How I Cut My AI Bill in Half — An Open Source Guide for 2026

I, an open source advocate, cut my AI bill in half by switching from GPT-4o to open weights models like DeepSeek V4 Flash and GLM-4 Plus, which offer comparable quality at a lower price. This switch was motivated by the vendor lock-in risks associated with proprietary AI ecosystems. I've benchmarked several viable options and provide a cost matrix to help others make informed decisions. Pragmatism over purity, open weights models are a viable alternative to proprietary solutions. I've maintained my principles by using models with permissive licenses.