Cheap to start. Easy to overspend.
The subscription is the smallest cost you'll see. Budget for all three: money, time and risk.
Money
The Bill
Plans: a monthly subscription with usage limits
Or: pay per use through an API key
Watch: long sessions and big projects use more
Time
The Hours
Setup: a day or two to get comfortable
Review: often longer than the build itself
Watch: fixing what you didn't check
Risk
The Exposure
Security: bugs you can't spot yet
Data: personal info handled badly
Watch: code nobody can maintain
Source: Anthropic Claude API Docs ↗
Budget money, time and risk. Not just the subscription.