Methodology & pricing sources

Last checked September 19, 2026. Prices snapshot on the calculator still shows September 8, 2026 until the next rate-file refresh.

TokenCost multiplies the tokens you enter by the selected model’s published USD per million input and output tokens. Math runs entirely in your browser from a static rate file — we do not call provider billing APIs.

How numbers are derived

Cost ≈ (input_tokens / 1e6 × input_$per_M) + (output_tokens / 1e6 × output_$per_M).
Optional daily/monthly projections multiply per-request cost by your request volume.
Cached-input or long-context repricing is noted per SKU when the vendor documents it; the calculator uses the SKU line you select.

Provider list-price sources

OpenAI API pricing — GPT family list rates.
Anthropic pricing — Claude API list rates.
Google AI / Gemini pricing — Gemini API list rates.
DeepSeek and other SKUs: vendor public pricing pages linked from the model row on /pricing.

We refresh the rate file when those public pages move enough to change estimates. Editorial last checked: September 19, 2026. The on-page “prices last updated” string tracks the rate-file commit date.

Estimates only. Not a quote, invoice, or financial advice. Enterprise discounts, batch APIs, and regional billing can differ.

Layout scaffolding and how-to prose may be drafted with generative AI; rate tables and cost formulas are taken from documented provider sources and human-reviewed before we publish.

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Experience log (rate / source checks)

We do not invent list prices. On each refresh we open the vendor’s public pricing page, note the SKU line rate we use in the calculator, and stamp the methodology date.

Re-checked OpenAI API pricing (developers.openai.com/api/docs/pricing) on Sep 19, 2026 — GPT family input/output $/M lines used in the shortlist still match the Sep 8 snapshot; no SKU rename observed that day.

Re-checked Anthropic pricing (anthropic.com/pricing) on Sep 19, 2026 — Claude API list rates unchanged vs the table on /pricing.

Re-checked Google AI / Gemini pricing (ai.google.dev/pricing) on Sep 19, 2026 — Gemini API public list rates still align with the calculator config.

If a vendor page disagrees with our table, trust the vendor and email hello@costpertoken.xyz — we patch the config file, we do not invent interim rates.

Experience log (rate / source checks)

Dated rechecks of public vendor pricing pages used by the calculator. We do not invent interim rates — if a vendor page disagrees with our table, trust the vendor.

Experience log (rate / source checks)
Date	Source (linked URL)	What changed / checked	Checked by
Sep 8, 2026	OpenAI API pricing	Initial Sep snapshot of GPT-family input/output $/M lines used in the shortlist and /pricing table.	Đạt
Sep 13, 2026	Anthropic Claude pricing	Mid-cycle Claude API list-rate pass; no SKU rename vs Sep 8 config.	Đạt
Sep 19, 2026	Google AI / Gemini pricing	Gemini API public list rates rechecked; still align with calculator config. OpenAI + Anthropic also spot-checked same day.	Đạt