These tools require API calls which usually aren’t priced like the consumer plans

Yeah they’re cheaper. I’ve written whole apps for $0.20 in API calls.

With which agent? What kind of apps?

Without more information I'm very skeptical that you had e.g. Claude Code create a whole app (so more than a simple script) with 20 cents. Unless it was able to one-shot it, but at that point you don't need an agent anyway.

Aider, Claude 3.7.

I've "written" whole apps by going to GitHub, cloning a repo, right clicking, and renaming it to "MyApp." Impressed?

Claude code is now part of the consumer $100/mo max plan.

If they give me API access too I’m sold xD

Well technically Aider let's you use a web chat UI by generating some context and letting you paste back and forth.

Read that you can very quickly blow the budget on the 200/mo ones too