---
type: "post"
id: "jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4"
slug: "jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4"
title: "jev-router: Route to the cheapest model in claude code for your task using jev-router"
description: "Thesis: jev-router makes model selection a per-turn routing layer around Claude Code and Codex, rather than a manual choice for each task."
retrieval_nugget: "Thesis: jev-router makes model selection a per-turn routing layer around Claude Code and Codex, rather than a manual choice for each task."
published_at: "2026-10-06"
updated_at: "2026-10-06"
record_date: "2026-10-06"
date_kind: "published_at"
topics: ["claude","claude-code","codex"]
source_urls: ["https://github.com/gargpratyush/jev-router"]
schema_version: "newruntime-agent-readable-v0.2"
stable_id: "post:jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4"
status: "published"
visuals: []
editorial_provenance: {"schema_version":"newruntime-editorial-copy-v1","content_status":"source_grounded_final","final_copy_sha256":"sha256:fa15470cc990eb0b4462085a840b9052af762997ae4e796fa4e597d80c711bdb","reviewed_at":"2026-10-06T20:10:41.795Z","source_evidence_count":1,"verified_claim_count":3,"site_analysis_schema_version":"newruntime-site-analysis-v1","site_object_kind":"field_note","observed_fact_count":3,"implication_count":2,"watch_condition_count":2,"related_record_count":0}
analysis: {"schema_version":"newruntime-site-analysis-v1","object_kind":"field_note","thesis":"jev-router makes model selection a per-turn routing layer around Claude Code and Codex, rather than a manual choice for each task.","observed_facts":[{"text":"The repository README describes jev-claude and jev-codex as launchers for the real upstream CLI, with model selection for a fresh user turn.","source_urls":["https://github.com/gargpratyush/jev-router"]},{"text":"It says setup requires Node.js 20.12 or later, a supported CLI, and a Jev API key.","source_urls":["https://github.com/gargpratyush/jev-router"]},{"text":"It documents a loopback proxy and a control for pausing routing by selecting a concrete model.","source_urls":["https://github.com/gargpratyush/jev-router"]}],"mechanism":"The router sends the prompt and model-tier information to Jev for a decision, then uses the selected tier while forwarding the CLI's existing authorization headers. The README says those headers are not read, stored, or modified.","why_now":"The project documents support for both Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, making automatic tier selection a practical workflow option for users who otherwise choose models manually.","implications":["The first implication is that model choice becomes part of the agent workflow and can reduce manual switching between tiers.","A further implication is that the routing decision depends on an external decision service, so users should understand what task context is sent to it."],"evidence_boundary":"Evidence here is the public GitHub repository README and its descriptions of setup and behavior; it is not an independent test, security audit, or evaluation of routing outcomes.","watch_conditions":["Check for independent measurements of cost and task quality across routed and manually selected models.","Check what prompt data reaches the Jev decision service and whether the project documents retention and privacy controls beyond the stated handling of CLI authorization headers."],"related_records":[],"new_branch_reason":"No prior New Runtime record was supplied; this is a distinct record for jev-router's documented per-turn model-routing workflow."}
editor: {"role":"editor","name":"Andrey Reshetnikov","profile":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md","profile_json":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json","same_as":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshetnikov1/","https://t.me/lapetuse"]}
routes: {"html":"https://newruntime.com/posts/jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4/","markdown":"https://newruntime.com/posts/jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4.md","json":"https://newruntime.com/posts/jev-router-route-to-the-cheapest-model-in-4a05f4.json"}
---

# jev-router: Route to the cheapest model in claude code for your task using jev-router

## Retrieval answer

Thesis: jev-router makes model selection a per-turn routing layer around Claude Code and Codex, rather than a manual choice for each task.

Thesis: jev-router makes model selection a per-turn routing layer around Claude Code and Codex, rather than a manual choice for each task.

Observed facts: The repository README describes jev-claude and jev-codex as launchers for the real upstream CLI, with model selection for a fresh user turn. It says setup requires Node.js 20.12 or later, a supported CLI, and a Jev API key. It also documents a loopback proxy and a control for pausing routing by selecting a concrete model.

Mechanism: The router sends the prompt and model-tier information to Jev for a decision, then uses the selected tier while forwarding the CLI's existing authorization headers. The README says those headers are not read, stored, or modified. This inserts a decision service between the user's task and the model request while retaining the native CLI workflow.

Why now: The project documents support for both Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, making automatic tier selection a practical workflow option for users who otherwise choose models manually.

Implications: The first implication is that model choice becomes part of the agent workflow and can reduce manual switching between tiers. That does not itself demonstrate lower spend: the supplied source provides no measured savings or accuracy results. A further implication is that the routing decision depends on an external decision service, so users should understand what task context is sent to it.

Evidence boundary: Evidence here is the public GitHub repository README and its descriptions of setup and behavior; it is not an independent test, security audit, or evaluation of routing outcomes.

Watch conditions: Check for independent measurements of cost and task quality across routed and manually selected models. Check what prompt data reaches the Jev decision service and whether the project documents retention and privacy controls beyond the stated handling of CLI authorization headers.

Editor: [Andrey Reshetnikov](https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md), AI product and AI engineering; profile for recruiters and agents: https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json

## Continue in the graph

Next records for an agent, linked to their Markdown twins. Replace `.md` with `.json` for structured fields, including `next_reads`.

- topic hub: [Claude](https://newruntime.com/topics/claude.md): Explore the claude topic hub.
- topic hub: [Claude Code](https://newruntime.com/topics/claude-code.md): Explore the claude-code topic hub.
- topic hub: [Codex](https://newruntime.com/topics/codex.md): Explore the codex topic hub.
- collection: [Field Notes](https://newruntime.com/posts.json): Open the latest editorial analysis.
- collection: [Source Ledger](https://newruntime.com/source-ledger.json): Inspect the public source evidence graph.
- whole graph: [discovery graph](https://newruntime.com/discovery-graph.json) (typed nodes and edges) and [site index](https://newruntime.com/site-index.md)