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claude-code-ultimate-guide/guide/diagrams/09-cost-and-optimization.md
Florian BRUNIAUX 2874eee382 docs(diagrams): add budget modifier to model selection decision flow 
Le diagramme assumait implicitement un budget illimité (Max/API).
Ajout d'un budget modifier table et community pattern basé sur le
feedback de Frédéric Camblor (Teams Standard $25/mo: Sonnet plan → Haiku impl).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-02-23 11:33:23 +01:00

338 lines
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---
title: "Claude Code — Cost & Optimization Diagrams"
description: "Model selection, cost optimization, subscription tiers, token reduction strategies"
tags: [cost, optimization, models, tokens, subscription]
---
# 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.
```mermaid
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 $25/mo): Sonnet for Plan → Haiku for Implementation. Same quality output on mechanical tasks at a fraction of the cost.*
<details>
<summary>ASCII version</summary>
```
Task complexity?
├─ Simple (typos, format, rename) → Haiku 4.5 ($ — ~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)
```
</details>
> **Source**: [Model Selection](../ultimate-guide.md#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.
```mermaid
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%"
```
<details>
<summary>ASCII version</summary>
```
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
```
</details>
> **Source**: [Cost Optimization](../ultimate-guide.md#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.
```mermaid
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"
```
<details>
<summary>ASCII version</summary>
```
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
```
</details>
> **Source**: [Subscription Tiers](../ultimate-guide.md#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.
```mermaid
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"
```
<details>
<summary>ASCII version</summary>
```
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
```
</details>
> **Source**: [Token Optimization](../ultimate-guide.md#token-optimization) — Line ~13355
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