Estimated monthly token volume
27,500,000 tokens
COST CALCULATOR
What does AI cost for your business?
An honest comparison: OpenAI API vs. on-premise LLM on your own infrastructure. Move the values to model your situation.
50
Usage intensity per person
Data category
YOUR ESTIMATE
OpenAI API (GPT-5.4)
€169 /month
≈ €6,072 over 3 years
On-premise LLM
€5,000 one-time (setup) + €423/month (operations)
≈ €20,228 over 3 years
Path: own workstation (RTX 5090)
BREAK-EVEN
At this volume, the OpenAI API is cheaper over 3 years. On-premise pays off starting at ~169 M tokens/month.
Note: For sensitive data (e.g. client or patient data, § 203 StGB), on-premise is often not just a cost question but a legal requirement. Using OpenAI with such data is frequently not permissible — even if the cost calculation favors cloud.
Note: This is an estimate based on public price lists (April 2026). Actual project costs depend on your situation — we’re happy to put together a concrete proposal.
Methodology
Token volume per person per day is based on the three intensity tiers (5k / 25k / 100k tokens). OpenAI pricing: GPT-5.4 at $2.50 per 1 M input tokens and $15.00 per 1 M output tokens (April 2026); assumed mix 1,000 input + 500 output per request. Exchange rate: 0.92 EUR/USD. On-premise paths: below 50 M tokens/month, an own RTX 5090 workstation (~€5,500 amortised over 36 months = €153/month plus €70/month electricity); above 50 M tokens/month, a rented Hetzner GEX130 at €838/month. One-time setup €5,000. Maintenance €200/month. Working days: 22 per month.