Why it exists
I was paying about $347 a month for AI. So I'm auditing it in public: what I cut, what stuck, and whether one platform can replace the pile.
My numbers so far · October 2026
The $107 is what one platform replaces. The $240 mostly isn't.
Who I am
I'm Patrick Jenkins. I've spent more than 20 years in enterprise infrastructure, mostly PKI and certificate management, plus time in data centers. Most of that job is knowing exactly what's deployed, what it costs and when it renews. Tool Tax applies the same habit to AI subscriptions.
What's here
- The calculator: check the tools you pay for and see your monthly total next to what the same usage takes in SHIFT AI.
- The rate sheet: every price, credit rate and usage assumption behind the calculator, with checked-on dates.
- The Tool Tax Audit: a free one-page worksheet to price your own stack, sent by email with occasional updates.
- Videos on YouTube and TikTok.
How it's paid for
I'm a SHIFT AI member, and SHIFT pays me a referral reward when people join through my links. The calculator does the same math either way, and it tells you when your stack costs less than the membership. Read the full disclosure.
Keeping the numbers honest
Prices are regular monthly list prices, not promos, and each shows the date it was checked. I re-check them regularly. If you spot one that's wrong, email [email protected] and I'll fix it and update the date.
Tool Tax is operated by DailyProfits LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company, 30 N Gould St Ste R, Sheridan, WY 82801.