CentsPerToken
Open calculator

Calculator

SaaS AI feature unit economics calculator

Model an AI feature’s API cost against seat or usage revenue. See margin, AI COGS as a percent of revenue, and the price you need to hit your target.

Open calculatorRead the guide

Contribution margin

Healthy contribution margin

90.0%after AI + non-API COGS

$143,963.88 gross profit · GPT-5 mini

Contribution margin90.0%
$143,963.88
AI COGS % revenue0.0%
Target ≤ 20%
API / use$0.001075
Monthly API$36.12
Revenue$160,000.00
AI COGS %0.0%

Inputs

Feature economics

Seat + usage revenue against model COGS for the AI feature.

Insights

AI share of COGS

How much of total cost of goods is the model bill.

AI share of total COGS0%
AI API COGS$36.12
Non-API COGS$16,000.00
Seat + usage revenue$160,000.00 + $0.00
Adopting users / uses2,800 / 33,600
API cost / MAU$0.004515
API cost / adopting user$0.0129
Revenue needed @ target COGS%$180.60
Suggested seat price$0.0226
Suggested price / use$0.00
Max uses @ target COGS%29,767,441

AI COGS sits 20.0 pts under your 20% target.

Planning unit economics only—excludes taxes, payment fees, and support costs unless you fold them into non-API COGS%. Updated 2026-07-31. Approximate static list prices for planning only. Always verify against each provider’s official pricing page before production budgeting.

Guide

How to get value from this calculator

Map AI API cost of goods sold to seat pricing, adoption rates, and usage limits to understand margin per customer. SaaS features with embedded LLM calls need unit economics before launch so you do not subsidize power users indefinitely. Connect technical token assumptions to business pricing decisions.

Cost formula

COGS per user = (API cost per request × requests per user per month); Gross margin = (revenue per user − COGS per user) / revenue per user; Break-even price = COGS per user / target gross margin

Why it matters

AI features have variable COGS unlike traditional SaaS. Without per-user cost modeling, generous unlimited plans can destroy margin on heavy users while undercharging relative to value on light users.

How to use it

  1. Estimate average API cost per AI action using token volumes and model choice.
  2. Set expected AI actions per user per month at average and power-user levels.
  3. Enter your planned seat price or per-action pricing.
  4. Review gross margin at average adoption and at p95 usage.
  5. Identify price floor needed to maintain target margin on power users.
  6. Adjust usage caps, model tier, or pricing until unit economics are sustainable.

Planning tips

  • Model p95 and p99 usage, not just averages—power users drive COGS tails.
  • Usage caps and fair-use policies protect margin without raising base price for everyone.
  • Cheaper models for free tier and premium models for paid tier improve blended economics.
  • Include embedding, storage, and eval costs in COGS, not just chat tokens.
  • Watch the AI share of COGS bar—if AI dominates, model tier and usage caps matter more than seat count.
  • Copy a decision receipt when contribution margin crosses your target so pricing debates stay grounded.
  • Revisit unit economics quarterly as model prices and usage patterns shift.

Frequently asked questions

Should COGS use list or negotiated API prices?

Use your effective rate if you have discounts; otherwise CentsPerToken list prices provide a conservative planning baseline. Verify against actual invoices monthly.

How do I handle users who barely use the AI feature?

Model a distribution of usage tiers. Blended COGS across all users may look healthy while power users are underwater—segment analysis is essential.

Does this replace financial modeling software?

No. This calculator focuses on AI API COGS inputs for SaaS planning. Full P and L requires your finance team's broader assumptions.

Are margin projections guaranteed?

No. All figures are approximate planning estimates based on your inputs and static list prices.

Back to tools