QuestLoops · Blog & Guides
The Journal
Notes on paying less for the tools you already use: official deals, cheaper plans, student discounts and the catches that come with them. Dated, and taken down when they stop being true.
Est. MMXXVI18 piecesLast filed
August 2026
- How-To Guides3 min
DeepSeek's New Peak-Hour API Pricing: How to Cut Your Bill in Half
DeepSeek quietly replaced flat API pricing with peak and off-peak rates on August 16. Here's the new price table, a timezone conversion guide, and how to time your calls to cut costs in half.
QuestLoops TeamRead
- How-To Guides4 min
How to Cut Your AI Agent's API Bill: Token Compression, Smart Routing, and When a Gateway Pays for Itself
Two real levers cut an AI agent's API bill: token compression and smart routing. Here's what free self-hosting (LiteLLM) vs. a paid gateway (Cohesor) actually costs.
QuestLoops TeamRead
- AI Tools3 min
GitHub Copilot Pricing 2026: Every Plan and the New AI Credits System
GitHub Copilot's June 2026 move to usage-based AI Credits changed what Free, Pro, Pro+, Max, and Business actually include, and developers are not happy about how fast the credits disappear.
QuestLoops TeamRead
July 2026
June 2026
- AI Tools10 min
ChatGPT Plus vs Claude vs Perplexity: 2026 Comparison
ChatGPT Plus, Claude, and Perplexity each cost about $20/month and win a different job. We compare their free tiers, value, and best use cases for 2026.
QuestLoops TeamRead
- Student Offers11 min
Student Software Discounts: The Complete 2026 Guide
Students can unlock dozens of premium apps free or heavily discounted just by verifying a school email. Here's the complete 2026 list — AI, productivity, design, learning, and developer tools — with exactly how to claim each and which are truly free versus discounted.
QuestLoops TeamRead
Archive — all 18 pieces
October 2026
- Google AI Pro vs AI Plus for Students: Which Country Gets What
- OpenAI Codex for Students: $100 in Credits for US and Canada
- Windsurf Is Now Devin Desktop: Is There a Student Discount?
- Student Discounts and Cheaper Plans in India: What Works Right Now
- ChatGPT Plus for US Students: $0 for 4 Months, Claim by October 31
September 2026
August 2026
- Cursor's Student Year of Pro Is Gone. Here's What Actually Still Works
- Google AI Pro for College Students: How to Claim It and the Auto-Renewal Trap
- DeepSeek's New Peak-Hour API Pricing: How to Cut Your Bill in Half
- How to Cut Your AI Agent's API Bill: Token Compression, Smart Routing, and When a Gateway Pays for Itself
- GitHub Copilot Pricing 2026: Every Plan and the New AI Credits System
Elsewhere