Question 1

Is AI included in the OpenEduCat subscription or is it an extra charge?

Accepted Answer

The OpenEduCat AI platform (the context builder, tool framework, admin controls, audit logging, and all AI tool interfaces) is included in your OpenEduCat subscription. There is no separate AI module license fee. The only variable cost is what you pay your chosen AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or others) for API calls. For institutions running a locally-hosted open-source model like Llama 3, even that cost is zero.

Question 2

How much do AI API calls actually cost with BYOM?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the model and usage volume. As a rough estimate, with GPT-4o Mini (a capable, cost-efficient model): 1,000 student interactions per day at an average of 500 tokens each costs approximately $0.30–$0.60 per day at current API pricing. For a college with 500 active AI users, monthly API costs are typically in the range of $15–$60, far below what per-seat AI licensing at $2–$5 per user per month would cost. You can also use budget caps in your AI provider dashboard to set monthly spending limits.

Question 3

Are there per-student fees for AI usage?

Accepted Answer

No. OpenEduCat does not charge per student or per user for AI access. The platform fee is at the institution level. You can enable AI tools for all 5,000 students or just 50 faculty, the cost to OpenEduCat is the same. The only volume-sensitive cost is your AI provider API bill, which scales with actual usage.

Question 4

How does OpenEduCat AI pricing compare to ChatGPT Education?

Accepted Answer

ChatGPT Education bundles the AI model and the application layer into a single per-seat subscription. You pay per user, you use GPT, and there is no option to switch to Claude or Gemini. OpenEduCat separates the application layer (included in your subscription) from the AI model layer (your API key, your choice). For institutions with many users, BYOM is typically 5–10x cheaper than per-seat AI subscriptions. For institutions with strict data requirements, BYOM also means you are not locked into a single AI provider or their data handling practices.

Question 5

Can I set a budget cap to control AI API spending?

Accepted Answer

Yes, at two levels. First, in your AI provider dashboard (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google), you can set monthly budget caps and receive email alerts as you approach the limit. Second, in the OpenEduCat admin panel, you can set per-user daily interaction quotas, for example, students get 20 AI interactions per day and teachers get 100. This limits total daily token volume and gives you a predictable spend envelope. Usage dashboards in the admin panel show daily and monthly AI interaction totals.

Product	Per-Student Fee	Per-Query Fee	AI Model Cost
OpenEduCat AI (BYOM)You	None	None	Your API provider at bulk rates
ChatGPT Education	$3–$5/user/month	Included in seat	OpenAI bundled, no choice
Microsoft Copilot for Edu	$2.50–$5/user/month	Included in seat	Azure OpenAI, no choice
Generic AI Add-On (SaaS)	Varies by vendor	Often billed at volume	Vendor model, proprietary

Per-Institution Pricing. No Per-Query Fees.

How the AI Pricing Model Works

Flat Per-Institution Fee

No Per-Query Fees

BYOM: Pay Your Provider Directly

On-Premise: Zero AI API Costs

OpenEduCat AI vs Per-Seat AI Tools

Real-World API Cost Estimate

AI Pricing FAQs

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