Topic
A practical method for estimating what a coding agent will cost per month: measure tokens per session, split input from output, account for caching, multiply by working days. Worked through with DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Claude Sonnet 5.5 list prices.
OpenClaw and Hermes Agent keep working after you close the laptop, which is the point and also the risk. How to connect both to a pay-per-token gateway, cap what they can spend, and pick cheap, fast models for the jobs they actually do.
Agent loops re-send their whole context every turn, so a stuck one gets expensive fast. How to layer per-key monthly caps, model allow-lists, usage windows and alerts, poll your remaining budget from a script, and recognise the errors when a limit trips.
