CheapBuddy
OpenAI-compatible API gateway for text, image, and video models with a single balance and API key.
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CheapBuddy suits solo developers and small teams who want a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint to route text, image, and video calls without juggling multiple provider accounts. Its pay-as-you-go model with RMB-denominated recharge tiers is practical for low-volume experimentation, but the absence of a USD-native billing option and thin public documentation put it behind more established gateways for production use. Teams needing enterprise SLAs, usage analytics, or a free trial credit should look elsewhere.
What is CheapBuddy?
CheapBuddy is a hosted, OpenAI-compatible API gateway that routes text, image, and video model requests through a single endpoint and a single prepaid balance. Developers point their existing clients, such as Claude Code, OpenCode, or Codex, at https://api.cheapbuddy.cc/v1 and use one API key across all supported model types without managing separate provider accounts.
The service operates on a pay-as-you-go top-up model with RMB-denominated tiers ranging from a ¥3 Trial top-up to a ¥150 Team top-up. Text completions, image generation via gpt-image-2.5, and video generation via MiniMax-H3 are all accessible through the same gateway. The production infrastructure runs on Railway, and a public GitHub repository documents the API surface and deployment architecture for developers who want to inspect the internals.
How we scored CheapBuddy
Capability scores 15 because the unified text-image-video routing through one OpenAI-compatible endpoint is a real feature, but the model selection is thin (one image model, one video model documented) and no analytics, rate-limit controls, or fallback routing are documented, all features that named competitors in the multi-model gateway space provide. Ease of use scores 14 because the OpenAI-compatible base URL means zero SDK changes for existing users, but English documentation is sparse and the media markup rate, model list, and error handling are not clearly explained. Value scores 13 because the ¥3 Trial entry point is low-risk, but all pricing is RMB-only with no USD tiers published, no free credit, and an undisclosed media markup rate that makes true cost-per-call impossible to calculate before spending. Delivery scores 10 because no independent user reviews, uptime data, or SLA documentation were found; the production infrastructure is described in a GitHub README rather than a formal status page, and the thin public footprint makes it impossible to verify reliability claims.
Pros and cons
What we liked
- Single OpenAI-compatible endpoint and one prepaid balance covers text, image (gpt-image-2.5), and video (MiniMax-H3) calls, eliminating multi-provider key management.
- Public GitHub repository exposes the full API surface and deployment architecture, letting developers audit exactly what they are calling before committing any balance.
- Pay-as-you-go top-ups start as low as ¥3 (Trial tier), making it low-risk to test the gateway before committing larger spend.
Where it falls short
- All recharge tiers are denominated in RMB (¥3 to ¥150), with no native USD pricing published; developers outside China face currency conversion uncertainty on every top-up despite Stripe being listed as a payment method.
- No free tier and no trial credit: unlike comparable gateways that offer a small free credit on signup, CheapBuddy requires a purchase before any model call can be made.
- Documentation is sparse and primarily in Chinese; the English-language pages cover basics but the API reference, model list, and media markup rates are not fully documented in English, creating friction for non-Chinese-speaking developers.
Key features
CheapBuddy pricing
Pay-as-you-go balance top-ups denominated in RMB: Trial ¥3, Standard ¥15, Regular ¥30, Heavy ¥90, Team ¥150. No monthly subscription. No free tier confirmed. Stripe is listed as a payment option.
| Plan | Price | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | ¥3 | ¥3 of prepaid balance usable across all supported text, image, and video models. No subscription; balance is consumed per call. |
| Standard | ¥15 | ¥15 of prepaid balance across all model types. |
| Regular | ¥30 | ¥30 of prepaid balance across all model types. |
| Heavy | ¥90 | ¥90 of prepaid balance across all model types. |
| Team | ¥150 | ¥150 of prepaid balance across all model types; intended for team-level usage. |
Pricing reflects what we saw at time of review (2026-11). Always confirm current pricing on the tool's own site.
Who should use CheapBuddy?
CheapBuddy fits a developer who is already using OpenAI-compatible clients and wants to experiment with image or video generation without opening new provider accounts. A solo builder prototyping a multi-modal app, or a small team running Claude Code and wanting image calls in the same billing bucket, gets real convenience from the unified key and balance approach. The RMB top-up structure also makes it accessible for developers based in China who find direct OpenAI billing difficult.
Anyone running a production service should look elsewhere. GitHub Copilot (in our directory) covers the coding-assistant use case with Microsoft-backed uptime guarantees and deep editor integration that CheapBuddy cannot match. Developers who need a mature, USD-native multi-model gateway with analytics dashboards and documented SLAs will find CheapBuddy too thin for that workload.
Skip it if: Production teams needing SLA guarantees, detailed usage analytics, or USD billing
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate API key for each model type (text, image, video)?+
No. One API key covers all three model types. Text completions, image generation, and video generation all route through the same base URL using the same key.
What does the Trial top-up actually cost and what can I do with it?+
The Trial tier costs ¥3 and adds ¥3 of balance. That balance can be spent on any supported model call, including text, image (gpt-image-2.5), or video (MiniMax-H3), until it runs out.
Is there a free tier or signup credit?+
No free tier is listed. Unlike some competing gateways that offer a small free credit on registration, CheapBuddy requires a paid top-up before making any model calls.
Can I use this with my existing OpenAI SDK code?+
Yes, provided your client supports a configurable base URL. Point the base URL to https://api.cheapbuddy.cc/v1 and swap in your CheapBuddy API key; no other code changes are needed for standard chat completion calls.
How is image and video billing calculated?+
Image and video calls are billed based on the upstream provider's reported usage multiplied by CheapBuddy's media markup rate. The exact markup rate is not fully documented in English on the public site.
Is the pricing in USD or RMB?+
All published top-up tiers are denominated in RMB (¥3 to ¥150). Stripe is listed as a payment method, but no USD-native pricing is published. Currency conversion applies for non-RMB buyers.
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