Modes

Chippery has different token-saving modes that control how aggressively it optimizes token usage.

Available Modes

Mode	Description	License
balanced	Smart optimization, saves significantly (default)	Free
balanced-pro	Best quality-to-savings ratio	Pro
frugal	Maximum savings, best for small codebases	Pro
all-in	No token optimization	Free

Balanced (Default)

The default mode. Provides smart token optimization while maintaining comprehensive responses. Already saves significantly compared to no optimization.

In Chippery:

/mode-balanced

In Claude Code:

/chippery-mode balanced

Best for: Most development work, learning new codebases, complex debugging.

Balanced-Pro

Requires Chippery Pro

The best quality-to-savings ratio. Saves more tokens than balanced while preserving response quality the best.

In Chippery:

/mode-balanced-pro

In Claude Code:

/chippery-mode balanced-pro

Best for: Extended coding sessions, straightforward tasks, when you prefer concise guidance.

Frugal

Requires Chippery Pro

Maximum token savings. Responses focus on code with minimal explanation. Best suited for smaller codebases.

In Chippery:

/mode-frugal

In Claude Code:

/chippery-mode frugal

Best for: Small codebases, high-volume tasks, when you just need code without explanation.

All-In

Disables token optimization entirely. Use the full context without any savings.

In Chippery:

/mode-all-in

Best for: Testing, or when you need maximum context regardless of cost.

Checking Current Mode

In Chippery:

/mode-balanced

(Running any mode command shows the current mode)

In Claude Code:

/chippery-mode

Mode Comparison

Mode	Savings	Quality	Best For
balanced	Significant	Full	Most work
balanced-pro	High	Full	Extended sessions
frugal	Maximum	Good	Small codebases
all-in	None	Full	Testing

Activating Pro Modes

To use balanced-pro or frugal, you need a Chippery Pro license.

1. Get a license at chippery.ai
2. Activate in Chippery: /config → enter license key
3. Or in Claude Code: /chippery-activate <your-license-key>

Once activated, Pro modes become available immediately.