Conclusion
- Best first low-cost routes: DeepSeek for reasoning/code loops and Qwen for China-friendly coding or long context.
- Use small/free models only for classification, summarization, and heartbeat checks — not every tool decision.
- Set hard spend caps, max turns, max retries, and per-agent daily budgets before running scheduled agents.
- A gateway becomes worthwhile when you need logs, fallback, model routing, and cost attribution across many agents.
What to do next
- Measure one real workflow: tokens in/out, tool-call count, retries, failed runs, and wall-clock duration.
- Route routine steps to a cheap model; reserve stronger models for planning, failed-test repair, and final review.
- Add stop conditions: max iterations, max tokens, max retry per tool, and daily spend cap per agent.
- Use OpenAI-compatible base_url settings so DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, or gateway routes can be switched without code rewrites.
- Track cost per successful task weekly; demote models that look cheap but cause extra retries or bad outputs.
Recommended paths
| Provider | Free / credits | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek | Current signup credit / low token pricing varies | Cheap reasoning and coding loops with careful retry caps |
| Qwen | Bailian signup credits vary | China-friendly long-context and coding-agent workflows |
| Zhipu GLM | Signup tokens / Flash route varies | Domestic fallback and lightweight agent steps |
| OpenRouter | Free models are rate limited | No-card experiments and fallback tests |
| OpenLLMAPI | Signup credit varies | One endpoint for routing, fallback, and spend visibility |
Global developer checklist
- Confirm whether signup, billing, and API keys work from your country before writing production code.
- Prefer OpenAI-compatible endpoints when you may need to switch models, regions, or providers later.
- Test free credits with a real smoke prompt and record latency, error shape, streaming behavior, and quota burn.
- Keep at least one fallback route for provider outages, model deprecations, and regional access changes.
Production handoff
Keep long-running agents inside budget
Put agent traffic behind one OpenAI-compatible endpoint with model routing, fallback, and spend attribution before autonomous loops run all day.
FAQ
Is the cheapest token price always best for agents?
No. Agents amplify retries and bad decisions. A model with a slightly higher token price can be cheaper if it finishes tasks with fewer loops.
What budget limits should a scheduled agent have?
Set max turns, max tokens per turn, daily spend cap, max retries per tool, and an alert when spend exceeds the expected baseline.
Can free APIs run production agents?
Usually not alone. Free routes are useful for smoke tests and low-risk steps, but production agents need predictable quotas, logs, and paid fallback.
When should I use a gateway?
Use a gateway when you run multiple agents, need provider fallback, or must attribute cost by user, feature, project, or workflow.