Free tool
AI subscription vs API: which costs less at your volume?
A $20 plan feels cheap until the usage cap hits; the API has no cap but bills every token. Enter how much you send on a typical day, pick a model, and see what the same traffic would cost per month on the API next to the flat plans, plus the break-even point in messages per day. Prices are official list prices with check dates; plan usage caps are quoted where the vendor publishes them.
- Models
- 33
- Plans
- 13
- Prices verified
- Oct 29, 2026
API cost at your volume
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| Plan | Price | Verdict at your volume | Break-even | Published limit |
|---|
Break-even is the number of messages per working day at which the API bill equals the plan price. Below it the API is cheaper; above it the flat plan is, as long as you stay within its usage cap. Flat plans do not include API access, and API prices exclude tools such as web search.
What this calculator does not know
- How many messages a flat plan allows. Most vendors publish multipliers ("5x Pro") or nothing; the Published limit column repeats their wording and says Not stated otherwise.
- Which model a chat plan routes you to, which can be cheaper or dearer than the API model you picked.
- Extras bundled with a plan, such as image generation, file storage or desktop apps, which have no API-side price.
See every published usage limit, plan by plan · Compare API prices across all models