Input vs output tokens — a simple guide
Why output tokens often dominate the bill, and how to estimate both sides before you call an API.
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8 articles in Concepts
Stay in this topic, or jump to another lane when you need a different planning angle.
Why tool-calling agents cost more than single-shot chat
How growing context, tool-result tokens, and multi-turn loops drive agent API bills—and how to estimate them.
Read articleAPI resale margin: cost vs what you charge
How to price AI wrappers and products so provider COGS, payment fees, and overhead still leave healthy margin.
Read articleWhy bigger context windows cost more
How 8K vs 128K vs 1M prompts change token bills—and when caching or retrieval beats stuffing everything in.
Read articleHow much do 1 million tokens cost?
A plain explanation of per-1M input and output prices—and why your real 1M-token bill depends on the mix.
Read articleWhy retries inflate AI API cost
How rate limits, timeouts, and partial billing turn a “successful job” budget into extra attempts and spend.
Read articleDoes streaming change LLM API cost?
Why streamed and buffered responses usually share list prices—and when early cancel or wait economics tip the comparison.
Read articleWhat is a token in LLM APIs?
A plain-language explanation of tokens and why they drive AI API bills.
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