AI Token Counter & Cost Estimator
Paste your text and get an instant token estimate — know your cost and context usage before you hit send.
- Instant character, word, and token counts
- Works with any text, prompt, or document
- No sign-up, no data stored or sent anywhere
Every AI model reads text as tokens, not characters or words — and how many tokens your text becomes is what actually determines your API cost and whether it fits inside a model’s context window. This tool gives you a fast, practical estimate.
Estimate uses the widely-cited approximation of ~4 characters per token for English text (roughly ¾ of a word per token). Actual token counts vary by model family and can differ by 10-20% from this estimate — use your provider’s official tokenizer for billing-critical work.
Why token counts matter
API pricing for every major AI provider is charged per token, not per word or character, and every model has a maximum context window measured in tokens. Knowing your token count before you send a request helps you avoid surprise costs and truncated context.
Getting an exact cost
Character-based estimation is fast but approximate. Once you know roughly how many tokens your text uses, head to the AI Model Cost Calculator to see exact current pricing across every major model and find the cheapest option for your workload.
Instant Results
Updates live as you type, no button to click
Simple Estimate
Uses the standard ~4 characters per token approximation
Private by Design
Your text never leaves your browser
100% Free
No limits, no hidden fees
How It Works
Get the most out of this tool in a few simple steps
Paste Your Text
Drop in a prompt, document, or block of code
Read the Estimate
See character, word, and token counts update live
Check the Cost
Head to the Cost Calculator for exact pricing across models
Perfect For
Use this tool for any task or profession
Developers
Estimate token usage before sending API requests
Business Owners
Budget for AI tool usage before scaling up
Content Creators
Check if a document fits inside a model's context window
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this exact or an estimate?
This is an estimate based on the standard ~4 characters per token approximation for English text. Actual tokenization varies slightly by model family.
Does it work for code?
Yes, though code often tokenizes at a different rate than prose since it has more symbols and shorter tokens.
Is my text stored anywhere?
No. The counter runs entirely in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers.
Ready to see the actual cost?
Use the AI Model Cost Calculator to compare real, current pricing across every major model for your exact token volume.
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