How much does AI cost?

Almost every AI product uses one of four pricing models, or a mix of them. Many tools combine them, for example a seat fee that includes a monthly allowance of credits, with extra credits sold for heavy features such as video generation.

A token is a small chunk of text, often a piece of a word. Language-model APIs charge for the tokens you send (input) and the tokens the model writes back (output), usually quoted per million tokens, and output is typically priced higher than input.

Cost per request = input tokens × input price + output tokens × output price. The meter counts more than your question: the system instructions, the earlier conversation that is resent with every turn and any attached documents are all input. That is why a long chat or a large uploaded file can cost far more than a short question.

The sticker price is only part of the bill. Before you buy, look for:

List the tasks you want AI for, how many people will use it and how often. Match each tool to its pricing model, then take the current prices from each vendor's pricing page, because AI prices change often.

Mindber's free calculators do the arithmetic: the AI stack cost calculator adds up subscriptions and seats across tools, and the LLM cost calculator turns API token volumes into daily, monthly and yearly totals. Start with a free tier or a small pilot, check real usage after a month, then decide on seats or commitments.