Tokens vs Anthropic API (Claude)
Anthropic's API has Claude at list price, a half-price Batch API and first-party tools. Tokens puts Claude next to other providers on one BDT-billed key.
Going direct to Anthropic gives you Claude Sonnet 5.5 at $2 / $10 per million tokens, the Batch API at half that, prompt caching, server-side tools such as web search and code execution, and options like US-only inference. Anthropic bills in USD: major credit cards for standard accounts, invoicing for enterprise customers. Tokens exposes an Anthropic-compatible endpoint at https://tokens.bd, so Claude Code and the Anthropic SDK work after a base-URL change, and the same key also reaches GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM and Qwen. Tokens does not offer a batch endpoint. Choose Anthropic directly for Claude-only work, batch jobs or first-party features. Choose Tokens when a USD card is the obstacle, or when you want several providers, per-key spend caps and one bill.
Tokens
- Pricing model
- Prepaid plan or USD wallet, paid in BDT; per-model prices in USD and BDT on /models
- Payment methods
- Invoice via billing portal
- Currencies
- USD and BDT
- Model prices
- Live in the model catalog, in BDT and USD
Anthropic API (Claude)
- Pricing model
- Pay per token in USD at list price; Batch API 50% off; cache reads at 0.1x input; US-only inference at 1.1x
- Payment methods
- Major credit cards (USD), Invoicing (enterprise customers)
- Prices checked
- 3 Oct 2026
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 (per 1M tokens, in / out)
- $2.00 / $10.00
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 cache read (per 1M tokens)
- $0.20
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 Batch API (per 1M tokens, in / out)
- $1.00 / $5.00
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 5-minute cache write (per 1M tokens)
- $2.50
Side by side
A tick marks the better option for that row. Some rows go to the other side.
| Topic | Tokens | Anthropic API (Claude) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Set per model by Tokens; see /models | Anthropic's list price, with no long-context surcharge on the 1M window |
| Batch processing | Not supported (no batches endpoint) | Batch API at 50% off input and output |
| Paying from Bangladesh | BDT invoice through the billing portal | Credit card in USD. Bangladesh Bank FE Circular 26 (2019) limits international-card online payments to USD 300 per transaction, OTAF each time |
| Providers on one key | Claude plus GPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Qwen and others | Claude models only |
| First-party features | Anthropic Messages format at https://tokens.bd; no Anthropic-specific extras documented | Server tools (web search, code execution), Managed Agents, data residency via inference_geo |
| Claude Code setup | Set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://tokens.bd and your key, or run the setup CLI | Works by default with an Anthropic key |
| Network path | One extra gateway hop | Direct to the model maker |
| Spend control | Monthly cap and model allow-list per key; alerts at 50/75/90/100% | Usage tiers with rate limits; usage tracking in the Claude Console |
Choose Tokens when
- Pay a BDT invoice instead of a USD credit card.
- Use Claude in Claude Code and the same key for GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek or Kimi in other tools.
- Per-key monthly spend caps and model allow-lists, set when you create the key.
- One command writes the Claude Code settings and backs up ~/.claude/settings.json first.
Choose Anthropic API (Claude) when
- Anthropic's list price is the floor, and its Batch API halves it; Tokens has no batch endpoint.
- Server tools, Managed Agents and data-residency options belong to Anthropic's own API.
- Adds a gateway hop and one more party in the data path (Tokens does not store prompt or response content).
Switch your client
Point the client at Tokens and swap the key. Your code and agent setup stay the same.
bash
# Claude Code: put these in the "env" block of ~/.claude/settings.json, or export them export TOKENS_API_KEY=tok_live_your_key export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://tokens.bd # default was https://api.anthropic.com export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=$TOKENS_API_KEY # Find the Claude Sonnet 5.5 id your key can call, then set it curl -s https://tokens.bd/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKENS_API_KEY" | grep -i claude export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="anthropic/claude-sonnet-5.5" # replace with the exact id from the list # Or let the CLI write the settings file (backed up first) curl -fsSL https://tokens.bd/cli/tokens.mjs -o tokens.mjs && node tokens.mjs setup --base-url https://tokens.bd --agents claude
Other comparisons
- Tokens vsAlibaba Cloud Qwen API (Model Studio)Alibaba Model Studio sets Qwen's list prices, with regional rates and input-length tiers. Tokens bills Qwen in BDT beside other providers.
- Tokens vsCommand CodeCommand Code is a coding agent sold with credit plans from $1/month. Tokens is a gateway, paid in BDT, for the agents you already use.
- Tokens vsDeepSeek APIDeepSeek's own API sets the list price for its models and halves it off-peak. Tokens adds BDT billing and other providers on the same key.
- Tokens vsGoogle Gemini APIGoogle's Gemini API has a free tier, Batch at half price and Search grounding. Tokens serves Gemini Flash in OpenAI and Anthropic formats, billed in BDT.
- Tokens vsMoonshot Kimi APIMoonshot sells Kimi K3 and K2.x at flat prices in OpenAI and Anthropic formats. Tokens adds BDT billing and other providers on the same key.
- Tokens vsOpenAI APIOpenAI's API has GPT at list price with Batch and Flex at half price. Tokens puts GPT beside Claude, Gemini and open models on one key billed in BDT.
- Tokens vsOpenCode ZenZen sells tested coding models at cost plus card fees, and OpenCode Go adds $10 and $40 plans. Tokens bills in BDT with one base URL per API format.
- Tokens vsOpenRouterOpenRouter has the larger catalog, free models and fine routing controls. Tokens lets you pay in BDT and sets spend caps and model lists per key.
- Tokens vsZ.ai GLM APIZ.ai sells GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.3 Flash at flat list prices, plus a GLM Coding Plan from $18/month. Tokens bills GLM in BDT beside other providers.