Agent Memory Cost Calculator
See how growing agent memory inflates cost per step.
With the default inputs, $0.0350 per run — Memory grows to 3,300 tokens by the last step. Enter your own numbers below to recompute instantly; the full step-by-step math is shown under the worked example.
Results update automatically as you type.
- Total input tokens/run
- 15,200 tokens
- Cost per run
- $0.0350
- Cost per month
- $525.00
When an agent carries all prior context forward, each step re-sends a growing memory, so cost climbs quadratically. Estimate a run's cost as memory accumulates step by step.
How this is calculated
When an agent carries all prior context forward, step N re-sends the base input plus accumulated memory (base + growth per step × (N−1)). We sum input across steps — which grows quadratically — plus output per step, at your model's rates. Monthly = per-run × runs per day × 30.
Is this a good result? What to do next
Unbounded memory is the classic reason agent costs explode: because carried context grows every step, total input rises with the square of the step count. If your per-run cost balloons with longer runs, memory growth is almost always the cause.
Typical planning ranges
- Full carried memory
- quadratic in steps
- Bounded memory
- near-linear in steps
- Biggest lever
- cap or summarize memory
Ranges are typical planning figures to sanity-check your result, not authoritative benchmarks. Your numbers will vary with use case, volume, and vendor.
How to improve this number
- Summarize or trim memory between steps.
- Store facts externally and retrieve only what's needed.
- Cache stable context so it isn't re-billed.
Common mistakes
- Letting memory grow unbounded across long runs.
- Assuming per-step cost is constant.
When to use a different approach
For a flat per-step agent, use the AI agent cost calculator. For a fixed multi-step pipeline, use the agent workflow cost calculator.
Worked example (defaults)
With the default inputs above, here is the result:
- Total input tokens/run
- 15,200 tokens
- Cost per run
- $0.0350
- Cost per month
- $525.00
- Each step carries all prior memory, so cost grows quadratically with steps.
Sources & references
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop agent cost exploding?+
Summarize or trim memory between steps, store facts externally and retrieve only what's needed, and cache stable context. Unbounded memory grows cost with the square of steps.