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MSP Economics · AICost.ai cost decision engine

🕵️ The AI your client’s employees already use — priced as your next service

Pillar 5, live: exposure math from the fleet Shadow-AI brain (identical numbers to the public calculator), plus the MSP layer — the governance program priced as recurring white-label revenue. Risk reduction and evidence, never a compliance claim.

Grounded typical ranges, sourced* Decision-first — a verdict and a next step MCP engine: aicost.msp-shadow-ai-governance
Shadow-AI users
300
What this calculator does

Pillar 5, live: exposure math from the fleet Shadow-AI brain (identical numbers to the public calculator), plus the MSP layer — the governance program priced as recurring white-label revenue. Risk reduction and evidence, never a compliance claim.

Every number recomputes live; the same logic answers on the web, in the PDF one-pager, and to AI agents over MCP — identical results on every surface.

Why use it

New to this calculator? Start with the ⚡ Playground — a few sliders, instant ballpark. Then switch to the 🧮 Calculator for your exact number.

Two ways to use this: visualize in the Playground, then get your number in the Calculator.

Playground A quick, visual way to see which factors move your result the most. Open the playground → Calculator Enter your real workload for a precise result you can apply to your own usage. Go to the calculator →
⚡ Shadow-AI Governance Service (MSP) Playground
The 3 factors that move this the most — drag and watch the decision change.
Shadow-AI users
300 HIGH EXPOSURE
→ SELL GOVERNANCE NOW
60 %
30 %
4000
Try a scenario: 📄 Print one-pager ✉ Email me this

Shadow-AI Governance Service (MSP) — your exact numbers

Enter your shop's numbers. Everything recomputes live.
📊 Not sure of a value? Fields with a ▾ Typical pill offer broad industry ballparks (sourced typical ranges; Shadow AI (2026): 61% of orgs find unauthorized SaaS/AI monthly*; unsanctioned use commonly 30-60% of staff*; expected-loss math is probabilistic (use insurer figures where available); program is risk reduction + evidence, never a compliance claim. * = typical.) so you can move forward now — your result gets more accurate as you replace them with your own measured numbers. Values marked * are rough estimates.
Headcount in scope.
61% of orgs find unauthorized SaaS/AI monthly* — discovery scans surprise everyone.
Share of shadow users pasting customer/regulated data.
Discovery, policy, monitoring, training — your delivery cost.
Usage intensity.
Estimated*, or the insurer’s number.
Insurer/industry figure for their size.
Added cost when the vector is ungoverned AI.
Estimated*, conservative beats heroic.
On the service fee.
Verdict
HIGH EXPOSURE

300 shadow-AI users, 90 sharing sensitive data (3897 prompts/mo); expected annual loss $1,110,000 → governance ROI 1518.75%.

Shadow-AI users
300
Sensitive prompts / mo
3,897
Expected annual loss
$1,110,000
Your service fee / mo
$8,000
Client net / mo
$56,750
Governance ROI
1,518.8%
What to do
SELL GOVERNANCE NOW
Why
300 employees on unsanctioned AI, 3897/mo prompts carrying sensitive data — exposure math says the governance program at $8000/mo pays for itself in avoided expected loss. This is the easiest security conversation of 2026: the client already suspects it.

Method memo

Exposure and expected-loss math come from the fleet Shadow-AI Exposure brain — identical numbers to the public calculator by design. The MSP layer prices the governance program as a recurring white-label service via cost ÷ (1 − margin). Expected-loss figures are probabilistic estimates*, not predictions, and running the program does NOT make the client legally compliant — sell it as risk reduction plus evidence, which is what it is. Pairs with the Managed AI Service Pricing calculator (its governance floors) and the platform’s shadow-AI discovery (S15 roadmap).

Questions to pressure-test with

  1. What does a discovery scan actually find? Run one before quoting — the real shadow-user count sells the program.
  2. Which regulated data classes are in play? That sets the risk tier in the AI service pricing calculator.
  3. Who owns AI policy at the client today? "Nobody" is your opening slide.

Assumptions

  • Breach probabilities and costs are industry-typical* inputs — replace with the client’s insurer figures where available.

Values marked * are analyst estimates rather than vendor-verified data.

📖 Data sources & methodology 150 text models · 9 embeddings · 40 vision · 55 audio · 8 vector DBs across 10 vendor pages · last verified 2026-09-19

Methodology

  • All prices are USD per 1 million tokens, current as of 2026-09-19.
  • Vendor-published values have no mark. Inferred/extrapolated values are marked with * and listed below.
  • Batch API discounts are 50% off standard rates across providers that offer Batch mode.
  • Prompt caching discounts vary by provider (typically 80-90% off cached input tokens).
  • Regional data-residency surcharges (Anthropic 1.1x, OpenAI 1.1x, Google regional tiers) are NOT included in base rates.
  • Long-context pricing tiers apply when input exceeds model threshold.
  • Embedding prices are input-only (no output tokens generated).

Primary sources

Last-verified date is the most recent successful daily snapshot (aicost_pricing_snapshots) or, when no snapshot exists yet, the latest successful crawler run (aicost_crawler_runs). 10 of 10 vendors are currently verified. Aggregator services (TokenCost, AI Pricing Guru, etc.) are not listed.

Anthropic
2026-09-19
https://www.anthropic.com/pricing
Daily snapshot since Sep 2023 · 683 days captured
Anthropic Docs
2026-09-19
https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing
Daily snapshot since Sep 2023 · 683 days captured
OpenAI
2026-09-19
https://openai.com/api/pricing/
Daily snapshot since Sep 2023 · 684 days captured
Google AI
2026-09-19
https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing
Daily snapshot since Dec 2023 · 659 days captured
Google Vertex
2026-09-19
https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/pricing
Daily snapshot since Dec 2023 · 659 days captured
DeepSeek
2026-09-19
https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing
Daily snapshot since May 2024 · 598 days captured
xAI
2026-09-19
https://x.ai/api
Daily snapshot since Nov 2024 · 516 days captured
Mistral
2026-09-19
https://mistral.ai/pricing
Daily snapshot since Dec 2023 · 657 days captured
Cohere
2026-09-19
https://cohere.com/pricing
Daily snapshot since Sep 2023 · 683 days captured

Inferred values (marked with * in calculator tables)

Derived from industry conventions, not directly published by the vendor. Typical conventions: cached input = 10% of base (90% off), Batch API = 50% of base (50% off).

Vendor / Model Field Why it’s inferred
Anthropic — Claude Sonnet 4.6 cachedInput Derived at 10% of input rate — Anthropic publishes 90% cache-hit discount on this tier.
Anthropic — Claude Sonnet 4.5 cachedInput Derived at 10% of input rate; same 90% cache-hit convention as Sonnet 4.6.
Anthropic — Claude Sonnet 4.5 batchInput Derived at 50% of standard input — Anthropic documents uniform 50% Batch discount.
Anthropic — Claude Sonnet 4.5 batchOutput Derived at 50% of standard output — Anthropic documents uniform 50% Batch discount.
Anthropic — Claude Haiku 4.5 cachedInput Derived at 10% of input rate — Anthropic 90% cache-hit discount convention.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Mini cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — OpenAI documents automatic 90% discount on cache hits across GPT-5.x tier.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Nano cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — OpenAI 90% cache-hit convention.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Nano batchInput Derived at 50% of input — OpenAI Batch API uniform 50% discount.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Nano batchOutput Derived at 50% of output — OpenAI Batch API uniform 50% discount.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Pro cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — OpenAI 90% cache-hit convention.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Pro batchInput Derived at 50% of input — OpenAI Batch API uniform 50% discount.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Pro batchOutput Derived at 50% of output — OpenAI Batch API uniform 50% discount.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 cachedInput Derived at 10% of input; no residency uplift.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5 cachedInput Derived at 10% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5 batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5 batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5.5 Pro cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — OpenAI does not publish a cached rate for *-pro models; using the family convention.
OpenAI — GPT-5.5 Pro batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5.5 Pro batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 Pro cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — pro-tier convention.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 Pro batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5.2 Pro batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5.1 batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5.1 batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5 Pro batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5 Pro batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
OpenAI — GPT-5 Nano cachedInput Derived at 10% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5 Nano batchInput Derived at 50% of input.
OpenAI — GPT-5 Nano batchOutput Derived at 50% of output.
Google — Gemini 3 Flash cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — Google caching discount convention ~90%.
Google — Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — Google caching convention.
Google — Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite batchInput Derived at 50% of input — Google Batch API uniform 50% discount.
Google — Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite batchOutput Derived at 50% of output — Google Batch API uniform 50% discount.
Google — Gemini 2.5 Pro cachedInput Derived at 10% of input.
Google — Gemini 2.5 Flash cachedInput Derived at 10% of input.
Google — Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite cachedInput Derived at 10% of input — Google caching convention.
Google — Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite batchInput Derived at 50% of input — Google Batch API uniform 50% discount.
Google — Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite batchOutput Derived at 50% of output — Google Batch API uniform 50% discount.
xAI — Grok 4 (legacy) cachedInput Extrapolated at 25% of base.

Pricing is cross-verified against the LiteLLM community registry when available. Daily snapshots are kept in aicost_pricing_snapshots; every change is logged to aicost_price_changelog with old & new values for full audit trail. Read the full methodology →