Unmasking the Hidden Costs of AI Coding Tools

Developers using multiple AI coding tools face a critical blind spot: aggregated billing hides which tasks, tools, and models actually consume costs. By implementing a local proxy (CliGate) for real-time cost tracking, the author discovered that intelligent routing—automatically redirecting simple tasks to free model alternatives—can dramatically reduce expenses without sacrificing capability. As AI becomes embedded in development workflows, cost visibility and smart model routing are emerging as competitive advantages in tool selection and ROI optimization.