Subscription or API? What's right for you

There are three ways to pay for an LLM: a flat monthly subscription (the chat app), pay-as-you-go API (per token, for your own tools), and tiers within each. Enter how you use it and we'll show which is cheaper and which fits.

How to use this

Estimate your monthly chat usage with the inputs. The tool compares a flat subscription against the equivalent pay-as-you-go API cost for the same work. Apply it per person: heavy daily chat usually favours a plan, while occasional or programmatic use favours the API.

How you use it

Messages / day 40 Input tokens / message 1,500 Output tokens / message 700 If using the API, which model?

Subscriptions are billed monthly regardless of usage. The API estimate multiplies your tokens by the chosen model's price.

What it costs you

Estimated API cost for this usage:

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Flat subscription options:

The three ways, plainly

Subscription (flat)

One monthly price for the chat app. Simple and predictable, but rate-limited and not programmable. Best for everyday chat use.

API (pay-as-you-go)

Pay per token, no flat fee. Programmable, scales to apps and teams, no chat UI. Best when you build with it or your usage is light.

Higher tiers

Max / Pro / Ultra plans (~$100–$250) raise the limits for power users who live in the chat app all day. Predictable, but you pay even in slow months.