Calculate your startup and monthly costs
One-time costs
Monthly usage
| Line | Monthly |
|---|
Cash to launch: $0 Running cost a month: $0 First year total: $0
Done for you, for comparison: WLF University is $2,999 once plus $299 a month once your site is live, with hosting, AI, content and payments included. First year: $6,288 if live for 11 months.
Published prices the calculator uses
The defaults are prices vendors publish, checked October 26, 2026. Change any field to match the vendor you choose.
| Cost | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| .com domain | $11.08 a year | Porkbun |
| Florida LLC | $125 to form, $138.75 annual report | Florida Division of Corporations |
| Hosting | $20 a month (Vercel Pro) | Vercel |
| AI chat model | $0.10 per million input tokens, $0.50 per million output (Claude Haiku 5.5, prompts up to 100,000 tokens) | Anthropic |
| Image generation | $0.003 per image (FLUX schnell) | Replicate |
| Age verification | $25 a month plus $0.50 per accepted check | AgeChecker.net |
| Card network registration | $1,950 initial and yearly (Epoch) | Epoch |
The software or build default of $1,000 is the low end of published clone script prices compiled in the WhiteLabelFans AI girlfriend app development cost breakdown; licensed clones run about $6,000 to $16,000 and custom builds $50,000 or more. Payment processing fees are a share of revenue, not a startup cost, so they are in the profit calculator instead.
A worked example with the default numbers
With the defaults above (a $1,000 script, a .com, a Florida LLC, Epoch's card registration, 100,000 chat replies, 2,000 images and 200 age checks a month), the math works out like this:
- One-time: $1,000 + $11.08 + $125 + $1,950 = about $3,086.
- AI chat: 100,000 replies x 2,000 input tokens is 200 million input tokens, $20 at $0.10 per million; 30 million output tokens add $15. Total $35.
- Images: 2,000 x $0.003 = $6.
- Age checks: $25 + 200 x $0.50 = $125.
- Hosting and annual report: $20 plus $138.75 spread over 12 months, about $11.56.
That is about $198 a month to run and about $5,457 for the first year, before payment processing fees, content, support and your own time. The done-for-you comparison is $2,999 plus 11 live months at $299, or $6,288, with those extra costs included. Neither number tells you which route earns more; that depends on your traffic, which is what the profit calculator is for.
Notice what is small and what is large. AI chat and images, the parts people worry about, are a few dollars at this volume. Card registration, age checks and the build itself are where the money goes, and they arrive before your first member pays.
Which costs surprise first-time founders?
- Card network registration. Adult and companion merchants often pay a yearly registration to the card networks through their processor, which can cost more than the software itself.
- Memory makes chat cost more. Every reply re-sends the conversation context. Doubling input tokens per reply doubles the input part of your AI bill.
- Age verification scales with signups. It is a per-check cost, so a traffic spike raises it immediately.
- Content never stops. New companions and images keep members subscribed, and someone has to make them.
- Your time. Running the technology yourself takes hours you are not spending on traffic.
DIY or done for you?
Building it yourself keeps 100% of revenue, but you carry every cost in the table plus payment processing, chargebacks and compliance. Done for you costs a fixed amount and a share of revenue, and leaves you with one main job: traffic. The right answer depends on your skills and budget. Read done-for-you vs DIY compared and the full AI companion business cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start an AI companion business?
It depends on the route. Published clone scripts start around $1,000, custom builds at $50,000 or more, and each needs hosting, AI, images, age checks and card registration on top. Use the calculator with your own numbers.
How much does AI chat cost per month?
Multiply your replies by tokens per reply and the model's published price. At $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens, 100,000 replies with 2,000 input and 300 output tokens cost $35.
Do I need an LLC?
Many founders form one to separate business and personal finances, and processors usually require a registered business. Florida publishes $125 to form an LLC and $138.75 for the annual report. Ask an accountant about your situation.
Why is card registration so expensive?
Card networks require adult and similar high-risk merchants to register, and processors pass the fee on. Epoch publishes $1,950 for the initial registration and each yearly renewal.
What does done-for-you cost in comparison?
WLF University costs $2,999 once plus $299 a month once your site is live, with hosting, AI, content and payment processing included. You keep up to 60% of total site revenue.