For Kilo Code, choose Kilo Gateway for integrated convenience, OpenRouter for provider routing, and a direct API account when you already have the account or rate you want. If your priority is paid Claude token pricing, include Kunavo in that comparison: Claude Sonnet 4.6 is $1.20 input and $6.00 output per million tokens through a custom-provider setup.
Which route fits your buying decision?
| Route | Best fit | What you buy |
|---|---|---|
| Kilo Gateway credits | One Kilo balance and integrated platform access | Metered usage plus a separate credit-purchase fee |
| Kilo Pass | Steady consumption that earns and uses bonus credit | A recurring credit purchase with conditional bonuses |
| OpenRouter | Broad model choice and explicit routing controls | Model usage and the applicable account fees |
| Official provider directly | An existing provider account, agreement or operational requirement | The provider's API usage |
| Kunavo custom provider | Its quoted model prices with separate usage billing | Kunavo API usage for supported models |
| Free or local models | Exploration without paid hosted inference, or local operation | Free-tier constraints or your own compute resources |
Compare one model on the same units
This table uses Claude Sonnet 4.6, standard input and output, USD per million tokens. It excludes caching, tools, tax, regional premiums and negotiated discounts. Changing the model would answer a different question from changing the provider.
| Route | Input / output | Additional pricing detail |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic direct, standard global rate | $3 / $15 | Other usage categories have separate rates |
| OpenRouter, listed standard routes | From $3 / $15 | Pay-as-you-go platform fee: 5.5% |
| Kilo Gateway, upstream standard rate | $3 / $15 before credits or bonuses | Credit purchases carry a separate 5% fee |
| Kunavo | $1.20 / $6.00 | See the live catalog and your checkout total |
References: Anthropic pricing, OpenRouter's model routes, OpenRouter fees, Kilo billing and the Kunavo price table.
For an illustrative one million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens, the $3/$15 pair gives $6 of uncached inference. The same token counts at Kunavo's listed pair give $2.40. These are arithmetic examples, not observed task bills. Actual coding work may add cache writes, tool output and retries.
Kunavo's billing calculation takes the higher of catalog cost and upstream cost times the model's markup factor. The example is a catalog estimate, not a cap on the final bill.
Include the starting balance and cached context
Kunavo's smallest prepaid top-up is $10; it requires no subscription and the balance does not expire. OpenRouter sets a $5 minimum credit purchase. Its 5.5% standard PAYG card fee has a $0.80 minimum per purchase, so $5 of credit costs $5.80 before tax. Distinguish the cash needed to start from the token cost of your first edit.
For repeated code context, Sonnet 4.6's direct rates are $0.30 per million cache-read tokens, $3.75 for five-minute writes, and $6 for one-hour writes. Kunavo's catalog cache-read price is $0.12, with Claude writes billed at 1.25 times input. Inspect Kilo's reported cache counts on your selected route; a different provider or changing prefix need not preserve the same hits. Apply credit-purchase fees and earned bonuses after calculating model usage, without counting either twice.
Sonnet 4.6's supported 1M window has no long-context surcharge on direct Anthropic or Kunavo. A longer conversation still sends more tokens. Use the official pricing categories and Kunavo cache billing when a large, frequently reused context is central to your work.
When to buy Kilo credits or Kilo Pass
Choose ordinary Kilo credits when you want a small, flexible balance within Kilo's platform. Its 5% purchase fee is separate: $100 of credits costs $105 before tax and funds $100 of usage.
Kilo Pass lists Starter at $19, Pro at $49 and Expert at $199 per month. Consider a pass when you regularly consume enough to earn and spend its bonuses. Monthly plans advertise a 50% first-month bonus, then streak rewards up to 40%; annual plans advertise 50% monthly bonuses. Bonus credit requires consuming the paid portion and expires each monthly cycle.
Buy for usage you expect, rather than a promotional percentage. A 50% credit bonus represents a maximum one-third reduction in effective base credit cost when fully used, before fees. For plan and cloud charges beyond model access, see Kilo Code pricing.
When OpenRouter or a direct provider is preferable
Choose OpenRouter if selecting or controlling inference providers is part of your requirement. Kilo's OpenRouter guide documents route preferences and model options. Compare the endpoint you select, since regional routes can have different prices.
Choose Anthropic directly if you want its account, billing and model-access relationship. If you need Kilo platform services alongside an existing provider key, inspect Kilo's supported gateway BYOK routes. Direct client configuration and gateway BYOK are separate choices.
When Kunavo or a cheaper model fits
Choose Kunavo when its listed price for the model you need and a manually configured client route fit your workflow. Follow the Kilo Claude API setup: select OpenAI Compatible, enter your Kunavo key and base URL, and choose a live model ID. This does not require Kunavo to appear in Kilo's built-in provider directory.
If the task is a small, easily checked edit, consider testing Claude Haiku 4.5 at $0.40 input and $2.00 output per million tokens. Keep the model that completes the task acceptably; a lower rate is useful only if repeated corrections do not consume the gain.
When to start free or local
For learning the workflow, Kilo's free options are a sensible first step. Configure agent calls, autocomplete and background models if your goal is zero paid inference. Check the selected free provider's data terms and limits. For local operation, Kilo documents Ollama; your hardware and model capabilities become part of the choice.
To use the Kunavo route, create an account and configure one small task first. Confirm its model and charge in usage, then set your ongoing workload around the route that meets your price and feature needs.
FAQ
What is the best API provider for Kilo Code?
Choose Kilo Gateway for integrated access and Kilo billing, OpenRouter for its catalog and routing controls, or a direct provider for an existing account relationship. Kunavo is an option for buying its listed Claude models through Kilo's custom-provider configuration. The best choice depends on the model, required features and payment route.
What is the cheapest way to use Kilo Code?
For zero paid model usage, start with Kilo's free-model options and configure autocomplete and background tasks too. For paid Claude work, compare the same model's rates, cache charges, purchase fees and useful bonus credits. Free access, local inference and a lower paid API rate solve different needs.
Does Kilo Pass make every model 50% cheaper?
No. A 50% bonus provides extra credit after qualifying usage; it is not a 50% price reduction. Using every dollar of a 50% bonus makes the base payment equivalent to about 66.7% of the funded usage before fees. Unused or expired bonuses reduce that benefit.
Can I put a Kunavo key into Kilo's gateway BYOK page?
Use the documented Kunavo custom-provider setup in the client. Kilo Gateway BYOK supports its own listed providers; that list is distinct from the client's custom-endpoint capability. Configuring a custom endpoint does not establish support for every hosted Kilo feature.
Official sources checked September 17, 2026. Published rates are a scoped comparison, not a claim of the world's lowest price.