modbender Clawd Throttle
Route every LLM request to the cheapest model that can handle it. Stop paying Opus prices for "hello" and "summarize this."
Supports 8 providers and 25+ models: Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), OpenAI (GPT / o-series), xAI (Grok), DeepSeek, Moonshot (Kimi), Mistral, and Ollama (local).
How It Works
- Your prompt arrives
- The classifier scores it on 8 dimensions (token count, code presence, reasoning markers, simplicity indicators, multi-step patterns, question count, system prompt complexity, conversation depth) in under 1 millisecond
- The router maps the resulting tier (simple / standard / complex) to a model based on your active mode and configured providers
- The request is proxied to the correct API
- The routing decision and cost are logged to a local JSONL file
Routing Modes
| Mode | Simple | Standard | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| eco | Grok 4.1 Fast | Gemini Flash | Haiku |
| standard | Grok 4.1 Fast | Haiku | Sonnet |
| gigachad | Haiku | Sonnet | Opus 4.6 |
Each cell shows the first-choice model. The router tries a preference list and falls through to the next available provider if the first is not configured.
Available Commands
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
route_request |
Send a prompt and get a response from the cheapest capable model |
classify_prompt |
Analyze prompt complexity without making an LLM call |
get_routing_stats |
View cost savings and model distribution stats |
get_config |
View current configuration (keys redacted) |
set_mode |
Change routing mode at runtime |
get_recent_routing_log |
Inspect recent routing decisions |
Overrides
- Heartbeats and summaries always route to the cheapest model
- Type
/opus,/sonnet,/haiku,/flash, or/grok-fastto force a specific model - Sub-agent calls automatically step down one tier from their parent
Setup
- Get at least one API key (Anthropic or Google required; others optional):
- Anthropic: https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys
- Google AI: https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
- xAI: https://console.x.ai
- OpenAI: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
- DeepSeek: https://platform.deepseek.com
- Moonshot: https://platform.moonshot.cn
- Mistral: https://console.mistral.ai
- Run the setup script:
npm run setup - Choose your routing mode (eco / standard / gigachad)
Privacy
- Prompt content is never stored. Only a SHA-256 hash is logged.
- All data stays local in ~/.config/clawd-throttle/
- API keys stored in your local config file