A stack is the set of tools between you and the model. Each layer does one job, and you can swap out any layer without rebuilding the others.

1. The engine: DeepSeek

The engine is the model that writes the answer. DeepSeek publishes its model weights, which means you can download them and run them on your own machine if your hardware can carry it. If it cannot, you rent the same model by the token instead of paying a monthly subscription.

2. The wallet: OpenRouter

The wallet gives one key and one balance for many different models, so you are not locked to a single company. If one model gets expensive or goes down, you point the same key at another one.

You do not have to use a wallet. You can call a provider directly with your own key. That is what our own tools do. The wallet is worth it when you want to compare models or avoid depending on one vendor.

3. The agent: DSH

A model on its own only produces text. The agent is what turns that text into action. It holds the conversation, calls the model, runs commands, reads and writes files, and uses tools on your behalf.

4. The automation: ZeroClaw

Automation runs work while you are not there. Tasks fire on a schedule, check something, and act on the result. This is the layer that turns a tool you use into a system that works for you.

How a request moves

  1. You type a request into the agent.
  2. The agent formats it and sends it to the model.
  3. The wallet routes it and bills it, or the agent calls the provider directly.
  4. The model answers.
  5. The agent uses the answer to do something: write a file, run a command, reply to you.
  6. Automation can pick up the result and act on it later.

What it costs

You pay per use instead of per month. Short requests cost a fraction of a cent. Long documents and heavy back and forth cost more. Prices change, so check the current rate before you plan around a number.

The point is not that it is free. The point is that you can see what you spend, stop whenever you want, and keep everything you built.

Where to start

Build the engine first. Add the agent second. Everything else can wait until you have something working.

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