Calculator · AI agents
AI agent cost calculator.How agent loops multiply your API bill.
AI agent cost calculator
Agents loop. Each loop burns tokens. Enter your task profile and see your real monthly API bill.
Tasks per month100tasks
15,000
Why agent costs multiply fast
A single API call costs fractions of a cent. An agent that calls the API 10 times per task, 1,000 times a month, is making 10,000 API calls. The cost is not linear — it compounds with every additional step.
10×
Cost multiplier: 10-step agent
A 10-step agent costs 10× more per task than a single API call. At scale this matters — 1,000 agent tasks at 10 steps each is 10,000 API calls.
60–80%
Savings from model routing
Routing simple steps (formatting, classification) to GPT-4.1 mini and only using premium models for reasoning steps typically cuts agent costs by 60–80%.
Context
Context window is the lever
Agents accumulate context across steps. A 30-step agent with 32k context per step can consume 1M+ tokens per task. Context management is the biggest cost driver.
| Model | Input /1M | Output /1M | Best for agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 mini | $0.4 | $1.6 | Simple steps, high volume |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1 | $5 | Anthropic stack, moderate steps |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3 | $15 | Complex reasoning steps |
Frequently asked questions
How do I reduce AI agent costs?
Route simple steps (data formatting, classification, extraction) to GPT-4.1 mini at $0.4/1M input. Only use premium models for steps requiring genuine reasoning. Manage context aggressively — truncate early steps rather than carrying the full conversation forward. These two changes typically reduce agent costs by 60–80%.
What is the cheapest model for AI agents?
GPT-4.1 mini at $0.4/$1.6 per 1M tokens is the cheapest capable model for most agent tasks. For simple steps like data extraction or classification, it produces equivalent output to more expensive models at a fraction of the cost.
How do I estimate my agent token consumption?
Steps × context per step × tasks per month = total input tokens. Output is typically 20–40% of input for most agent tasks. Multiply by your model pricing to get monthly cost. Add 20% buffer for system prompts and tool definitions.
Prices updated daily · Last fetch: Mar 27, 2026
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