Cline with a cheaper AI API

Cline (VS Code extension) is a popular way to let Claude and GPT write code in your editor. unoblox makes it cheap: configure one API endpoint, and Cline routes to Qwen (₹0), DeepSeek (₹9.07/1M), or Claude (₹504/1M)—you choose the tradeoff between cost and quality.

Why Cline + unoblox

• One endpoint: Replace Anthropic/OpenAI with unoblox in settings
• Model flexibility: Test Qwen free, DeepSeek budget, Claude premium—same Cline UI
• No Anthropic key: No need for a separate claude.ai account or foreign card
• ₹ billing: Monthly GST invoice, ITC-eligible
• Tool use works: Cline's MCP tools work across all unoblox models (most support tools)

Configuration in VS Code

Cline settings → API Provider:

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "openrouter",
  "cline.apiBaseUrl": "https://api.unoblox.ai/v1",
  "cline.apiKey": "ub-gw-YOUR_API_KEY",
  "cline.apiModel": "openai/gpt-4o"
}

Or in .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "[cline]": {
    "apiProvider": "custom",
    "apiBaseUrl": "https://api.unoblox.ai/v1",
    "apiKey": "ub-gw-...",
    "model": "openai/gpt-4o"
  }
}

Model costs (same extension)

Model	₹/1M input	Best for
Qwen3 1.7B	FREE	Fast, simple tasks
DeepSeek V4 Flash	₹9.07	Fast, good coding
GPT-4o	₹252	Fast, broad knowledge
Claude Opus	₹504	Slower, best reasoning

Start with Qwen3 1.7B (free experiments). Switch to DeepSeek (₹9.07) for everyday coding. Use Claude Opus (₹504) only for complex refactoring.

Workflow example

1. Set Cline to use qwen/qwen3-1.7b (free)
2. Ask: "Add error handling to this function"
3. Cline calls unoblox, gets a cheap response
4. Review code, commit if good
5. For complex refactoring, switch to openai/gpt-4o (₹252) or anthropic/claude-opus (₹504) just for that task
6. One invoice, all models

Cost comparison

Typical refactoring session (10 edits, ~50k input tokens):

• Cline + Anthropic (Claude Opus, ₹504/1M input): ≈ ₹25.20
• Cline + unoblox (Qwen3 1.7B, free): ₹0
• Cline + unoblox (DeepSeek V4 Flash, ₹9.07/1M input): ≈ ₹0.45
• Savings with DeepSeek vs. Claude Opus: ≈ 98%

Frequently asked questions

Does Cline require an Anthropic account? No. You can use unoblox (or any OpenAI-compatible provider) without Anthropic. Cline works with any API.

Do MCP tools work across models? Mostly yes. Cline's file-system and command-line tools are native to Cline; the LLM just writes the tool JSON. Qwen, DeepSeek, and Claude all support tool-use via unoblox.

Can I test different models side-by-side? Not in one session. But you can open two VS Code windows, each with a different Cline model configured, and compare responses.

What if a model fails at coding? Switch to a better model in settings (e.g., Qwen → DeepSeek → Claude). Cline re-runs the same request against the new model. You pay per-request, not per-session.

Can I cache responses across sessions? Not natively in Cline. unoblox logs all calls; export logs for audit/debugging. Prompt caching on unoblox is on the roadmap.

Is streaming supported? Yes. Cline streams tokens in real-time for all unoblox models. Fast feedback even with cheap Qwen3-1.7B.

Get started in rupees → https://unoblox.ai/sign-in