TCO
Total cost of ownership — the all-in cost of running an agent including subscription, token spend, ops time, and integration work.
Subscription price alone is the wrong lens. A $20/mo agent that takes a week to integrate, generates $100/mo in token costs, and needs 4 hours/mo of maintenance has a real TCO closer to $300/mo at fully-loaded rates.
Compare TCO across alternatives before committing. Closed agents with included tokens usually have the cleanest TCO for individuals. Open-source agents with BYO-key usually have the best TCO for teams of 5+.
Frequently asked
How do I calculate the real TCO of an agent?+
Sum: monthly subscription + monthly token cost (BYO-key) + amortized integration cost (typical 2–6 weeks of one person's time) + ongoing maintenance (1–4 hours/mo). Compare against the throughput value it produces.