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True TCO Calculator

API token cost is typically 20-40% of the real cost of running an AI feature. This tool computes the rest.

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  • Starts from the honest premise that token cost is usually only 20-40% of the real cost, and shows you exactly where the rest goes.
  • Splits the percentage breakdown two ways — Year 1 with the one-time build cost, and steady-state Year 2/3 without it — so the token-cost share is compared against the right baseline, not distorted by a one-time cost.
  • Flags every category you left at zero with a typical range, because the categories people forget are usually the ones that add up the most.
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Frequently asked questions

None — every figure here is arithmetic against the numbers you enter. No model call is made.

Year 1 includes your one-time build cost (engineering, design, integration), which is capital spend, not an ongoing cost. The "token cost is typically 20-40%" premise is about steady-state operating cost, so this tool compares that premise against Year 2/3 (no build cost), not Year 1 — showing only one number would either understate or overstate your real token-cost share depending on how big your build was.

They are illustrative rules of thumb, not a verified pricing source — there is no published price list for engineering time, monitoring tools, or training the way there is for model prices. Use them as a sanity check that you have not left out a real cost, not as a quote.

Yes — from the Cost Estimator's result page, use the "Add the rest of the true cost" link to bring your estimated monthly API cost straight into this tool.