ChatGPT and Claude Are Ripping You Off. Here's Why We Built Cumbersome.

October 4, 2025

Look, I'm not here to bullshit you. ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro charge monthly subscriptions. And for what?

Let me tell you what you're actually getting:

They're Auto-Routing to Cheaper Models (And Not Telling You)

ChatGPT says you're using GPT-5. But are you? They route requests to cheaper models to save money. Rate limits, peak times, "optimization." It's all code for "we're giving you the knockoff version."

ChatGPT claims it doesn't route to cheaper models. Press X to doubt.

Claude does the same thing. You pay for Sonnet 4.5, but good luck knowing if that's what you're actually getting.

You're Paying Even When You Don't Use It

Monthly subscriptions whether you use them once or a thousand times. That's the scam. They want your money every month, not your usage.

With API access? You pay per token. Use it a lot? Maybe $5-10/month. Use it a little? Pennies.

I tracked my usage for a month: $2.47. Fucking absurd.

The Interfaces Are Built for Consumers, Not Real Work

ChatGPT and Claude use chat bubbles. CHAT BUBBLES. Like you're texting your friend. Try doing real work in that. Try editing a long conversation. Try managing context that actually matters.

Claude can't even tell you your own fucking usage limits. Cool product.

You can't edit messages. You can't refine context. You just keep scrolling through an endless thread of tiny bubbles hoping the AI remembers what you said 50 messages ago.

Look at what happens when you actually need to fix something:

Finally, an interface that doesn't treat you like a child.

What About the API Playgrounds?

Okay, so maybe you're thinking: "What about Claude Console or OpenAI Playground?"

Here's the thing: those aren't professional tools. They're API sandboxes. Demo interfaces built to showcase the API to developers. But people have jury-rigged them into "professional" tools because there's literally nothing else.

Look at them:

OpenAI Playground: An API demo that accidentally became the best interface available. That's fucking sad.

Claude Console: Same story. Built as an API showcase, now the only decent option for power users.

They give you direct API access. Parameter control. But they're browser-only. No mobile app. No cross-device sync. Want to use this on your phone? Nope.

People are using API demo tools as their daily drivers because nothing better exists. Until now.

So We Built Cumbersome

We wanted:

• Pay-per-use pricing. No subscriptions. Pay for what you use.
• Direct API access. Real GPT-5, real Claude Sonnet 4.5, real Gemini. Not the watered-down versions.
• Conversation editing. Edit any message (yours or the AI's). Refine context. Control the conversation.
• Native apps. iPhone, iPad, Mac. Actually works on mobile.
• Full parameter control. Temperature, tokens, system prompts. All of it.

And most importantly: your data never touches our servers. We don't store conversations. We don't train on your data. We don't even see your API keys unless you enable iCloud sync (and even then, they sync via your personal iCloud Keychain, not our servers).

Here's What It Actually Looks Like

Your API keys. Your data. Zero bullshit.

Document-style interface. Edit any message. See your costs in real-time. Works on your fucking phone.

You can:

• Use Face/Off Mode to get the best possible response
• Switch models mid-conversation
• Edit any message to refine context
• See exactly what each conversation costs
• Use it on your phone without wanting to throw it across the room

The App Is Free

We make zero dollars from Cumbersome. It's 100% free. You just use your own API keys.

Why? Because we're not trying to build a subscription empire. We're trying to build software that doesn't suck. And yeah, we're trying to prove a point: you don't need VC money and growth hacking to build something people actually want.

Try It

Download Cumbersome for iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Bring your own API keys. Pay for what you use.

No subscription. No bullshit. Just better AI.