"] H --> I([Opus 5: Maximum capability
Opus 4.8: Deep analysis (prev. gen)
💰💰💰 Higher public token rate
~2.5x Sonnet 5]) G -->|No: just large| J["Large but clear tasks:
big refactors,
doc generation"] J --> F style A fill:#F5E6D3,color:#333 style B fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style G fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style D fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style F fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff style I fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style C fill:#B8B8B8,color:#333 style E fill:#B8B8B8,color:#333 style H fill:#B8B8B8,color:#333 style J fill:#B8B8B8,color:#333 click A href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Task to complete" click B href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Task complexity?" click C href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Simple tasks" click D href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Haiku 4.5" click E href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Standard tasks" click F href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Sonnet 5" click G href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Needs deep reasoning?" click H href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Complex tasks" click I href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Opus 5 / Sonnet + --think-hard" click J href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Large but clear tasks" ``` > **Pricing**: Ratios use the public API token rates recorded in [AI Unit Economics](../ops/ai-unit-economics.md#2-building-a-cost-per-accepted-task), verified 2026-08-31. Recheck [Anthropic pricing](https://www.anthropic.com/pricing) before a purchasing decision. **Budget modifier** (on constrained plans, downgrade one tier per phase): | Plan | Planning phase | Implementation phase | |------|---------------|---------------------| | **Max / API unconstrained (xhigh)** | Opus 5 | Sonnet | | **Max / API unconstrained** | Opus 5 | Sonnet | | **Pro / Teams Standard** | Sonnet | Haiku (mechanical tasks) | | **API tight budget** | Sonnet | Haiku | > *Community pattern (Teams Standard $25/mo): Sonnet for planning, then Haiku for mechanical implementation. Validate this split on repeated internal tasks before treating quality as equivalent.*
ASCII version ``` Task complexity? ├─ Simple (typos, format, rename) → Haiku 4.5 ($ ~2x cheaper than Sonnet 5) ├─ Standard (features, bugs) → Sonnet 5 ($$ validate on your task set) └─ Complex (architecture, sec.) ├─ Needs deep reasoning? → Opus 5 (xhigh) ($$$ ~2.5x Sonnet 5) └─ Just large/clear? → Sonnet 5 ($$ handles it) Budget modifier (downgrade one tier on constrained plans): Max/API (xhigh) → Opus 5 plan, Sonnet impl Max/API → Opus 5 plan, Sonnet impl Pro/Teams → Sonnet plan, Haiku impl (mechanical tasks) ```
> **Source**: [Model Selection](../ultimate-guide.md#model-selection) (Line ~2634) --- ### Cost Optimization Decision Tree High token costs are usually fixable. This systematic tree identifies the root cause and points to the right fix for each waste pattern. ```mermaid flowchart TD A([High token costs?]) --> B{Context
too large?} B -->|Yes| C(Use /compact
or start fresh session) C --> Z([Shrinks repeated
conversation input]) B -->|No| D{Verbose
responses?} D -->|Yes| E(Add CLAUDE.md instruction:
'Be concise, avoid explanations') E --> Z2([Reduces expensive
output tokens]) D -->|No| F{Re-explaining
context repeatedly?} F -->|Yes| G(Move repeated context
to CLAUDE.md) G --> Z3([Stabilizes reusable
context]) F -->|No| H{Using wrong
model for task?} H -->|Yes| I(Use Haiku for simple tasks
See model selection tree) I --> Z4([Cuts model rate only if
the quality gate still passes]) H -->|No| J{MCP server
noisy output?} J -->|Yes| K(Review MCP verbosity
Filter tool output) K --> Z5([Shrinks recurring
tool context]) J -->|No| L([Baseline cost
acceptable]) style A fill:#F5E6D3,color:#333 style B fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style D fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style F fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style H fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style J fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style Z fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style Z2 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style Z3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style Z4 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style Z5 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style L fill:#B8B8B8,color:#333 click A href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "High token costs?" click B href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Context too large?" click C href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Use /compact or start fresh" click D href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Verbose responses?" click E href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Add CLAUDE.md instruction" click F href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Re-explaining context?" click G href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Move context to CLAUDE.md" click H href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Wrong model?" click I href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Use Haiku for simple tasks" click J href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Noisy MCP output?" click K href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Review MCP verbosity" click L href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Baseline cost acceptable" click Z href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Shrink repeated conversation input" click Z2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Reduce output tokens" click Z3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Stabilize reusable context" click Z4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Use a cheaper model after validation" click Z5 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Shrink recurring tool context" ```
ASCII version ``` High costs? ├─ Context too large? → /compact or new session (less repeated input) ├─ Verbose responses? → CLAUDE.md: be concise (less output) ├─ Repeating context? → Move to CLAUDE.md (stable reusable prefix) ├─ Wrong model? → Test a cheaper model (same acceptance gate) ├─ Noisy MCP output? → Filter tool output (less recurring context) └─ None of the above? → Baseline cost, acceptable ```
> **Effort slider**: `/effort xlow/low/default/high/xhigh` (v2.1.111) lets you tune thinking depth per task. Lower effort = fewer tokens consumed on thinking. Combine with model selection for fine-grained cost control. > **Source**: [Cost Optimization](../ultimate-guide.md#cost-optimization) (Line ~8878) --- ### Subscription Tiers: What Each Unlocks Different tiers unlock different Claude Code capabilities. Knowing the limits helps you plan usage and justify upgrades. ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph FREE["Free Tier"] F1[Claude.ai web only] F2[Limited messages/day] F3[❌ No Claude Code CLI] F4[❌ No parallel sessions] end subgraph PRO["Pro ($20/mo)"] P1[Claude Code CLI ✓] P2[Limited usage
~1x baseline] P3[Personal projects] P4[❌ No parallel sessions
out of the box] end subgraph MAX["Max ($100-200/mo)"] M1[Claude Code CLI ✓] M2[5x-20x more usage] M3[Parallel sessions ✓] M4[Priority access ✓] end subgraph TEAM["Team / Enterprise"] T1[Per-seat pricing] T2[Admin controls ✓] T3[Usage analytics ✓] T4[SSO + compliance ✓] T5[Audit logs ✓] end style F3 fill:#E85D5D,color:#fff style F4 fill:#E85D5D,color:#fff style P4 fill:#E87E2F,color:#fff style P1 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style M1 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style M2 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style M3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style M4 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style T1 fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff style T2 fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff style T3 fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff style T4 fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff style T5 fill:#6DB3F2,color:#fff click F1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Free: Claude.ai web only" click F2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Free: Limited messages" click F3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Free: No CLI" click F4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Free: No parallel sessions" click P1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Pro: Claude Code CLI" click P2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Pro: Limited usage" click P3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Pro: Personal projects" click P4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Pro: No parallel sessions" click M1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Max: Claude Code CLI" click M2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Max: 5x-20x usage" click M3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Max: Parallel sessions" click M4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Max: Priority access" click T1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Team: Per-seat pricing" click T2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Team: Admin controls" click T3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Team: Usage analytics" click T4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Team: SSO + compliance" click T5 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Team: Audit logs" ```
ASCII version ``` FREE PRO ($20) MAX ($100-200) TEAM/Enterprise ──── ───────── ────────────── ─────────────── Web only CLI ✓ CLI ✓ Per-seat Limited msgs Limited usage 5-20x usage Admin controls No CLI Personal use Parallel ✓ Analytics No parallel Priority ✓ SSO + compliance ```
> **Source**: [Subscription Tiers](../ultimate-guide.md#subscription-tiers) (Line ~1933) --- ### Token Reduction Strategies Pipeline Multiple strategies can reduce the same token classes, so their advertised percentages cannot be multiplied. Apply them one at a time, measure the interaction, and retain only the changes that reduce cost per accepted task. ```mermaid flowchart LR BASE([Baseline:
100% tokens]) --> RTK subgraph RTK["Strategy 1: RTK Proxy"] R1[Raw CLI output
→ filtered output] R2["git status, cargo test,
pnpm list → compressed"] R3[Reported reduction on
supported CLI output] end RTK --> COMP subgraph COMP["Strategy 2: /compact"] C1[Long conversation
→ summarized] C2[Keep decisions,
drop verbose reasoning] C3[Reduces future
history input] end COMP --> CLAUDE_MD subgraph CLAUDE_MD["Strategy 3: CLAUDE.md"] CM1[Repeated context
→ persistent instructions] CM2[No re-explaining
project conventions] CM3[Creates a stable
reusable prefix] end CLAUDE_MD --> MODEL subgraph MODEL["Strategy 4: Model Selection"] MO1[Haiku for simple tasks
instead of Sonnet] MO2[Compare on the same
acceptance gate] MO3[Lower model rate
after validation] end MODEL --> RESULT([Measure:
cost per accepted task
before and after]) style BASE fill:#E85D5D,color:#fff style R3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style C3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style CM3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style MO3 fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 style RESULT fill:#7BC47F,color:#333 click BASE href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Baseline: 100% tokens" click R1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Raw CLI output filtered" click R2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "RTK commands" click R3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Reported reduction on supported CLI output" click C1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Long conversation summarized" click C2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Keep decisions" click C3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Reduce future history input" click CM1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#31-memory-files-claudemd" "Repeated context persistent" click CM2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#31-memory-files-claudemd" "No re-explaining conventions" click CM3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Create a stable reusable prefix" click MO1 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Haiku for simple tasks" click MO2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Compare on the same acceptance gate" click MO3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Lower model rate after validation" click RESULT href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Measure cost per accepted task" ```
ASCII version ``` 100% baseline │ RTK proxy (CLI output compression) → smaller supported command output │ /compact (conversation summarization) → less history in later turns │ CLAUDE.md (stable project context) → reusable prompt prefix │ Model selection (cheaper candidate) → keep only if acceptance stays stable │ Measure total cost per accepted task before and after ```
> **Track usage**: Use `/usage` to monitor token consumption and costs (replaces `/cost` as of v2.1.118; `/cost` remains a valid alias). > **Source**: [Token Optimization](../ultimate-guide.md#token-optimization) (Line ~13355)