dsh-meow-cachebilling

When using the DeepSeek API, many may not realize that even with low per-token rates, accumulating context over long conversations can lead to significant cache costs that quietly dominate the bill. This plugin addresses this hidden cost issue head-on. It calculates and displays the detailed expenses for each API request in real-time as you interact with AI, specifically highlighting the cost of cache hits, so you can visually understand the financial impact of context growth.

The plugin's core capability lies in its precise billing monitoring and intuitive interface integration. It exclusively targets the official DeepSeek API to ensure accuracy, and the bill appears directly in the context menu of the input box for easy access. Every request round—whether initial or after tool calls—refreshes to show a breakdown of cache, miss, and output costs, automatically applying peak and off-peak pricing based on time and model. This lets you effortlessly track cost dynamics.

This plugin is ideal for frequent DeepSeek API users with long-running conversations, such as developers, researchers, or content creators. If you're looking to optimize API costs, avoid overpaying for cache in bloated contexts, or need a lightweight tool to decide when to start new windows to reset expenses, it becomes a valuable assistant. It requires no complex setup, focusing solely on giving you clear visibility into where every bit of your money goes.