Cheaper is a gateway that speaks two protocols — the Anthropic Messages API and the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API — so any tool that lets you set a custom base URL can route through it and get cheaper-by-default model selection.
The rule of thumb: if a tool exposes a base URL (or "custom endpoint") setting, point it at
your running gateway (http://localhost:8787) using the matching protocol below. Your own
API key still flows straight through to the provider.
Set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787.
Point the tool's OpenAI base URL at http://localhost:8787 (endpoint
/v1/chat/completions).
Coverage depends on the tool, not on Cheaper:
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Tool lets you set an Anthropic or OpenAI base URL | Fully routed + monitored |
| Tool speaks a native, non-OpenAI protocol (e.g. Google Gemini) with no compat mode | Needs a protocol adapter (planned) |
| Tool hard-codes its endpoint with no custom base URL | Not routable by any proxy |
Tool names are the vendors' marks, listed to show interoperability. Exact settings (env var vs. config file) differ per tool — check each tool's own docs for where to set the base URL. Where a tool only speaks a provider protocol Cheaper doesn't yet translate, an adapter is on the roadmap; the Anthropic and OpenAI-compatible front-ends ship today.