Real costs
What does it actually cost?
VPS
~€4/month — Hetzner CX22 or equivalent.
API (AI models)
You only pay for what you use:
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Opus 4.6 | $5 / 1M tokens | $25 / 1M tokens |
| Sonnet 4.5 | $3 / 1M tokens | $15 / 1M tokens |
| Haiku 4.5 | $1 / 1M tokens | $5 / 1M tokens |
Monthly estimate
- Short messages: ~$3–5/month
- Medium conversations: ~$6–9/month
- Long conversations: ~$12–15/month
💡 In practice: $2–5/month in API costs + VPS. Cheaper than a ChatGPT Plus subscription ($20/month).