How many free AI messages can I offer per user?
Pricing an AI feature means working backwards from cost, and this tool helps teams designing a free tier decide how many free AI messages to offer per user. 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: AI Cost Per User Calculator
Results update automatically as you type.
- Monthly AI cost
- $2,000.00
- Active users
- 5,000
- Cost per user
- $0.4000
Then: Sessions Per Budget Calculator
Results update automatically as you type.
- Budget
- $100.00
- Cost / session
- $0.00180
- Sessions in budget
- 55,555
Why this isn't trivial
The part people underestimate: free messages are pure cost, so the allowance you can afford depends on conversion and your cost per message. In practice the biggest savings come from sizing the free allowance to expected conversion, not generosity, so it is worth modelling before you commit.
How it's calculated
We estimate this by dividing the acceptable free-tier cost per user by the cost per message to get a sustainable allowance. 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
How generous can the free tier be?+
As generous as conversion justifies; model the cost of unconverted free users.
Should free messages use a cheaper model?+
Often yes — serve the free tier with a budget model to extend the allowance.
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.