AI Token Counter
Paste any text to estimate how many AI tokens it contains, and calculate the approximate API cost. Useful before sending long prompts to ChatGPT, Claude or other AI models.
How the estimate works
- Character heuristic: 0 tokens (characters ÷ 4).
- Word heuristic: 0 tokens (words × 1.33, because 1 token ≈ 0.75 words).
- Final estimate: the average of the two heuristics, rounded to a whole number.
Estimate only. Exact tokenizers differ by model — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other models split the same text into different token counts. For exact billing numbers, use the tokenizer of the model you are using.
How to use
- Paste or type your text into the text box. The counts update automatically as you type.
- Enter your price per 1 million tokens from your AI provider pricing page.
- Read the estimated token count and the estimated cost.
- Press Clear to start over with new text.
Tips for saving tokens
- Remove repeated instructions from long prompts — one clear instruction works better than the same point said three ways.
- Paste only the part of a document the AI actually needs instead of the whole file.
- Short formatting words like "please" and "thank you" add tokens on every request; polite wording is fine, but keep it short in automated use.
- If you call an API in a loop, test the token count on one call first, then multiply — small per-request costs grow fast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How does the AI Token Counter estimate tokens?
It uses a documented heuristic: about 1 token per 4 characters and about 1 token per 0.75 words. The tool shows both sub-estimates and reports their average as the final estimate.
Is the token count exact?
No. It is an estimate only. Exact tokenizers differ by model — ChatGPT, Claude and other models split text into tokens differently, so the real count can be higher or lower.
How do I calculate the API cost?
Enter your price per 1 million tokens in the cost field (default 2.00). The tool multiplies the estimated token count by your price and shows the estimated cost instantly.
Is the AI Token Counter free?
Yes, it is free to use online. Everything runs in your browser and no signup is needed.