Token Calculator
Understand and estimate your token usage to optimize costs and plan your subscription effectively.
Quick Token Estimation
The Basics
What is a token? A token is the basic unit AI models use to process text. Think of it as roughly:
- ≈ 4 characters in English
- ≈ 0.75 words on average (1 word ≈ 1.3 tokens)
- Varies by language (German/French may use more tokens)
Both input AND output count:
- Your prompt (input)
- AI's response (output)
- Total tokens = input + output
Token Estimation Rules of Thumb
Text Length Estimates
| Content Type | Approximate Tokens |
|---|---|
| Short email (100 words) | ~130 tokens |
| Standard email (200 words) | ~260 tokens |
| One page of text (500 words) | ~650 tokens |
| Business memo (1,000 words) | ~1,300 tokens |
| Short report (2,500 words) | ~3,250 tokens |
| Long report (5,000 words) | ~6,500 tokens |
| Document (10,000 words) | ~13,000 tokens |
Common Task Estimates
| Task | Input Tokens | Output Tokens | Total Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft simple email | 100 | 130 | ~230 |
| Translate paragraph | 150 | 160 | ~310 |
| Summarize 1-page doc | 650 | 150 | ~800 |
| Analyze CSV (small) | 1,000 | 300 | ~1,300 |
| Draft business memo | 200 | 1,000 | ~1,200 |
| Review contract (10 pages) | 6,500 | 800 | ~7,300 |
Monthly Usage Planning
Calculate Your Monthly Token Needs
Example for an asset manager:
| Task | Frequency | Tokens per Task | Monthly Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning news digest | 20x/month | 500 | 10,000 |
| Client emails (draft) | 60x/month | 250 | 15,000 |
| Weekly portfolio review | 4x/month | 3,000 | 12,000 |
| Client quarterly letters | 15x/month | 1,500 | 22,500 |
| Monthly report | 1x/month | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Ad-hoc analysis | 10x/month | 2,000 | 20,000 |
| TOTAL | 87,500 |
Add 20-30% buffer: ~110,000 tokens/month
Token Optimization Strategies
1. Be Concise in Prompts
❌ Inefficient (200 tokens):
I need you to help me draft an email to send to my client.
The client's name is John Smith and he works at ABC Corporation...
[lengthy explanation]
✅ Efficient (80 tokens):
Draft professional email to John Smith (ABC Corp).
Purpose: Thank for meeting, confirm analysis next week.
Tone: Professional but warm. Length: ~150 words
Token savings: 60%
2. Specify Output Length
❌ Open-ended: "Analyze this sales data" (may generate 2,000 tokens)
✅ Length-specified: "Analyze this sales data. 5 bullet points maximum." (~300 tokens)
Token savings: 85%
3. Choose Right Model
Example: Email drafting
| Model | Token Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1x | Emails ✅ |
| Thinking Mini | 3x | Overkill |
| Thinking – Large | 8x | Wasteful ❌ |
Monthly impact (50 emails):
- Thinking Large: 100,000 token-equivalents
- Standard: 12,500 tokens
- Savings: 87,500 tokens (85%)
Monitoring Your Usage
Track These Metrics
Weekly:
- Total tokens used
- Tokens by task type
- Tokens by model
Monthly:
- Total vs. plan allowance
- Optimization opportunities
- Most expensive tasks
Plan Selection Guide
LIGHT Plan
Best for:
- Regular email drafting (30-50/month)
- Weekly data analysis (4-8/month)
- Document review (5-10/month)
- Small businesses, solo professionals
BASIC Plan
Best for:
- Heavy professional use
- Strategic analysis needs
- Web Search requirements
- Professional services, asset managers
ROI Calculation Template
Step 1: Calculate Time Saved
- Manual task: [X] hours
- With AI: [Y] hours
- Time saved: [X - Y] hours × [Z tasks/month]
Step 2: Value Time
- Hourly rate: CHF [rate]
- Value created: [hours saved] × [rate]
Step 3: Compare to Cost
- Plan cost: [Subscription cost]
- ROI: (Value - Cost) / Cost × 100%
Example:
- 15 hours saved/month
- CHF 150/hour rate
- Value: CHF 2,250
- Cost: Subscription (BASIC)
- ROI: Significant value delivered
Token-Saving Tips Summary
- Write concise prompts
- Specify output length
- Use right model for task
- Reuse successful prompts
- Batch similar tasks
- Start simple, refine
- Request bullet points
- Monitor and adjust
Quick Reference
TOKEN ESTIMATION:
• 1 token ≈ 0.75 words
• 1 page ≈ 500-600 tokens
• Short email: ~200 tokens
• Business memo: ~1,200 tokens
COST EFFICIENCY:
• Standard: 1x
• Thinking Mini: 3x
• Thinking – Large: 8x
OPTIMIZATION:
✓ Concise prompts
✓ Specify length
✓ Right model
✓ Reuse templates
Related Resources
Track weekly token usage by task and model. After one month, you'll have clear optimization insights.