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AI coding cost calculator
Enter how you work. The calculator estimates what each of 7 AI coding tools would cost you per month and picks the cheapest plan or token tier that covers it.
| Tool | Best option for you | Est. per month | Note |
|---|
How the estimate works
Tasks per month = tasks per day x days per week x 4.33. For pay-per-token tiers we assume each task reads the token volume below for your codebase size, with 60% of input served from cache. For subscriptions we pick the cheapest plan whose usage allowance we estimate covers your task count. Plan allowances are our editorial estimates, not vendor numbers. Treat the result as a guide.
- Small (< 10k lines): ~60k input + ~6k output tokens per task
- Medium (10k-100k lines): ~150k input + ~12k output tokens per task
- Large / monorepo (> 100k lines): ~400k input + ~25k output tokens per task
How to read the result
- Each row shows the cheapest option for that tool that we estimate covers your monthly task count.
- "Pay per token" means the token tier works out cheaper than any subscription for your usage.
- Tick "Company code" if your sessions must not be used for training. Options that train on your data, such as Muse Code's Contributor tier, are then left out.
What the estimate assumes
One agent task reads the token volume below for your codebase size. 60% of input is served from cache, and a month has 4.33 weeks. Plan allowances are our editorial estimates, not vendor numbers.
| Codebase size | Input tokens / task | Output tokens / task |
|---|---|---|
| Small (< 10k lines) | 60,000 | 6,000 |
| Medium (10k-100k lines) | 150,000 | 12,000 |
| Large / monorepo (> 100k lines) | 400,000 | 25,000 |
Real usage varies a lot with task size, model and reasoning effort. Treat the result as a guide, not a quote.
Prices the calculator uses
Every price comes from the vendor's official pricing page (monthly billing, USD).
| Tool | Type | Price | Free tier | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muse Code | Terminal coding agent (CLI) | $5-$50/mo | No free usage tier listed. Installing is free; you pay per token or by plan. | macOS, Linux, Windows (native, PowerShell) |
| Claude Code | Terminal coding agent (CLI) + IDE extensions | $20-$200/mo | Not included in the free Claude plan | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Cursor | AI code editor (VS Code fork) + CLI | Free, $20-$200/mo | Hobby plan with limited agent requests | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| GitHub Copilot | IDE extension + coding agent | Free, $10-$100/mo | Free plan with monthly caps | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, CLI and more |
| OpenAI Codex | CLI + cloud agent (via ChatGPT plans) | $8-$200/mo | Limited Codex access on ChatGPT Free and Go | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Devin Desktop (Windsurf) | AI code editor | Free, $20-$200/mo | Free plan with a light agent quota | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Gemini CLI | Terminal coding agent (CLI), open source | Free, $19.99-$99.99/mo | 1,000 requests/day with a personal Google account | macOS, Linux, Windows |
Prices from each vendor's official pricing page, monthly billing, checked September 28, 2026. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy.
FAQ
Which AI coding tool is cheapest?
It depends on volume. For light use, pay-per-token tiers usually win: Muse Code's Standard tier is $1.25 per 1M input tokens, and the Contributor tier is $0.10 if you allow Meta to train on your data. For daily heavy use, a flat plan is usually cheaper. Enter your own numbers above to see which applies.
How accurate is the estimate?
Prices are exact list prices. The token volume per task and how many tasks a plan covers are our estimates, so your real bill can be higher or lower.
Does it include taxes and card fees?
No. Prices are USD list prices before local taxes, currency conversion and card fees.
Why is a tool missing from the result?
If you tick "Company code", options that use your sessions for training are removed, and a tool with no option left is not shown.