AI Token Counter
Paste any text to count its tokens, words and characters, and see what it costs to send to Claude, GPT or Gemini.
Your text stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.
See the tokens
Each coloured chip is one token, as OpenAI's tokenizer cuts your text.
What this text costs on each model
Sending it as input, or getting it back as output. Cheapest first. Tap a model to use it in the steps below.
For example 1000 requests that each include this text.
API prices are in US dollars. Enter today's rate to see another currency.
OpenAI rows use the exact count. Claude and Gemini rows use the approximate count (≈ characters ÷ 4 for English; other languages and code differ). Prices from our LLM API cost calculator, checked on 9 October 2026.
Context window fill
How much of a model's context window this text takes up. Sizes are approximate; check your model's real limit with its provider.
Tokens, words, characters and pages
Turn one into the others with the usual English rule of thumb: 1 token ≈ 4 characters ≈ ¾ of a word, 500 words a page.
How your tokens are counted
Text is cut into tokens, and AI models charge per token.
- 1
Your text
239 characters47 words
- 2
Cut into pieces
Tokens| are| the| small| pieces|…Common words = 1
- 3
Count the tokens
OpenAI: 56 exactOthers: 239 ÷ 4≈ 60 tokens
- 4
Cost to send
Claude Sonnet 5.560 × $2 ÷ 1M= $0.00012reply: $0.00060
Read more: the formula, a worked example and why counts differ
AI models don't read letters or whole words. They read tokens: chunks of text such as a short word, part of a longer word, a space or a punctuation mark. Each model family has its own tokenizer, the rule book that cuts text into tokens, so the same text gives slightly different counts on different models. Providers charge per token and every model has a limit on how many tokens it can take in at once.
The formula
OpenAI tokens = count from the o200k_base tokenizer (exact)
other models ≈ characters ÷ 4, rounded up
words ≈ tokens × 0.75 · pages = words ÷ 500
cost to send = tokens × times sent × input price per million ÷ 1,000,000
cost to receive = tokens × times sent × output price per million ÷ 1,000,000
window fill = (tokens + room for the reply) ÷ window size × 100%
Worked example
The starting text has 239 characters and 47 words in 3 sentences. OpenAI's o200k_base tokenizer cuts it into exactly 56 tokens. For Claude and Gemini the estimate is 239 ÷ 4 = 59.75, rounded up to 60 tokens. Sending it once to Claude Sonnet 5.5 at $2 per million input tokens costs 60 × 2 ÷ 1,000,000 = $0.00012; getting the same text back at $10 per million costs $0.0006. Sent 1,000 times, that's $0.12 to send and $0.60 to receive. On GPT-5.6 Sol ($5 / $30) the exact 56 tokens cost $0.00028 to send and $0.00168 to receive. In a 128K window the 56 tokens fill 56 ÷ 128,000 = 0.04%, leaving 127,944 tokens free.
Why counts differ
- Different tokenizers: OpenAI's o200k_base is public, so this page counts it exactly. Anthropic and Google don't publish theirs for use in a web page, so Claude and Gemini counts here are estimates. The provider's API reports the exact usage for each request.
- Language: tokenizers are built mostly from English text, so other languages and scripts often need more tokens for each word.
- Code and numbers: spaces, symbols and long numbers split into many small tokens.
- Chat formatting: when you send chat messages, each message adds a few tokens for its role and wrapping, and system prompts and tool definitions count too.
Quick conversions
| Tokens | ≈ Words | ≈ Characters | ≈ Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 75 | 400 | 0.15 |
| 1,000 | 750 | 4,000 | 1.5 |
| 8,000 | 6,000 | 32,000 | 12 |
| 32,000 | 24,000 | 128,000 | 48 |
| 128,000 | 96,000 | 512,000 | 192 |
| 1,000,000 | 750,000 | 4,000,000 | 1,500 |
The word, character and page figures are rules of thumb for English. Reading time uses about 238 words a minute and speaking time about 150 words a minute. Prices are the standard API prices in US dollars from our LLM API cost calculator, checked on 9 October 2026; confirm with the provider before you budget. Your text is counted in your browser and never uploaded.
Common questions
How many words is 1,000 tokens?
About 750 English words. A token is roughly 4 characters or ¾ of a word, so 1,000 tokens is about 4,000 characters, or 1½ pages at 500 words a page. Other languages and computer code usually use more tokens for the same amount of text, so paste your own text for a real count.
How do I count tokens for Claude or Gemini?
Anthropic and Google don't publish their tokenizers for use in a web page, so this counter estimates them as characters ÷ 4, which is close for plain English. The exact number can differ, more so for other languages and code. The provider's API reports the exact tokens used for each request.
Is the OpenAI token count exact?
Yes. It uses the same o200k_base tokenizer that GPT-4o and later OpenAI models use, running in your browser, so the count matches what OpenAI counts for that text. Chat messages add a few extra tokens for formatting, and older models such as GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 use cl100k_base, which you can pick in Advanced.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser and your text is never uploaded. The tokenizer file downloads once, the first time you type or paste. The Share button only puts your text into the link if it's 2,000 characters or shorter, so check before you share anything private.
How much does it cost to send this text to an AI model?
Multiply the tokens by the model's price per million tokens and divide by 1,000,000. For example, 60 tokens sent to Claude Sonnet 5.5 at $2 per million cost 60 × 2 ÷ 1,000,000 = $0.00012. If the model writes the same text back, output at $10 per million costs $0.0006.
What is a context window?
It's the most tokens a model can take in at once: your prompt, any documents, the chat so far and its reply all have to fit. The bar in Advanced shows how much of a window your text fills, with room kept for the reply. Window sizes differ by model, so check the provider.
Related calculators
Made by Zulu Calculator, part of AlphaZulu LLC. Formulas are shown in full and rule figures are checked against official sources; see how we build calculators.