🧭 Model Advisor

Stop wasting your Claude usage. Get a one-line tip on which model to use for each task.

Using the most powerful model for everything burns through your limits fast. A translation doesn't need Opus, and a full product spec shouldn't be done on Haiku. Model Advisor tells you which one fits, at the start of a task, and tells you at the end if a cheaper model would have done the job.

Free and open source. Built by SigmaMax AI Solutions.

💡 Honest note: Claude can't switch models for you. Model Advisor gives the advice; you pick the model in Claude's model selector.

🚀 Start here: pick your path

Path 1: Add as a connector (easiest, works on phone too)

1. Open claude.ai in a browser and go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
2. Name: Model Advisor. URL: https://model-advisor-mcp.vercel.app/mcp
3. Click Add, then switch it on from the tools menu in a chat.
4. Try: "Use recommend_model: translate this WhatsApp line into Arabic. I'm on Opus."

Add it once on the website and it appears in the Claude phone app on the same account. Note: custom connectors may need a paid Claude plan. On a free plan, use Path 2.

Path 2: Paste instructions (Claude.ai, no install)

1. In Claude, create a Project (or open Settings and find your personal preferences).
2. Paste this into the project instructions:

At the start of each new task, add ONE line at the top of your reply recommending the best Claude model for it:
"🧭 Model: <current> fits ✅" or "🧭 Model tip: switch to <model> — <reason, 10 words max>".
Guide: Haiku = quick/short/mechanical (translate, rephrase, format). Sonnet = default for everyday work (emails, research, calculations, normal coding). Opus = complex multi-step reasoning, build specs, architecture, strategy, contracts, hard debugging. Fable = only the hardest problems after Opus fell short.
At the end of a big task, add "🧭 Next time: <model> would be enough" only if a lighter model clearly would have done. If the chat is very long and the topic changed, suggest a new chat. Skip all of this for quick follow-ups.

1. Start any chat inside that project. Done.

Prefer a Claude skill? The same thing is packaged in skills/model-advisor/SKILL.md.

Path 3: Local MCP server (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Antigravity)

Needs Node.js 18+ and Git.

git clone https://github.com/ahsanmassgazal-cmd/model-advisor-mcp.git
cd model-advisor-mcp
npm install
npm test        # should print: 12/12 recommendation cases passed

Add it to your MCP config. For Claude Desktop, open the config file:

• Windows: press Win+R, type %APPDATA%\Claude, open claude_desktop_config.json
• Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "model-advisor": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\\Users\\YOU\\model-advisor-mcp\\src\\index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Use the real full path to src/index.js. On Windows, double every backslash (\\). On Mac, use /Users/you/model-advisor-mcp/src/index.js. If the file already lists other servers, add model-advisor inside the existing mcpServers block.

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Claude Code: claude mcp add model-advisor -- node /full/path/to/src/index.js. Antigravity / Cursor: add the same node command and path in the MCP settings.

Make it automatic: add this to your custom instructions so Claude calls it by itself:

At the start of each new task, call recommend_model and show its one_liner. At the end of a substantial task, call review_model_choice and show the note only if it suggests a change.

🧪 Try it: examples

Just ask in plain words. Real outputs:

🔧 Tools (Path 1 and 3)

❓ Troubleshooting

• Connector fails to add: open the URL in a browser. If you do not see 'Model Advisor MCP is running', the server is down.
• Tool doesn't appear in Claude Desktop: the config path or JSON is wrong. Check for single backslashes, missing commas, then fully quit (system tray) and reopen.
• node not recognized: install Node.js LTS, then reopen your terminal.
• Web or phone Claude: use Path 1 (connector) or Path 2 (instructions).

How it decides

1. Defaults to Sonnet, the best balance for most work.
2. Goes down to Haiku only for short, mechanical tasks.
3. Goes up to Opus for multi-step reasoning, long precise deliverables, or high-stakes work.
4. Suggests Fable only when Opus has been tried or the problem is at the frontier.
5. Runs locally with simple rules: zero API calls, zero tokens. Edit MODELS and RULES in src/advisor.js to tune it, and add a case in test/test.js for each change.

Roadmap

• Usage log with a weekly "what you could have saved" summary
• Optional LLM-assisted classification for unclear tasks
• Team rule presets

License

MIT © SigmaMax AI Solutions

Need AI agents for your business? SigmaMax builds AI agents and automation for companies across the GCC, India and beyond. 🌐 sigmamaxaisolutions.com · ✉️ ahsansigmamaxai@gmail.com · WhatsApp +968 7694 1459