Both claim to cut your Claude bill. They solve different problems. Here's how to pick.
Run the free audit at aiusage.ai →| Dimension | AIUsage | claude-mem |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch | Stop overpaying for Claude — 70-90% on same prompts | Claude Code plugin for compressed session memory |
| Savings claim | 70-90% (6 verified cases: 76-84%) | context compression, variable savings |
| Workload coverage | Any Claude API workload — support, agents, code review, content, CRM codegen | Claude Code sessions |
| Setup | One-line code change (swap API endpoint) | npm install claude-mem |
| Free audit | Yes — paste bill, see number, no signup | Typically no |
| Mechanism disclosure | Private — "try it, the number is testable" | Compresses session context via AI |
| Scope | Broad (workload-agnostic) | session memory |
If your Claude usage is claude code sessions and you're comfortable with npm install claude-mem, claude-mem is purpose-built for that shape. 64k GitHub stars if that matters to you.
If your Claude spend spans multiple workload types (support automation, agent loops, code review, content drafting, daily coding) or you want to audit your bill before you commit to any cost-reduction tool, AIUsage gives you the number first. No CLI install, no platform dependency, no code rewrite.
claude-mem reduces context inside a Claude Code session. AIUsage audits your whole bill across every workflow and reduces it at the API level.
Across six audited workloads, AIUsage's measured delta was 76-84% on the same prompts, blind A/B tested: