# See what your Chirps cost

> Your dashboard and Analytics show about what your Chirps cost on OpenRouter; OpenRouter's own Activity page is the bill.

Source: https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/costs  
Plans: Essentials, Creator, Business, Academy  
Last checked: 2026-10-26

Chirp Builder keeps a running total of what your Chirps cost on your OpenRouter account, so you can
spot a busy or expensive Chirp early.

**Who can do this:** anyone with a plan, and team members whose role includes Analytics.

## On your dashboard

The **AI cost this month** card shows what the Chirps in your current workspace have cost since the
1st of the month (UTC), your own test chats in the preview included, because OpenRouter charges for
those too. Most answers cost a fraction of a cent, so the card shows $0.00 until the total reaches a
cent.

![The AI cost this month card on the dashboard showing $0.00, with the note Estimate from OpenRouter's reported prices.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/openrouter/costs/SS-OR-040-01__dashboard-cost__essentials__detail__v01.webp?v=f8bd881275)

## In Analytics

1. In the menu, click **Analytics**.
2. Pick a period at the top, such as **Last 7 days** or **Last 30 days**. Essentials keeps 30 days of
   history, Creator 90 days, and Business 12 months.
3. Read **OpenRouter cost**: everything your Chirps cost in that period, including your own preview
   chats.

   ![The Analytics page for the last 30 days: Conversations, Messages, Visitors, OpenRouter cost and Errors, then a chart of messages per day.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/openrouter/costs/SS-OR-040-02__analytics-cost__essentials__desktop__v01.webp?v=cf26d3cab2)

4. To see the cost day by day, click **Cost** above the chart. The **By Chirp** table lower down shows
   each Chirp's cost, so you can see which ones cost the most.

## Where the numbers come from

Each answer's cost is the price OpenRouter reports for it. When OpenRouter doesn't report one, Chirp
Builder estimates it from the model's list price, so treat the totals as close estimates.

**Your bill is at OpenRouter.** Its **Activity** page shows every request your key made and exactly
what it cost. If the numbers differ, OpenRouter's are right.

## Keep costs down

- Give your key a credit limit and set visitor limits:
  [Keep your AI spending in check](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/spending-limits).
- Pick a cheaper model for busy Chirps: [Choose your Chirp's AI model](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/choose-a-model).
- Turn off web search and image creation where you don't need them.