Why Manus, Cline, and Roo Code Are Like Money Printers for AI Providers

[Theo_Gottwald]

Why Manus, Cline, and Roo Code Are Like Money Printers for AI Providers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown into a billion-dollar industry, and tools like Manus, Cline, and Roo Code (correctly spelled instead of “Rohcode”) exemplify the next generation of AI solutions. These tools offer impressive capabilities—from automating complex processes to handling massive datasets. But behind their power lies a business model that acts like an endless cash flow for AI providers. The key is their enormous context windows and the associated costs that users willingly bear. In this article, we explore how these tools work, why they’re so profitable for providers, and how Google’s new two-million-token model challenges the competition—complemented by a cost-saving alternative like the Smart Package Robot.

How Do Manus, Cline, and Roo Code Work?

• Manus: Manus is hailed as a universal AI agent capable of independently handling tasks like text generation, data analysis, or travel planning. According to available information (e.g., from websites like unite.ai or tooltester.com), Manus uses context windows that can span hundreds of thousands to millions of tokens. This means it retains not just the current request but the entire previous conversation, processing it with every call.
• Cline: Cline, developed by Anthropic, is a flexible AI tool often operating with context windows of 128,000 to 200,000 tokens (see unite.ai or getguru.com). It’s suited for specialized tasks like text summarization or document analysis. However, popular models like Claude are frequently overloaded due to the sheer volume of calls generated by tools like Cline—a testament to their widespread use (cf. gradually.ai).
• Roo Code: A search for “Roo Code” on sites like kizentrale.de or geekflare.com yielded no direct hits for a specific AI tool by that name. It may be a typo or mix-up—perhaps referring to tools like “CodeWP” or “CodePal” (see kizentrale.de), open-source options for developers with large context windows. For this article, we assume Roo Code is a hypothetical tool with features akin to Manus or Cline, e.g., 131,072 tokens (similar to Alibaba’s QwQ-32B model), offering raw computing power for tailored applications.

All three tools carry the full weight of prior context, which is both their strength and their cost trap. The context window—the AI’s “short-term memory”—determines how much information it can process at once. The larger it is, the more tokens are analyzed per call, driving up computational demands and costs.

Why Are These Tools Money Printers?

Small context windows (e.g., 4,000 tokens) are useless for complex tasks, as they quickly “forget” context. Manus, Cline, and Roo Code rely on windows of at least 130,000 tokens—essential but expensive. AI providers charge per token, and the numbers reveal the potential. At 50 calls per minute—realistic for intensive use like programming or analysis:

Code: Select all

Per call (130,000 tokens): 130,000 × €0.01 / 1,000 tokens = €1.30
Per minute (50 calls): 50 × €1.30 = €65
Per hour: 65 × 60 = €3,900

A three-hour evening could cost €11,700. More realistically, 100 calls with 50,000 tokens:

Code: Select all

Per call: 50,000 × €0.01 / 1,000 tokens = €0.50
Total: 100 × €0.50 = €50

Users report spending €50, €100, or even €200 in a single evening—a dream for providers like Anthropic, whose servers are often overloaded due to high demand (see gradually.ai).

Google Raises the Bar: Two Million Tokens

Google is stunning the competition with a model supporting up to two million tokens (see unite.ai). It’s perfect for large documents or complex tasks, like analyzing a 1,000-page report. But even partial use drives costs sky-high:

Code: Select all

Per call (500,000 tokens): 500,000 × €0.01 / 1,000 tokens = €5
100 calls: 100 × €5 = €500

Every token generates revenue—proof of how lucrative large context windows are.

Smart Package Robot: The Budget Alternative

The Smart Package Robot takes a different approach: it only passes the current file size and instruction—about 2,000 tokens. Comparison for 100 calls:

Code: Select all

With Manus/Cline/Roo Code (50,000 tokens): €50
With Smart Package Robot (2,000 tokens): 2,000 × €0.01 / 1,000 tokens × 100 = €2

A 96% savings. At 50 calls per minute:

Code: Select all

Per minute: 50 × €0.02 = €1
Per hour: 1 × 60 = €60

Compared to €3,900 with large windows, it’s a fraction—though it requires more user effort.

Conclusion: Tokens as a Goldmine

Manus, Cline, and Roo Code are money printers for AI providers because their large context windows—often overloaded in models like Claude—generate massive token counts. Google’s two-million-token model sets new benchmarks and boosts revenue further. Users pay per token, and costs explode with heavy use. The Smart Package Robot proves it can be cheaper—but for full power, expensive models remain essential. AI firms’ cash registers keep ringing as users weigh convenience against cost.

#Google #AI #Tokens #ContextWindow #Revenue