Agents that spend money need the same controls as anything else that does

A research or analysis agent is a system that incurs cost autonomously. In an environment where every other such system has a limit, an approver and a record, an LLM credential with a notification-only cap is an outlier — and provider limits are commonly notification-only, which means the control is an email.

Try for free Read the docs

What a provider dashboard leaves you with

01
A shared key gives no per-desk or per-mandate attribution, so cost cannot be allocated to the team that incurred it.
02
A limit that alerts rather than blocks is not a limit; the spend already exists by the time anyone reads it.
03
Which agent made which call is not recoverable from a provider invoice.

What Capsera does about it

Enforcement, not notification: The budget is checked before the provider call and the call is refused. Alerts at 80%, hard stop at 100%.
Budgets at org, team and agent level: Envelopes that hold at the level the money is actually owned, rather than at whichever credential happened to be used.
Nothing stored: Capsera records cost and identity. Prompts and completions are never stored, so the governance layer does not become a second copy of the data.

The number this is judged on

Spend per desk, per mandate

None of this is assumed. We scanned 133 public agent repositories and found a cost defect in most of the ones making live model calls.

Read the method and limitations

import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")

    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()

assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",

 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):

)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:

        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic

def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)

for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02

from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(

)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:

 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")

    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()

assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",

 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):

)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:

        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic

def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)

for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02

from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(

)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:

 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")

    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()

assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",

 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):

)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:

        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic

def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)

for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02

from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)
 
# checked before the call
capsera.budget(
    monthly=500,
    on_exceed="block",
)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(

)
 
with capsera.agent("summarizer"):
    client = Anthropic()
    resp = client.messages.create(
        model="claude-sonnet-4-6",
        max_tokens=1024,
    )
 
# no proxy, no gateway
assert resp.usage.cost < 0.02
 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:

 
if capsera.over_budget():
    raise BudgetExceeded()
 
@capsera.track()
def extract(doc):
    return chain(doc)
 
# cheaper route, same output
capsera.route(prefer="cost")
 
spend = capsera.usage(
    group_by="agent",
    window="30d",
)
 
for a, cost in spend:
    print(a, f"${cost:.2f}")
 
# fails open, always
capsera.flush()
 
for task in queue:
    run(task)
 
log("run complete")
import capsera
from anthropic import Anthropic
 
capsera.init(
    agent="reasoning_agent",
    run_id=ctx.run_id,
)

Put a limit on it that actually holds.

Stop runaway agents before they become runaway invoices.

Try for free