Build + maintenance + runtime: one honest budget

Know what your app really costs before you spend a dollar.

Forecost turns your idea into a defensible budget in minutes: AI-assisted build cost, monthly maintenance, and runtime fees. Walk into any vendor conversation knowing the numbers, and stop paying for guesswork.

Free estimateNo signup neededResults in ~10 minutes

Build AI Cost

$4,800one-time

AI-assisted build — scoping, core modules, integrations, and QA.

$1.6K – $11K

MVP · 1–3 months · 2 devs

Maintenance

$290per month

Hosting, monitoring, security and dependency updates.

$96 – $670

incl. AI tooling subscriptions

Runtime AI API

$312per month

In-product AI token usage at expected monthly volume.

Haiku 4.5 · best value

scales with monthly usage

See where every dollar goes

AI breaks your idea into modules, complexity, and risks, so you know exactly what you're paying for, line by line.

Three numbers, not one vague total

Build, maintenance, and runtime costs, each with low, expected, and high ranges. Budget the whole lifetime, not just the launch.

Negotiate with confidence

A client-ready PDF that justifies your budget or challenges an inflated quote before you sign it.

Anyone can look up the price. Nobody can guess their usage.

Claude, GPT, and Cursor publish their rates; that's the easy part, and a quick search away. The hard part is how many tokens, seats, and developer-days your idea will actually burn. Forecost estimates that usage, multiplies it by the public rate, and shows its work. Every number carries a “based on” line with the exact model, rate, and volume behind it, so you can check the math instead of trusting a black box.

How it works

Four steps to a budget you can defend

01

Describe your project

Use AI discovery or the manual wizard. Plain English is enough.

02

Answer smart follow-ups

Adaptive questions sharpen the numbers, and you can skip any that do not apply.

03

See the full cost picture

Build, maintenance, runtime, margins, and risks, with ranges, not promises.

04

Export & negotiate

Tune the assumptions, then export a PDF you can put in front of any vendor.

Pricing

Start free, upgrade when you need more

Keep early estimates simple, buy polished reports when needed, or unlock unlimited planning with Pro.

Free

Free

$0to start

For one-off project checks before you decide whether the idea is worth pursuing.

Get a free estimate
  • 5 saved estimates
  • AI discovery with the standard model
  • Manual estimate flow
  • Build, maintenance, and runtime AI cost ranges
  • Risk, assumptions, and missing-info review
  • PDF reports available for $4.99 each
Pro

Pro

Best value
$9.99/ month

For founders, agencies, and teams that estimate often and need a full saved workspace.

Upgrade to Pro
  • Unlimited saved estimates
  • Advanced AI model for project analysis and follow-ups
  • Dashboard portfolio insights
  • Price drift and risk review views
  • Saved history, sharing, and billing tools
  • PDF exports included in the premium plan

FAQs

Your questions answered

Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our customer support team

Do I need to sign up to get an estimate?

No. You can create a free estimate without an account. Sign in when you want to save estimates, revisit assumptions, or manage exports from your dashboard.

What does Forecost include in the estimate?

Each estimate covers AI-assisted build cost, monthly maintenance, runtime AI usage, infrastructure, risk flags, and the assumptions behind the ranges.

How accurate are the numbers?

Forecost gives directional planning ranges, not a fixed quote. The estimate gets stronger when you answer follow-up questions and review the assumptions before budgeting.

Where does the pricing data come from?

Tool and model prices are tracked from public vendor pricing pages with source and verification dates where available. You should still verify current vendor pricing before final commitments.

Can I export a report?

Yes. Free users can buy polished PDF reports when needed, while Pro includes PDF exports with the premium workspace.

Free to estimate. No signup needed.

Most owners learn the real cost when the invoice arrives. You'll know it before.

Get my free estimate