Why You Need a Cost Calculator
Estimating AI model API costs is rarely as straightforward as it seems. Beyond input and output token counts, factors like cache hits, model selection, and currency differences all affect your final bill. AI Cost Calculator brings these variables into one interface, letting you estimate costs before making a single API call.
Three Steps to Get Your Estimate
1. Choose a Calculation Mode
The homepage offers three scenario entry points:
- Text Models: For estimating request costs of conversational models like Claude, GPT, and DeepSeek
- Audio Models: Speech-to-text, TTS, and other audio API costs (coming soon)
- Image Models: Image generation and editing API costs (coming soon)
Most users will start with Text Models.
2. Fill in Request Parameters
Enter three values in the calculator card:
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cache Miss | Tokens processed for the first time | 1,000,000 |
| Cache Hit | Tokens read from cache | 0 |
| Output | Tokens generated by the model | 100,000 |
Each parameter is labeled with its unit (/1M tokens) for easy conversion.
3. Switch Currency
Click the CNY / USD button in the top-right corner to toggle between Chinese Yuan and US Dollars. Defaults to CNY, which is more convenient for domestic developers.
Compare Multiple Models at Once
The calculator supports side-by-side comparison of multiple models. Three default models are shown initially (DeepSeek V4 Pro, Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-5.4 Mini). Click + Add Model below the cards to select from the remaining models; if you want to review unit prices first, open the model pricing table or text models page.
Each model card displays:
- Input price (cache miss / cache hit)
- Output price
- Total cost for this request
- 30-day cost projection based on this request
Understanding Pricing Formulas
Different providers use different billing methods. The calculator has built-in formulas for each:
Standard Formula (GPT, DeepSeek, etc.):
Total Cost = (Miss × Input Price) + (Hit × Cached Input Price) + (Output × Output Price)Anthropic Prompt Caching:
Total Cost = (Miss × Base Input Price) + (Hit × Cached Input Price) + (Output × Output Price)Anthropic also charges a one-time cache creation fee, which is shown separately on the card.
DeepSeek Cache Hit/Miss: DeepSeek bills cached and non-cached inputs at different rates—the difference can be up to 10x, making caching highly valuable for high-frequency scenarios.
Practical Tips
- Fill in cache hits before calculating — If your app has a caching mechanism, don’t forget the
Hitfield. The savings can be substantial. - Budget in CNY — Default CNY display makes it easy to compare with domestic cloud services.
- 30-day projection is just math — It’s a linear extrapolation from a single request, not a real usage forecast.
- Report incorrect pricing — There’s a “Report Error” link at the bottom. Submit feedback if you spot outdated pricing, or use the bill checking guide to decide whether the issue is pricing or usage.
Next Steps
- How Much Can Prompt Caching Save You? — Deep dive into how caching mechanisms reduce costs
- 2025 Model Cost Comparison — See which model offers the best price-performance ratio
- AI App Token Budget Template — Turn launch assumptions into a reviewable budget table