Pricing Calculator
Estimating Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex spend means adding three things: fixed subscription prices, measured variable usage from each vendor dashboard, and separately billed API or automation costs. Individual paid tiers span $20 to $200 per month, and named team seats start at $25 per seat per month.
This worksheet turns public list prices and your own measured usage into a monthly estimate. It deliberately avoids fixed message counts and predictions of plan exhaustion, because current plans meter work by model, tokens, context, effort, and execution surface.
Step 1: Record Fixed Subscription Prices
Section titled “Step 1: Record Fixed Subscription Prices”Individual Plans
Section titled “Individual Plans”| Product | Lower Paid Tier | Higher-Usage Tier | Highest Public Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Pro — $20/month | Pro+ — $60/month | Ultra — $200/month |
| Claude with Claude Code | Pro — $20/month or $200/year | Max 5x — $100/month | Max 20x — $200/month |
| ChatGPT with Codex | Plus — $20/month | Pro 5x — $100/month | Pro 20x — $200/month |
Named Team Seats
Section titled “Named Team Seats”| Workspace | Monthly Seat | Annual Seat Equivalent | Minimum / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor Teams Standard | $40 | $32 | Central billing and admin controls |
| Cursor Teams Premium | $120 | $96 | Five times Standard included usage |
| Claude Team Standard | $25 | $20 | Five-member minimum; Claude Code included |
| Claude Team Premium | $125 | $100 | Can be mixed with Standard seats |
| ChatGPT Business standard seat | $25 | $20 | Two-seat minimum; baseline Codex included |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Use the signed quote, not a public-plan estimate |
Step 2: Capture Variable Usage
Section titled “Step 2: Capture Variable Usage”Use one complete billing cycle where possible.
| Input | Where to Find It | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor on-demand spend | Cursor usage dashboard | USD/month |
| Cursor first- and third-party pool consumption | Cursor team/individual dashboard | Vendor-reported usage |
| Claude usage credits or bundles | Claude Settings → Usage | USD/month |
| Claude API-key spend | Claude Console or cloud provider | USD/month |
| Codex purchased credits | Codex Settings → Usage | Credits and purchase cost |
| ChatGPT Business/Enterprise credit spend | Workspace Billing/Usage | Credits and USD/month |
| Separate CI, SDK, review, or compute costs | Provider invoices | USD/month |
Do not convert “requests” into dollars with a universal multiplier. A request can range from a short cached turn to a long multi-agent run.
Step 3: Apply the Formula
Section titled “Step 3: Apply the Formula”Individual
Section titled “Individual”monthly total= fixed subscriptions+ measured usage credits+ measured on-demand usage+ separately billed API/SDK/automation usage+ tax and currency adjustmentsmonthly team total= standard seats × standard rate+ premium seats × premium rate+ workspace credits or on-demand usage+ separate API/automation/review spend+ tax, support, and contracted platform feesCurrent Included-Usage Reference
Section titled “Current Included-Usage Reference”| Plan | Subscription | Published Third-Party API Pool |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20 | $20 plus first-party/bonus capacity |
| Pro+ | $60 | $70 plus first-party/bonus capacity |
| Ultra | $200 | $400 plus first-party/bonus capacity |
Cursor Teams Standard and Premium use separate first-party and third-party pools. Premium provides five times Standard total included usage at three times the seat price. Check the live dashboard for each pool rather than estimating a fixed number of prompts.
Pro is the baseline. Max 5x and Max 20x provide five and twenty times Pro capacity per session. Claude also applies weekly limits, and Team limits are per member.
Pro, Max, Team, and eligible Enterprise users can continue with usage credits at standard API rates if enabled. Interactive Claude Code shares the subscription allowance with Claude. API-key use is billed separately from the first token.
ChatGPT Plus includes Codex. ChatGPT Pro has public $100 (5x) and $200 (20x) tiers. ChatGPT Business standard seats include baseline Codex access, with optional workspace credits after included usage.
Codex consumption varies with the model and tokens. Use the token-based credit rate card below rather than historical per-message estimates or retired model-based shortcuts.
Current Codex Credit Rate Card
Section titled “Current Codex Credit Rate Card”Most Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise-family customers use these credits per 1M tokens:
| Model | Input | Cached Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | 125 | 12.5 | 750 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | 62.5 | 6.25 | 375 |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | 25 | 2.5 | 150 |
task credits= input MTok × input credit rate+ cached-input MTok × cached-input credit rate+ output MTok × output credit rateFast mode uses separate rates. A small legacy Enterprise cohort may still have a message-based card; use the rate card displayed for that workspace.
API and On-Demand Model Rates
Section titled “API and On-Demand Model Rates”These are list rates per 1M tokens, useful when a subscription switches to usage credits or when you authenticate with an API key.
| Provider | Model | Input | Output | Pricing Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Sol | $5 | $30 | Cache writes and reads have separate rates |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Terra | $2.50 | $15 | Long inputs can trigger higher rates |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Luna | $1 | $6 | Lowest-cost GPT-5.6 tier |
| Anthropic | Claude Fable 5 | $10 | $50 | Standard API / usage-credit rate |
| Anthropic | Claude Opus 5 | $5 | $25 | Standard API / usage-credit rate |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 5 | $2 | $10 | Introductory through Aug 31, 2026; then $3/$15 |
| Cursor | Composer 2.5 Standard | $0.50 | $2.50 | First-party list rate |
| Cursor | Composer 2.5 Fast | $3 | $15 | Default Composer variant when selected |
| Cursor | Grok 4.5 Standard | $2 | $6 | First-party list rate |
| Cursor | Grok 4.5 Fast | $4 | $18 | Faster variant |
Example Token Arithmetic
Section titled “Example Token Arithmetic”For an illustrative request with 5,000 uncached input tokens and 2,000 output tokens:
cost = (5,000 / 1,000,000 × input rate) + (2,000 / 1,000,000 × output rate)| Model | Illustrative Token Cost |
|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $0.085 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $0.0425 |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $0.017 |
| Claude Fable 5 | $0.15 |
| Claude Opus 5 | $0.075 |
| Claude Sonnet 5 at introductory rates | $0.03 |
This excludes cache writes, tools, search, computer use, fast/priority processing, and agent overhead. It is arithmetic, not an average request forecast.
Illustrative Budget Scenarios
Section titled “Illustrative Budget Scenarios”Scenario A: One Developer, One Tool
Section titled “Scenario A: One Developer, One Tool”Fixed plan: Cursor Pro = $20Observed on-demand usage this billing cycle = $18Separate API/automation spend = $7
Illustrative monthly total = $20 + $18 + $7 = $45The same formula applies to Claude or ChatGPT/Codex. Substitute the selected plan fee and the observed credits or API spend.
Scenario B: One Developer, Three Tools
Section titled “Scenario B: One Developer, Three Tools”Cursor Pro = $20Claude Pro = $20ChatGPT Plus with Codex = $20Measured variable usage = $VARIABLE
Monthly total = $60 + $VARIABLEThis is a redundancy budget, not a recommendation. Track which tool produces accepted work before renewing all three.
Scenario C: Five-Person Managed Workspace
Section titled “Scenario C: Five-Person Managed Workspace”| Option | Fixed Monthly | Fixed Annual Equivalent | Variable Component |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor Teams Standard | $200 | $160/month | On-demand usage |
| Claude Team Standard | $125 | $100/month | Optional usage credits |
| ChatGPT Business | $125 | $100/month | Optional workspace credits |
For mixed Standard/Premium seats, multiply each seat type separately. Never represent a shared consumer account as a cost-saving option.
Scenario D: Enterprise
Section titled “Scenario D: Enterprise”Do not invent a per-seat Enterprise number. Request a quote and capture:
- Fixed platform and seat fees
- Included credits or token commitment
- Overage and model rate card
- Minimum term and true-up rules
- SSO, SCIM, retention, residency, audit, and support charges
- Sandbox, compute, review, and automation charges
ROI Worksheet
Section titled “ROI Worksheet”Enter measured inputs:
MONTHLY_TOOL_COST = subscriptions + variable usage + allocated admin costLOADED_HOURLY_RATE = salary + benefits + overhead per productive hourMEASURED_HOURS_SAVED = observed monthly reduction in comparable work
BREAK_EVEN_HOURS = MONTHLY_TOOL_COST / LOADED_HOURLY_RATEGROSS_VALUE = MEASURED_HOURS_SAVED × LOADED_HOURLY_RATENET_VALUE = GROSS_VALUE - MONTHLY_TOOL_COSTROI_PERCENT = (NET_VALUE / MONTHLY_TOOL_COST) × 100Pure Break-Even Arithmetic
Section titled “Pure Break-Even Arithmetic”| Monthly Cost | $50/hour | $75/hour | $100/hour | $150/hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | 0.40 h | 0.27 h | 0.20 h | 0.13 h |
| $60 | 1.20 h | 0.80 h | 0.60 h | 0.40 h |
| $100 | 2.00 h | 1.33 h | 1.00 h | 0.67 h |
| $200 | 4.00 h | 2.67 h | 2.00 h | 1.33 h |
The calculation says how much time would be required to break even. It does not prove the time was saved.
Review Checklist
Section titled “Review Checklist”- Every person has a named, authorized seat
- Current checkout or contract prices replace US list-price placeholders
- Dashboard usage covers at least one representative billing cycle
- Credits and API spend are not double-counted
- Subscription usage is kept separate from API-key usage
- Promotions are excluded from the long-term baseline
- Enterprise estimates come from a quote
- Productivity assumptions are labeled illustrative until measured
- The model and rate-card date are recorded
Official Sources
Section titled “Official Sources”- Cursor: pricing, usage pools, Teams seats, Composer 2.5, and Grok 4.5
- Anthropic: plan comparison, Team pricing and billing, usage credits, and API pricing
- OpenAI: ChatGPT pricing, Codex access by plan, Codex rate card, Business billing, and GPT-5.6 API pricing
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a monthly tool cost estimate?
Monthly total = fixed subscriptions + measured usage credits + measured on-demand usage + separately billed API/SDK/automation usage + tax and currency adjustments. For a team, seats are multiplied by their standard or premium rate, then workspace credits and separate automation or review spend are added.
How many credits does Codex charge per 1M tokens?
GPT-5.6 Sol costs 125 input, 12.5 cached input, and 750 output credits. GPT-5.6 Terra costs 62.5, 6.25, and 375; GPT-5.6 Luna 25, 2.5, and 150. Fast mode uses separate rates, and a small legacy Enterprise cohort may still have a message-based card.
What are the list API rates for the current models?
Per 1M tokens, GPT-5.6 Sol is $5 input and $30 output, Terra $2.50 and $15, Luna $1 and $6. Claude Fable 5 is $10 and $50, Opus 5 $5 and $25, and Sonnet 5 $2 and $10 introductory through Aug 31, 2026, then $3/$15.
How many hours must a tool save to break even?
BREAK_EVEN_HOURS = MONTHLY_TOOL_COST / LOADED_HOURLY_RATE. At $100/hour, a $20 plan breaks even after 0.20 h, $60 after 0.60 h, $100 after 1.00 h, and $200 after 2.00 h. The calculation says how much time would be required, not that the time was saved.
Can a team share one consumer account to cut costs?
No. Every user needs an authorized named account or seat, and the estimate must not be reduced by sharing consumer credentials. Team credit pools and centralized billing do not make shared logins permissible.