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A Rails proxy to enforce hard dollar caps on OpenAI usage

ai_budget_proxy is a stateless HTTP proxy that sits between your app and OpenAI and enforces a hard spend cap. When the cap is hit, requests stop — no runaway bills from loops or forgotten test scripts. The OpenAI key is not stored on the proxy; it is forwarded directly on each request. It provides token management, security measures, and rate limiting. Currently non-streaming only, with plans for streaming support and a dashboard.

SourceHacker News AIAuthor: nseglins
A Rails proxy to enforce hard dollar caps on OpenAI usage
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Summary only

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Key points and analysis

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Key points

  • Stateless HTTP proxy enforces a hard dollar cap on OpenAI spending; requests return 429 when budget is exceeded.
  • OpenAI API keys are never stored; they are held in memory only for the duration of the request and forwarded to OpenAI.
  • Token creation and spend query endpoints allow per-email tracking of limits, usage, and remaining balance.
  • Currently only non-streaming requests are supported; streaming, soft-cap alerts, and a React dashboard are on the roadmap.

Highlights and analysis are generated automatically and may contain errors. Check the original source.

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