AI API Cost Calculator: OpenAI, Claude & Gemini

BYOK stands for Bring Your Own Key. Instead of paying a SaaS platform a premium for built-in AI that includes hidden markup, you connect your own API key from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Grok, Perplexity, or Kimi. You pay the AI provider directly at their published rates with zero markup. You pay the provider's own price, and nothing on top.

The cost per post depends on the model you choose. With premium models, the average cost is about $0.02-0.03 per post. With budget-friendly models, it drops to $0.001-0.005 per post. Even heavy users generating 100+ posts per month typically spend only $2-6 on AI API costs.

Taplio charges $69/month for their Growth plan with 250 AI credits built into the subscription. LinkedGrow Pro costs $99/month plus your actual AI API costs (typically $1-3/month). That means you save around $47-49 per month, or $564-588 per year, while getting unlimited AI generations with the model of your choice.

For most LinkedIn creators, budget and mid-range models offer the best balance of quality and cost at around $0.002-0.005 per post. If you want premium quality for important posts, top-tier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google deliver excellent results at $0.02-0.03 per post. The beauty of BYOK is you can switch models anytime.

No hidden costs at all. You pay your LinkedGrow subscription (starting at $99/month for Starter) and your AI provider directly for API usage. There is no markup, no credit system, and no per-generation fee from LinkedGrow. Your AI costs are completely transparent and visible in your provider's dashboard.

Getting an API key is simple. Visit your preferred provider's website (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, Grok, Perplexity, or Kimi), create a free account, navigate to the API section, and generate a key. Most providers offer free trial credits to get started. Then paste the key into your LinkedGrow settings and you are ready to generate content.

Yes. LinkedGrow supports OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), Grok, Perplexity (Sonar), and Kimi. You can configure multiple providers and switch between them depending on the task. For example, use a budget model for quick drafts and a premium model for polished final posts.

Unlike platforms with fixed monthly credits, BYOK means you control your budget entirely. Most AI providers use pay-as-you-go billing, so you only pay for what you use. You can set spending limits in your provider's dashboard to avoid surprises. If your balance runs out, simply add more credits - there is no waiting for a monthly reset.