Anthropic alternative
A cheaper Anthropic API, up to 55% off
FrugalDev is a drop-in Anthropic-compatible alternative to the Anthropic API. Call the same Claude models at up to 55% below list price — prepaid, no subscription, hard spend limits, $5 minimum.
Per-token pricing
USD / 1M tokens| Model | Input | Output | Cache R | Cache W | Official I/O | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5 | $4.53 | $22.63 | $0.46 | $5.67 | $10 / $50 | −55% |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | $2.27 | $11.32 | $0.23 | $2.83 | $5 / $25 | −55% |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | $2.27 | $11.32 | $0.23 | $2.83 | $5 / $25 | −55% |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | $2.27 | $11.32 | $0.23 | $2.83 | $5 / $25 | −55% |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $1.37 | $6.80 | $0.13 | $1.70 | $3 / $15 | −55% |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $0.46 | $2.27 | $0.046 | $0.57 | $1 / $5 | −55% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Anthropic API alternative?
FrugalDev resells the same Claude models at up to 55% below Anthropic's official list price. It's prepaid (from $5), has no subscription or seat fees, and works with the official Anthropic SDK.
Is it really compatible with the Anthropic SDK?
Yes. Point your existing Anthropic SDK at the FrugalDev base URL and pass your prepaid key — no code changes. You reach the same Claude models at a fraction of the cost.
Why is it cheaper than Anthropic directly?
FrugalDev aggregates demand across many developers and routes through optimized capacity, then passes the savings on. The models are the same frontier versions — you just pay a fraction of the per-token list price.