Should I charge per message or per month?
Pricing an AI feature means working backwards from cost, and this tool helps teams choosing a pricing model decide between per-message and per-month AI pricing. It ties your per-request AI spend to the price and margin you set, so you can see the trade-off before you publish a price.
Start here: Per-Seat AI Pricing Calculator
Results update automatically as you type.
- AI cost / seat
- $0.2925
- Price / seat
- $30.00
- Margin / seat
- $29.71
- Total revenue
- $3,000.00
- Total AI cost
- $29.25
- Gross profit
- $2,970.75
Then: Cost Per Conversation Calculator
Results update automatically as you type.
- Messages
- 8
- Cost per conversation
- $0.00156
- Margin
- $0.4984
Why this isn't trivial
The part people underestimate: per-month pricing is simple but exposes you to heavy users, while per-message tracks cost but can deter usage. In practice the biggest savings come from using per-month with fair-use caps, or per-message for volatile heavy users, so it is worth modelling before you commit.
How it's calculated
We estimate this by comparing margin under a flat monthly price versus a per-message price at different usage levels. Every figure uses the current provider prices baked into the site (reviewed daily), and you can override any input to match your own assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is safer on margin?+
Per-message tracks cost best; per-month needs caps to stay safe.
Which do customers prefer?+
Usually predictable monthly pricing, so many pair it with fair-use limits.
Are these prices up to date?+
Yes. The model prices behind this calculator are refreshed and reviewed daily, so your estimate reflects current provider rates rather than a stale snapshot.
Related
Estimates for planning. Pricing data last reviewed 28 July 2026.