Free decision tool · methodology v1 · October 19, 2026
AI Cost Lab
Cheap tokens do not necessarily mean cheap work. Compare the cost of a completed task—including human review, failed attempts, software, and setup.
Illustrative defaults · not measured results
Include the work AI leaves behind.
- Manual monthly cost
- $6,666.67
- AI-assisted monthly cost
- $2,850.00
- Human review included
- $1,333.33
- Manual fallback included
- $1,333.33
- Cost per completed task
- $2.85
- Monthly difference (positive = lower cost)
- $3,816.67
- Break-even monthly tasks
- 34
Results update when you calculate. No inputs leave your browser. Only an aggregate tool-use event is recorded.
What the calculation assumes
This is an editable scenario, not a vendor benchmark or a savings guarantee. Default values are illustrative. Every task receives one AI attempt and human review. Every unsuccessful attempt receives a complete manual fallback, assumed to finish the task. Setup cost is allocated evenly over your chosen months.
Manual cost = tasks × manual minutes ÷ 60 × hourly cost. Assisted cost adds attempt cost, review, manual fallback for the unsuccessful share, monthly software, and allocated setup. Break-even compares these modeled costs; it is not a prediction of demand.
Measure acceptance on a representative test set before trusting a success-rate estimate. Include rework, compliance, latency, and customer impact in your decision; they are not all captured by this model. If failures cannot safely fall back to a person, this model is not sufficient for that workflow.
A bounded pilot, not a leap of faith
- Pick one low-risk, reversible workflow and record its manual baseline.
- Define an acceptable result before testing.
- Measure review time and failures, not just model usage.
- Stop if quality or total cost is worse; revisit the assumptions rather than declaring savings.
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