Stop Paying Twice for the Same Thing
Turn repetitive prompts into serious savings Got a chunky system prompt you use over and over? Large context windows eating your budget alive? Prompt caching is your new best friendāstore frequently used content once, then reference it at a fraction of the cost.š° The Economics of Caching
When the math actually makes sense The problem: Youāre paying full price every time you send that 5,000-token system promptāeven when itās identical to the last 100 requests. The solution: Cache it once, reuse it cheap. Hereās what youāll save:| Provider | Cache Write Cost | Cache Read Cost | Your Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Free | 0.25x-0.5x original | 50-75% off |
| Anthropic Claude | 1.25x original | 0.1x original | 90% off reads* |
| Grok | Free | 0.25x original | 75% off |
| DeepSeek | 1x original | 0.1x original | 90% off reads |
| Google Gemini | Auto-magic | 0.25x original | 75% off |
šÆ When Caching Makes Bank
Perfect for:- š Large system prompts (1000+ tokens)
- š Repeated context in conversations
- š Reference documents sent with every request
- š¤ Multi-turn conversations with consistent setup
- ā” One-off requests
- š² Constantly changing prompts
- š Tiny system messages under 1000 tokens
š ļø Implementation That Actually Works
The Basic Setup
Cache your hefty system prompt once, reference it foreverPython Implementation
Copy, paste, profitš Provider Deep Dive
Know your options, optimize your spendš¢ OpenAI: The Generous Giant
- Write cost: FREE (seriously)
- Read cost: 25-50% of original
- Minimum: 1024 tokens to qualify
- Sweet spot: Perfect for large system prompts
šµ Anthropic Claude: The Precision Player
- Write cost: 25% premium (one-time pain)
- Read cost: 90% discount (ongoing gain)
- Limitation: Max 4 cache breakpoints per request
- Expiration: 5 minutes (use it or lose it)
- Best for: High-frequency, short-duration workflows
š” Grok: The Straightforward Option
- Write cost: FREE
- Read cost: 75% off original
- No funny business: Simple, predictable pricing
š£ Google Gemini: The Automatic
- Magic: Auto-detects cacheable content
- Cost: 75% off cached tokens
- Duration: 3-5 minutes average
- Models: Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash only
šÆ Pro Optimization Strategies
The Smart Workflow
Cache Hit Maximization
ā Do this:- Keep cached content identical byte-for-byte
- Bundle reusable context into cache-friendly chunks
- Monitor cache hit rates in your analytics
- Modifying cached content (instant cache miss)
- Caching tiny prompts (not worth the complexity)
- Ignoring expiration times (hello, surprise costs)
Cost Monitoring Magic
ā ļø Cache Reality Check
Remember:- šÆ Exact matching required ā One character different = cache miss
- ā° Expiration is real ā Plan for cache warmup in workflows
- š Token minimums apply ā Donāt cache tiny prompts
- š Monitor hit rates ā Low hit rates = wasted write costs
- Constantly changing system prompts
- Infrequent API usage
- Very short conversations
- Prompts under provider minimums
š” Quick Wins
- Audit your system prompts ā Find the chunky, reusable ones
- Implement caching ā Start with your highest-traffic endpoints
- Monitor performance ā Track hit rates and actual savings
- Optimize expiration ā Align cache duration with usage patterns
Ready to cut your prompt costs? Start caching the smart way with AnyAPI.