Alternatives · Updated 2026-10-21
Best Caveman alternatives in 2026
Caveman is a popular skill that makes coding agents answer like cavemen, to spend fewer output tokens. For many agents, though, most of the bill is what they read, not what they write. These alternatives go after that, or cap replies more predictably.
The short answer
If your cost comes from what the agent reads (logs, files, tool output), use SuperCompress (hosted) or Headroom (open source). For shell output alone, RTK. For long sessions, the built-in /compact. To keep replies short without a skill, set an output token limit or a one-line style instruction. For team spend visibility, Caveman Cloud or Langfuse.
What Caveman is
Caveman is an open-source skill that tells the agent to drop filler words and answer tersely, plus a local proxy that shrinks some tool output. Its makers advertise large output savings; an independent JetBrains A/B test on Claude Code measured 8.5% against an advertised 65%, and the skill adds instructions to the input of every turn. That gap is the main reason people look for alternatives.
How we picked
We looked for tools that cut the same bill from a different direction, or cap replies more predictably, and that you can try on your own agent today.
The alternatives
1. SuperCompress
SuperCompress attacks the input side. Before a large log, diff or tool result reaches the model, the hosted API keeps only the original lines that answer the current question. Because input usually dwarfs output in agent sessions, this is often where the bigger saving is, and replies stay as detailed as you like.
- Best for: cutting the input tokens an agent or app sends: tool output, file reads, logs, MCP results, retrieved docs
- How it works: a hosted, query-aware model keeps the original lines that answer the current question, word for word, and drops the rest
- Runs: hosted API (
POST /api/v1/compress) plus an MCP tool and hooks for coding agents - Price: 5M free tokens a month, then $0.10 per million, per the site
2. Headroom
Headroom is the open-source way to compress the same input locally, with the originals kept retrievable. Choose it if you want everything on your own machine.
- Best for: teams that want an open-source compression layer they run themselves
- How it works: content-type compressors for JSON, logs, code, search results and history, with the originals kept so the model can ask for them back
- Runs: locally, as a Python or TypeScript library, a proxy, an MCP server or an agent wrapper (
headroom wrap claude) - Licence: Apache 2.0
3. Context Mode
Context Mode keeps large tool and MCP results out of the conversation, handing the agent a compact, searchable version instead. A good free option if your agent uses many MCP tools.
- Best for: agents drowning in large MCP and tool results
- How it works: an open-source MCP server keeps each full tool result in a sandbox outside the conversation, hands the model a compact version, and indexes the original (SQLite FTS5 with BM25) so the agent can pull details back
- Watch out for: its 98% figure comes from the project's own worked examples on supported workflows
4. RTK (Rust Token Killer)
RTK filters noisy shell output from commands such as git status and test runners. It is free and quick to install alongside anything else.
- Best for: noisy shell commands such as
git status, test runs and builds - How it works: a hook rewrites Bash commands to run through command-specific output filters
- Watch out for: it only sees Bash calls, so built-in Read, Grep and Glob tools are not filtered; its 60–90% figures are the project's own estimates
5. Built-in compaction (/compact)
Built-in compaction summarizes long sessions so they fit again. It needs no install, but the summary is an extra model call and it rewrites the history, so exact details can be lost.
- Best for: sessions that have simply grown too long
- How it works: the agent asks the model to summarize the conversation so far, then continues from the summary
- Watch out for: writing the summary is itself a model call, and summaries rewrite the original lines, so exact errors, paths and IDs can be lost
6. Output limits and a one-line style rule
If short replies are all you want, you may not need a skill at all. A token limit in your app, or one concise-style line in the agent's instructions, gets you most of the way with nothing to install.
- Best for: short replies with no extra tooling
- How it works: set
max_tokensin your app, or add one line such as 'answer in at most five lines' to the agent's instructions - Watch out for: hard limits can truncate an answer mid-thought
7. Caveman Cloud
If you like Caveman and want it for a whole team, its makers offer Caveman Cloud, a hosted console for agent spend, evals and governance.
- Best for: teams that want spend analytics, evals and caps across agents
- How it works: a hosted console from the Caveman team
- Cost: free for one person; Team plan at $300 a month including $300 of usage, per its pricing page
Side by side
| Option | Cuts | Runs | Cost to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caveman skill | Output (replies) | Local | Free |
| SuperCompress | Input context | Hosted | Free tier |
| Headroom | Input context | Local | Free |
| Context Mode | Tool and MCP output | Local | Free |
| RTK | Shell output | Local | Free |
| /compact | Session history | Inside the agent | No install; one model call per compaction |
| Output limits | Output | Your app or prompt | Free |
| Caveman Cloud | Spend visibility, governance | Hosted | Free for one person |
How to pick fairly
Every tool here publishes its own headline numbers, and independent studies have found that fewer tokens do not always mean a smaller bill once prompt caching, retries and extra agent turns are counted (see PointFive's end-to-end study and JetBrains' rtk trial; neither tested SuperCompress). Run the same tasks with and without a tool, check that the tasks still succeed, and compare your provider bill per finished task. That test matters more than any list, including this one.
Disclosure: SuperCompress is our product, so we are not neutral. We describe every other tool from its own documentation and public reporting, link the sources, and say where another tool is the better fit. Plans and prices change; check each vendor before you decide.
Try SuperCompress
One command installs the CLI and wires the hosted compressor into every coding agent it finds (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, Cline, Gemini CLI, OpenCode and more). supercompress doctor then shows a health check per agent.
npm install -g supercompress-proxy && supercompress setupBuilding your own app instead? Call the hosted API with a key from the dashboard.
FAQ
What is the best Caveman alternative?
If most of your tokens are what the agent reads, SuperCompress (hosted) or Headroom (open source). If you only want shorter replies, an output limit or a one-line style rule.
Does Caveman actually save tokens?
It shortens replies, but an independent JetBrains test measured an 8.5% output saving against an advertised 65%, and the skill adds input tokens each turn. Measure it on your own tasks.
Can I use Caveman and SuperCompress together?
Yes. They work on different sides of the conversation: Caveman shortens replies, SuperCompress shrinks the context the agent reads.
Is there a free Caveman alternative?
Yes. Headroom, RTK, built-in compaction and output limits are all free, and SuperCompress has a free tier of 5M tokens a month.