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The Drawn Ledgerby Vivian 18+

AI studioChapter 7

Budget planner

Type what you can spend on AI each month and tick what you need. The planner picks a set of tools that fits, from prices read on the providers’ own pages.

Entry
A7
Category
AI studio
Checked
Reading
4 min
Sections
5

Evidence

VerifiedChecked against the original source.Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

In 30 seconds

  • A free chat plan is enough to start with captions and advice.
  • A monthly plan suits steady work. Paying per image or per second suits what you make now and then.
  • Video is priced by the second, so the length of your clips makes the bill.
  • A graphics card for local images is a one-time cost, kept apart from the monthly total.
  • Prices change often, and the planner sends nothing anywhere.

You will learn

  • How the planner picks a set of tools for your amount.
  • Which costs are monthly and which depend on how much you make.
  • Which plans stay out of the total, and why.
  • What local images ask of your computer.

Plan your month

Pick your amount while you’re calm, the way you’d pick any limit. The planner tries every set of options that covers what you ticked and keeps the strongest one that fits your amount. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

Planner

Plan your AI budget

What you need

Tick what you need to see a set of tools.

Every option the planner chooses from

  • A free chat plan (Claude or ChatGPT)Free

    For: Captions and replies, General advice, Coding your own tools

    Claude’s Free plan costs USD 0. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Its daily limit is low, so long work stops halfway. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  • Claude ProUSD 20.00 a month

    For: Captions and replies, General advice, Coding your own tools

    USD 20 a month when billed monthly. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Anthropic’s rules forbid sexual and fetish content, so keep it for clean captions, planning and code. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Anthropic Usage Policy (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Claude MaxUSD 100.00 a month

    For: Captions and replies, General advice, Coding your own tools

    USD 100 a month. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. More room for long coding sessions. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  • GLM Coding Plan LiteUSD 18.00 a month

    For: Coding your own tools

    The page showed USD 18 a month next to a lower discounted price, and the planner counts the higher one. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Z.ai GLM Coding Plan (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Z.ai’s terms forbid even suggestive content, so it’s for code only. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Z.ai Terms of Use (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Grok 4.7 through the APIUSD 1.30 a month

    For: Captions and replies

    USD 2.00 in and USD 6.00 out per million tokens. VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI models and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. So 300 captions or replies of about 1,500 tokens in and 200 out come to about USD 1.30 a month. You need a small tool or an app that takes an API key. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  • PixAI StarterUSD 9.99 a month

    For: Online images

    Billed as USD 9.99 a month. VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Adult images need its 18+ setting, and realistic adult images aren’t allowed, so it’s anime style only. VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI content guidelines (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • PixAI PlusUSD 29.99 a month

    For: Online images

    USD 29.99 a month for 1,000,000 monthly credits. VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. The same content rules as Starter. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  • NovelAI TabletUSD 10.00 a month

    For: Online images

    USD 10 a month. VerifiedChecked against the original source.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. No rule on adult images was found in its terms. UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

  • NovelAI OpusUSD 25.00 a month

    For: Online images

    USD 25 a month, with free single images within its size and step conditions. VerifiedChecked against the original source.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Grok Imagine images through the APIUSD 0.02 per image

    For: Online images

    From USD 0.02 an image. VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI models and pricing (images) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. xAI forbids depicting real people in a pornographic way. VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI Acceptable Use Policy (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • ComfyUI on your own computerFree

    For: Local images

    Free software that says it runs big models on as little as 4 GB of video memory and 8 GB of RAM. VerifiedChecked against the original source.ComfyUI README (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Grok Imagine video 1.5 LiteUSD 0.02 per second

    For: Video

    USD 0.020 a second through the API. VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • Grok Imagine video 1.5USD 0.08 per second

    For: Video

    USD 0.080 a second through the API. VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

  • MiniMax-H3 at 2KUSD 0.13 per second

    For: Video

    USD 0.13 a second through the API, or USD 0.08 at 768P. VerifiedChecked against the original source.MiniMax video pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Hailuo’s terms forbid promoting sexually explicit material. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Hailuo AI terms of service (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

Prices were read on the providers’ own pages on 7 November 2026 and change often. Check the page before you pay. The planner runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.

The planner needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser. The list above still shows every option and its price.

How to read it

Each option gets a strength for each need: basic, good or strong. That rating is mine, from using them, not the provider’s. When two sets are as strong as each other, the cheaper one wins. It also names the cheapest set that covers the same needs, because you rarely need the strongest one. When nothing fits, the planner shows the cheapest set and how far over your amount it goes. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

Images and video can be paid per use. Type how many images or seconds of video you make in a month, and the planner multiplies. One clip of 15 seconds a day is 450 seconds a month, so the per-second price matters more than it looks. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

What stays out of the total

The planner counts in US dollars and doesn’t convert. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study. ChatGPT’s and Grok’s chat plans are shown in each visitor’s own currency, so they stay out of the total. UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet. They’re real options, just not in the total.

OpenAI’s image API is billed by the token, and OpenAI points to a calculator for the cost of one image instead of a fixed price. VerifiedChecked against the original source.OpenAI image generation guide (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. So it stays out too.

Local images

Local images run on your own computer, so once you have the graphics card they cost nothing a month. Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study. Stability says SDXL works on consumer cards with 8 GB of video memory. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Announcing SDXL 1.0 (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. Bigger models ask for more: the fp8 file of Qwen-Image alone is 20.4 GB. VerifiedChecked against the original source.Qwen-Image in ComfyUI (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.

Local video is harder. MiniMax-H3 has open weights for a 33-billion-parameter model. VerifiedChecked against the original source.MiniMax-H3 model card (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026. No memory requirement was found on its page, so the planner leaves local video out. UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

Before you pay

Before the first payment

  1. Open the provider’s own pricing page and check today’s price.

  2. Read its rules for adult work, as Pick your AI explains.

  3. Pay by the month until you know you’ll keep it.

  4. Put a spending limit on the card you pay with.

Remember it

  1. Pick your amount first, while you’re calm.
  2. Free plans cover captions and advice to start.
  3. Per-use prices grow with what you make, so count your images and seconds.
  4. A graphics card is a one-time cost, outside the monthly total.
  5. Check the price on the provider’s page before you pay.

Check it

Every claim with its evidence level and its sources.

Evidence levels

Verified
Checked against the original source.
Reported
Stated by a serious secondary source read in full.
Community
Widely said in the scene; no document proves it.
Vivian’s field notes
First-hand experience, not a study.
Unverified
Plausible, not proven yet.

  1. Pick your amount while you’re calm, the way you’d pick any limit.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  2. The planner tries every set of options that covers what you ticked and keeps the strongest one that fits your amount.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  3. This wiki has no sourced price for graphics cards, so type the price you were quoted.

    UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

  4. Claude’s Free plan costs USD 0.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  5. Its daily limit is low, so long work stops halfway.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  6. USD 20 a month when billed monthly.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  7. Anthropic’s rules forbid sexual and fetish content, so keep it for clean captions, planning and code.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Anthropic Usage Policy (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Anthropic Usage Policy (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  8. USD 100 a month.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Claude plans and pricing (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  9. More room for long coding sessions.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  10. The page showed USD 18 a month next to a lower discounted price, and the planner counts the higher one.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Z.ai GLM Coding Plan (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Z.ai GLM Coding Plan (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  11. Z.ai’s terms forbid even suggestive content, so it’s for code only.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Z.ai Terms of Use (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Z.ai Terms of Use (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  12. USD 2.00 in and USD 6.00 out per million tokens.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI models and pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.xAI models and pricing (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

Show all 42 claims

  1. So 300 captions or replies of about 1,500 tokens in and 200 out come to about USD 1.30 a month.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  2. You need a small tool or an app that takes an API key.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  3. Billed as USD 9.99 a month.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  4. Adult images need its 18+ setting, and realistic adult images aren’t allowed, so it’s anime style only.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI content guidelines (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.PixAI content guidelines (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  5. USD 29.99 a month for 1,000,000 monthly credits.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.PixAI membership plans (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  6. The same content rules as Starter.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  7. USD 10 a month.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  8. No rule on adult images was found in its terms.

    UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

  9. USD 25 a month, with free single images within its size and step conditions.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.NovelAI subscription tiers (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  10. From USD 0.02 an image.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI models and pricing (images) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.xAI models and pricing (images) (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  11. XAI forbids depicting real people in a pornographic way.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI Acceptable Use Policy (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.xAI Acceptable Use Policy (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  12. Free software that says it runs big models on as little as 4 GB of video memory and 8 GB of RAM.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.ComfyUI README (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.ComfyUI README (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  13. USD 0.020 a second through the API.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  14. USD 0.080 a second through the API.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.xAI pricing (Imagine video) (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  15. USD 0.13 a second through the API, or USD 0.08 at 768P.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.MiniMax video pricing (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.MiniMax video pricing (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  16. Hailuo’s terms forbid promoting sexually explicit material.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Hailuo AI terms of service (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Hailuo AI terms of service (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  17. That rating is mine, from using them, not the provider’s.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  18. When two sets are as strong as each other, the cheaper one wins.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  19. It also names the cheapest set that covers the same needs, because you rarely need the strongest one.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  20. When nothing fits, the planner shows the cheapest set and how far over your amount it goes.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  21. Type how many images or seconds of video you make in a month, and the planner multiplies.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  22. One clip of 15 seconds a day is 450 seconds a month, so the per-second price matters more than it looks.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  23. The planner counts in US dollars and doesn’t convert.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  24. ChatGPT’s and Grok’s chat plans are shown in each visitor’s own currency, so they stay out of the total.

    UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

  25. OpenAI’s image API is billed by the token, and OpenAI points to a calculator for the cost of one image instead of a fixed price.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.OpenAI image generation guide (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.OpenAI image generation guide (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  26. Local images run on your own computer, so once you have the graphics card they cost nothing a month.

    Vivian’s field notesFirst-hand experience, not a study.

  27. Stability says SDXL works on consumer cards with 8 GB of video memory.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Announcing SDXL 1.0 (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Announcing SDXL 1.0 (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  28. Bigger models ask for more: the fp8 file of Qwen-Image alone is 20.4 GB.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.Qwen-Image in ComfyUI (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.Qwen-Image in ComfyUI (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  29. MiniMax-H3 has open weights for a 33-billion-parameter model.

    VerifiedChecked against the original source.MiniMax-H3 model card (opens in a new tab) Accessed 7 November 2026.MiniMax-H3 model card (opens in a new tab)Accessed 7 November 2026

  30. No memory requirement was found on its page, so the planner leaves local video out.

    UnverifiedPlausible, not proven yet.

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