vøiddo
extension comparison · token counters · ai cost tracking

best token counter extension — 2026.

tokcount vs generic token counter extensions — live cost estimate, 8 LLM sites, and a WASM tokenizer that never uploads your prompts.

most token counter extensions support only ChatGPT and show a raw number. tokcount works on 8 LLM chat sites, shows a live dollar estimate, bundles three provider-specific tokenizers, and runs entirely in your browser tab — no remote tokenization, no telemetry.

tokcount
vs basic alternatives
LLM sites 8 vs 1
cost estimate live $ vs none
telemetry zero vs varies
browsers 3 vs 1
tl;dr

quick verdict by use case.

choose tokcount if
you use more than one LLM
tokcount works on ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Mistral, Copilot, You.com, and the Anthropic Console. If your workflow spans more than one AI chat site, every other token counter extension will miss at least half your sessions.
choose tokcount if
you care about actual cost, not just count
raw token count tells you nothing about money. tokcount shows a live dollar estimate next to the count — configurable per provider so you can match current API pricing. basic alternatives show only the raw number.
choose tokcount if
privacy matters to you
tokcount's tokenizer is WebAssembly compiled and runs locally in your tab. your prompt text never leaves the page. most basic token counter extensions call a remote tokenizer API, meaning your text is transmitted to a third-party server on every keystroke.
a basic counter may fit if
you only use ChatGPT + GPT-4o
if you exclusively use ChatGPT and only need to know whether a prompt is near the context limit, a simpler extension works fine. tokcount's extra breadth (cost, multi-site, multi-tokenizer) may be more than you need in that case.
feature matrix

side by side.

feature tokcount (vøiddo) basic token counter web-based tiktoken
ChatGPT support ✓ yes ✓ yes — paste only
Claude.ai support ✓ yes — no — paste only
Perplexity support ✓ yes — no — no
Mistral / Copilot / You.com ✓ yes (all 3) — no — no
Anthropic Console ✓ yes — no — no
Live cost estimate (in $) ✓ yes — configurable rates — no ~ manual calc
Tokenizers bundled 3 (OpenAI, Claude, Google-style) 1 (cl100k_base only) 1–2 (GPT-focused)
In-browser WASM (no upload) ✓ yes — varies, often remote ~ depends on tool
No account required ✓ yes ✓ yes ✓ yes
Firefox support ✓ AMO approved — Chrome only — n/a (web)
Edge support ✓ Edge Add-ons ~ sometimes — n/a (web)
Cost history + budget alerts (paid) ✓ Pro tier — no paid tier — no
CSV export (paid) ✓ Pro tier — no — no
Manifest V3 compliant ✓ yes ~ varies — n/a
Privacy policy ✓ full policy published ~ varies ~ varies

comparison based on publicly available extension listings. "basic token counter" refers to generic ChatGPT-focused token counter extensions on the Chrome Web Store. "web-based tiktoken" refers to standalone web tools that require copy-paste. last updated May 2026.

when to choose tokcount

four situations where it wins clearly.

multi-model workflow

you use ChatGPT for drafting, Claude for long documents, Perplexity for research. tokcount follows you across all three — one extension, consistent cost visibility everywhere.

API cost management

if you're building on top of LLM APIs and testing prompts in chat UIs, seeing the exact token count and dollar cost before you run prevents billing surprises. configurable rates mean you can match your actual API tier.

enterprise / privacy-conscious

if your prompts contain confidential information, WASM in-browser tokenization is non-negotiable. tokcount never sends your text to a third-party tokenizer server — unlike several popular alternatives.

Firefox and Edge users

tokcount is approved on Firefox AMO and published in the Edge Add-ons store. nearly every competing token counter extension is Chrome-only. if Firefox is your daily browser, tokcount is the main real option.

install tokcount free →
Chromeweb store
Firefoxadd-ons
Edgeadd-ons
supported sites

8 LLM chat surfaces. one extension.

tokcount injects a live token counter and cost estimate directly into the chat input on every site below. no copy-paste, no switching tabs.

ChatGPT

chat.openai.com — GPT-4o, GPT-4 turbo, GPT-3.5. cl100k_base tokenizer by default.

Claude (claude.ai)

claude.ai — Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, Haiku. Claude-equivalent tokenizer.

Perplexity

perplexity.ai — research-focused LLM. token count helps manage context budget on longer research prompts.

Mistral

chat.mistral.ai — Mistral Large, Codestral. token estimation for European LLM users.

Microsoft Copilot

copilot.microsoft.com — GPT-4-powered Copilot. cl100k_base tokenizer.

You.com

you.com — AI mode. configurable tokenizer for multi-model backend.

Anthropic Console

console.anthropic.com — API playground and prompt workbench. exact Claude tokenizer match.

faq

common questions.

  • What is the best token counter extension for Chrome in 2026?
    tokcount is the most complete free option: it covers 8 LLM chat sites, shows a live dollar cost estimate alongside the token count, bundles three provider-specific tokenizers (OpenAI, Claude, Google-style), and runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly with zero telemetry. Most competing extensions cover only ChatGPT and show a raw count with no cost context.
  • Does tokcount work on Claude.ai?
    Yes. tokcount supports Claude.ai (claude.ai), the Anthropic Console, and Claude API playgrounds — alongside ChatGPT, Perplexity, Mistral, Microsoft Copilot, and You.com. It uses a dedicated Claude-equivalent tokenizer so the count matches Anthropic's actual tokenisation, not a GPT approximation. Most basic token counter extensions support only ChatGPT.
  • Does tokcount send my prompts to a server to count tokens?
    No. tokcount's tokenizer is compiled to WebAssembly and runs inside your browser tab. Your prompt text never leaves the page. There is no remote tokenization API, no keystroke logging, and no telemetry. If you use Claude or ChatGPT for confidential work, this architecture is meaningfully different from extensions that count by sending your text to a third-party server.
  • How does tokcount show a cost estimate?
    tokcount shows a live in/out cost estimate in dollars based on configurable per-provider token rates. You can set the input and output rates per provider (matching whatever API pricing tier you're on) in the extension options. The live estimate updates as you type and is displayed inline next to the token count — no manual calculation needed.
  • Can I use tokcount on Firefox and Microsoft Edge?
    Yes. tokcount v1.0.0 is approved on Firefox Add-ons (AMO) and published in the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store. It is also live in the Chrome Web Store for Chrome, Brave, and Opera. Nearly all competing token counter extensions are Chrome-only — tokcount is among the few with full three-browser coverage.
  • Is tokcount free?
    Yes. Live token counting and cost estimation are free with no account required. Install from any of the three browser stores and start counting immediately. Paid tiers add cost history, budget alerts, saved project budgets, and CSV export — useful if you track LLM spend across multiple projects or bill API costs to clients.
  • Why does the token count sometimes differ between tokcount and the LLM's own count?
    tokcount provides a client-side estimate using an open tokenizer equivalent. The exact token count returned by the LLM's API can vary due to system prompt injection, context formatting, and tokenizer version differences. For budget planning purposes, tokcount's estimate is accurate enough; for precise billing reconciliation, always verify against the API usage response. tokcount's count is displayed as an estimate, not a billing guarantee.

see the full tokcount product page.

all features, screen tour, pricing tiers, and the full privacy policy.

tokcount full page → all 11 extensions