tools-only 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. Using the right model for the right task cuts costs by 5-10x without sacrificing quality.
This diagram assumes an unconstrained budget (Max/API). On tighter plans (Pro, Teams Standard), apply the budget modifier below.
flowchart TD
A([Task to complete]) --> B{Task complexity?}
B -->|Simple| C["Simple tasks:<br/>typo fixes, renames,<br/>formatting, translations"]
C --> D([Haiku 4.5<br/>💰 Cheapest, fastest<br/>~$0.80/MTok input])
B -->|Standard| E["Standard tasks:<br/>feature implementation,<br/>bug fixes, refactoring"]
E --> F([Sonnet 4.5/4.6<br/>💰💰 Balanced<br/>~$3/MTok input])
B -->|Complex| G{Needs deep<br/>reasoning?}
G -->|Yes| H["Complex tasks:<br/>architecture decisions,<br/>security review,<br/>multi-file analysis"]
H --> I([Opus 4.6 / Sonnet + --think-hard<br/>💰💰💰 Most capable<br/>~$15/MTok input])
G -->|No: just large| J["Large but clear tasks:<br/>big refactors,<br/>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 4.5/4.6"
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 4.6 / 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"
Budget modifier — On constrained plans, downgrade one tier per phase:
| Plan | Planning phase | Implementation phase |
|---|---|---|
| Max / API unconstrained | Opus | Sonnet |
| Pro / Teams Standard | Sonnet | Haiku (mechanical tasks) |
| API tight budget | Sonnet | Haiku |
Community pattern (Teams Standard $25/mo): Sonnet for Plan → Haiku for Implementation. Same quality output on mechanical tasks at a fraction of the cost.
Task complexity?
├─ Simple (typos, format, rename) → Haiku 4.5 ($ — ~5x cheaper)
├─ Standard (features, bugs) → Sonnet 4.5/4.6 ($$ — balanced)
└─ Complex (architecture, sec.)
├─ Needs deep reasoning? → Opus 4.6 ($$$ — most capable)
└─ Just large/clear? → Sonnet 4.6 ($$ — handles it)
Budget modifier (downgrade one tier on constrained plans):
Max/API → Opus plan, Sonnet impl
Pro/Teams → Sonnet plan, Haiku impl (mechanical tasks)
Source: 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.
flowchart TD
A([High token costs?]) --> B{Context<br/>too large?}
B -->|Yes| C(Use /compact<br/>or start fresh session)
C --> Z([Saves 40-60%<br/>per session])
B -->|No| D{Verbose<br/>responses?}
D -->|Yes| E(Add CLAUDE.md instruction:<br/>'Be concise, avoid explanations')
E --> Z2([Saves 20-30%])
D -->|No| F{Re-explaining<br/>context repeatedly?}
F -->|Yes| G(Move repeated context<br/>to CLAUDE.md)
G --> Z3([Saves 15-25%])
F -->|No| H{Using wrong<br/>model for task?}
H -->|Yes| I(Use Haiku for simple tasks<br/>See model selection tree)
I --> Z4([Saves 50-90%<br/>on simple tasks])
H -->|No| J{MCP server<br/>noisy output?}
J -->|Yes| K(Review MCP verbosity<br/>Filter tool output)
K --> Z5([Saves 10-20%])
J -->|No| L([Baseline cost<br/>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" "Saves 40-60%"
click Z2 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Saves 20-30%"
click Z3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Saves 15-25%"
click Z4 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Saves 50-90%"
click Z5 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Saves 10-20%"
High costs?
├─ Context too large? → /compact or new session (40-60% saving)
├─ Verbose responses? → CLAUDE.md: be concise (20-30% saving)
├─ Repeating context? → Move to CLAUDE.md (15-25% saving)
├─ Wrong model? → Use Haiku for simple tasks (50-90% saving)
├─ Noisy MCP output? → Filter tool output (10-20% saving)
└─ None of the above? → Baseline cost, acceptable
Source: 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.
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<br/>~1x baseline]
P3[Personal projects]
P4[❌ No parallel sessions<br/>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"
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 — Line ~1933
Token Reduction Strategies Pipeline
Multiple strategies stack for cumulative token savings. Apply them in order from highest impact to lowest effort.
flowchart LR
BASE([Baseline:<br/>100% tokens]) --> RTK
subgraph RTK["Strategy 1: RTK Proxy"]
R1[Raw CLI output<br/>→ filtered output]
R2["git status, cargo test,<br/>pnpm list → compressed"]
R3[Saves 60-90%<br/>on CLI commands]
end
RTK --> COMP
subgraph COMP["Strategy 2: /compact"]
C1[Long conversation<br/>→ summarized]
C2[Keep decisions,<br/>drop verbose reasoning]
C3[Saves 40-60%<br/>at checkpoint]
end
COMP --> CLAUDE_MD
subgraph CLAUDE_MD["Strategy 3: CLAUDE.md"]
CM1[Repeated context<br/>→ persistent instructions]
CM2[No re-explaining<br/>project conventions]
CM3[Saves 15-25%<br/>per session]
end
CLAUDE_MD --> MODEL
subgraph MODEL["Strategy 4: Model Selection"]
MO1[Haiku for simple tasks<br/>instead of Sonnet]
MO2[Same quality output<br/>at fraction of cost]
MO3[Saves 50-90%<br/>on simple tasks]
end
MODEL --> RESULT([Optimized:<br/>10-20% of baseline<br/>for typical usage])
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" "Saves 60-90% on CLI"
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" "Saves 40-60% at checkpoint"
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" "Saves 15-25% per session"
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" "Same quality at lower cost"
click MO3 href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#25-model-selection--thinking-guide" "Saves 50-90% on simple"
click RESULT href "https://github.com/FlorianBruniaux/claude-code-ultimate-guide/blob/main/guide/ultimate-guide.md#913-cost-optimization-strategies" "Optimized: 10-20% of baseline"
100% baseline
│
RTK proxy (CLI output compression) → -60-90% on CLI ops
│
/compact (conversation summarization) → -40-60% at checkpoint
│
CLAUDE.md (avoid repeated context) → -15-25% per session
│
Model selection (Haiku for simple) → -50-90% on simple tasks
│
~10-20% of baseline for typical usage
Source: Token Optimization — Line ~13355