What it actually costs.
CHAT INTERFACES
Usually a monthly subscription, or a free tier with limits.
Predictable, and the simplest option for individuals and small teams.
API ACCESS
Per token, for input and output.
Cost scales with use, which is efficient at low volume and needs watching at high volume.
WHAT DRIVES COST UP
Long prompts sent repeatedly Long outputs Larger, more capable models Processing whole documents
WHAT REDUCES IT
Shorter prompts Smaller models for simple tasks Caching repeated requests Processing only what is needed
THE HIDDEN COSTS
Time spent verifying output Time spent learning to prompt well Integration work
THE COMPARISON THAT MATTERS
Not the subscription against nothing, but the total against the time saved.
For most knowledge work, a modest subscription is recovered quickly if the tool is used well.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Subscribe to several services and use none properly.
One tool, used well, beats four used occasionally.
