AI model spend chart Show spend against the budget, and where the month lands.
Short answer
Show spend to date as a building area split by model, the budget as a line and a forecast to the end of the month. To explain the forecast, add a waterfall from spend to date to the budget.
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · AI sample data
01 Spend to date in the hero Model spend so far this month, with the forecast and the budget beside it. 02 Spend by model The building area split into the biggest models and the rest. 03 The budget line The month's budget, so the forecast reads against it.
The data it needs
From spend to date to the budget 042 · Waterfall
October has spent $10.2K in 16 days, $638 a day. The rest of the month adds a forecast $9.4K, landing at $19.6K: $360 under the $20K budget, with a high case of $20.1K over it.
The area shows the pace; the waterfall shows how close the month lands. Put it under the widget during the month.
Next to it on an AI dashboard Spend from models through agents to outcomes $10,214 of model spend flows through 6 agents to 4 outcomes; $1,280 ends in retries and failed runs. ATLAS 3 $3.9K ORION XL $3.0K KITE 2 PRO $2.0K VEGA 1.5 $920 NOVA $414 ANSWERS $7.4K TOOL CALLS $1.5K RETRIES $940 FAILED $340 TRIAGE $1.6K DOCS $1.2K RESEARCH $1.7K REVIEW $1.0K REFUNDS $1.2K OTHERS $3.5K USEFUL WASTED Spend from models through agents to outcomes $10,214 of model spend flows through 6 agents to 4 outcomes; $1,280 ends in retries and failed runs. Atlas 3 $3.9k Orion XL $3.0k Kite 2 pro $2.0k Vega 1.5 $920 Nova $414 Answers $7.4k Tool calls $1.5k Retries $940 Failed $340 Triage $1.6k Docs $1.2k Research $1.7k Review $1.0k Refunds $1.2k Others $3.5k Useful Wasted Spend from models through agents to outcomes Stage Name Spend Wasted Model ATLAS 3 $3,880 No Model ORION XL $2,960 No Model KITE 2 PRO $2,040 No Model VEGA 1.5 $920 No Model NOVA $414 No Agent TRIAGE $1,640 No Agent DOCS $1,180 No Agent RESEARCH $1,730 Yes Agent REVIEW $1,010 No Agent REFUNDS $1,190 Yes Agent OTHERS $3,464 No Outcome ANSWERS $7,394 No Outcome TOOL CALLS $1,540 No Outcome RETRIES $940 Yes Outcome FAILED $340 Yes
Spend from models through agents to outcomes $10,214 of model spend flows through 6 agents to 4 outcomes; $1,280 ends in retries and failed runs. ATLAS 3 $3.9K ORION XL $3.0K KITE 2 PRO $2.0K VEGA 1.5 $920 NOVA $414 ANSWERS $7.4K TOOL CALLS $1.5K RETRIES $940 FAILED $340 TRIAGE $1.6K DOCS $1.2K RESEARCH $1.7K REVIEW $1.0K REFUNDS $1.2K OTHERS $3.5K USEFUL WASTED Spend from models through agents to outcomes $10,214 of model spend flows through 6 agents to 4 outcomes; $1,280 ends in retries and failed runs. Atlas 3 $3.9k Orion XL $3.0k Kite 2 pro $2.0k Vega 1.5 $920 Nova $414 Answers $7.4k Tool calls $1.5k Retries $940 Failed $340 Triage $1.6k Docs $1.2k Research $1.7k Review $1.0k Refunds $1.2k Others $3.5k Useful Wasted Spend from models through agents to outcomes Stage Name Spend Wasted Model ATLAS 3 $3,880 No Model ORION XL $2,960 No Model KITE 2 PRO $2,040 No Model VEGA 1.5 $920 No Model NOVA $414 No Agent TRIAGE $1,640 No Agent DOCS $1,180 No Agent RESEARCH $1,730 Yes Agent REVIEW $1,010 No Agent REFUNDS $1,190 Yes Agent OTHERS $3,464 No Outcome ANSWERS $7,394 No Outcome TOOL CALLS $1,540 No Outcome RETRIES $940 Yes Outcome FAILED $340 Yes
Error-budget burn rate per window Error-budget burn rate on a log scale: last hour 6.2×, 6 hours 3.4×, 24 hours 1.3×, this month 0.73×; the last hour pages at 14.4×, 6 hours at 6×, 24 hours opens a ticket at 3×. 0.25× 1× 5× 20× LAST HOUR PAGES AT 14.4× 6.2× 6 HOURS PAGES AT 6× 3.4× 24 HOURS TICKET AT 3× 1.3× THIS MONTH UNDER 1× 0.73× OVER 1× UNDER 1× PAGING RULE Error-budget burn rate per window Error-budget burn rate on a log scale: last hour 6.2×, 6 hours 3.4×, 24 hours 1.3×, this month 0.73×; the last hour pages at 14.4×, 6 hours at 6×, 24 hours opens a ticket at 3×. 0.25× 1× 5× 20× Last hour Pages at 14.4× 6.2× 6 hours Pages at 6× 3.4× 24 hours Ticket at 3× 1.3× This month Under 1× 0.73× Over 1× Under 1× Paging rule Error-budget burn rate per window Window Burn rate Rule LAST HOUR 6.2× PAGES AT 14.4× 6 HOURS 3.4× PAGES AT 6× 24 HOURS 1.3× TICKET AT 3× THIS MONTH 0.73× UNDER 1×
Error-budget burn rate per window Error-budget burn rate on a log scale: last hour 6.2×, 6 hours 3.4×, 24 hours 1.3×, this month 0.73×; the last hour pages at 14.4×, 6 hours at 6×, 24 hours opens a ticket at 3×. 0.25× 1× 5× 20× LAST HOUR PAGES AT 14.4× 6.2× 6 HOURS PAGES AT 6× 3.4× 24 HOURS TICKET AT 3× 1.3× THIS MONTH UNDER 1× 0.73× OVER 1× UNDER 1× PAGING RULE Error-budget burn rate per window Error-budget burn rate on a log scale: last hour 6.2×, 6 hours 3.4×, 24 hours 1.3×, this month 0.73×; the last hour pages at 14.4×, 6 hours at 6×, 24 hours opens a ticket at 3×. 0.25× 1× 5× 20× Last hour Pages at 14.4× 6.2× 6 hours Pages at 6× 3.4× 24 hours Ticket at 3× 1.3× This month Under 1× 0.73× Over 1× Under 1× Paging rule Error-budget burn rate per window Window Burn rate Rule LAST HOUR 6.2× PAGES AT 14.4× 6 HOURS 3.4× PAGES AT 6× 24 HOURS 1.3× TICKET AT 3× THIS MONTH 0.73× UNDER 1×
Model cost against quality Cost per 1K runs against quality for 5 models, from Nova at $4 and 93.2% to Orion XL at $40 and 97.8%; 4 proposed switches, for example Research from Orion XL to Atlas 3 saves $600 a month. 1 RESEARCH −$600 2 SALES −$310 3 REFUNDS +$190 4 DOCS −$720 93% 95% 97% $10 $20 $30 $40 BETTER ↖ 1 2 3 4 NOVA VEGA 1.5 KITE 2 PRO ATLAS 3 ORION XL MODEL · SIZE IS SPEND LATENCY ELEVATED EFFICIENT EDGE Model cost against quality Cost per 1K runs against quality for 5 models, from Nova at $4 and 93.2% to Orion XL at $40 and 97.8%; 4 proposed switches, for example Research from Orion XL to Atlas 3 saves $600 a month. 1 Research −$600 2 Sales −$310 3 Refunds +$190 4 Docs −$720 93% 95% 97% $10 $20 $30 $40 Better ↖ 1 2 3 4 Nova Vega 1.5 Kite 2 pro Atlas 3 Orion XL Model · size is spend Latency elevated Efficient edge Model cost against quality Model Cost per 1K runs Quality Spend Nova $4 93.2% $414 Vega 1.5 $12 95.6% $920 Kite 2 Pro $20 95.4% $2040 Atlas 3 $28 97.4% $3880 Orion XL $40 97.8% $2960 Switch research Orion XL → Atlas 3 proposed −$600 / mo Switch sales Kite 2 Pro → Vega 1.5 proposed −$310 / mo Switch refunds Kite 2 Pro → Atlas 3 proposed +$190 / mo Switch docs Atlas 3 → Vega 1.5 off −$720 / mo
Model cost against quality Cost per 1K runs against quality for 5 models, from Nova at $4 and 93.2% to Orion XL at $40 and 97.8%; 4 proposed switches, for example Research from Orion XL to Atlas 3 saves $600 a month. 1 RESEARCH −$600 2 SALES −$310 3 REFUNDS +$190 4 DOCS −$720 93% 95% 97% $10 $40 BETTER ↖ 1 2 3 4 NOVA VEGA 1.5 KITE 2 PRO ATLAS 3 ORION XL MODEL · SIZE IS SPEND LATENCY ELEVATED EFFICIENT EDGE Model cost against quality Cost per 1K runs against quality for 5 models, from Nova at $4 and 93.2% to Orion XL at $40 and 97.8%; 4 proposed switches, for example Research from Orion XL to Atlas 3 saves $600 a month. 1 Research −$600 2 Sales −$310 3 Refunds +$190 4 Docs −$720 93% 95% 97% $10 $20 $30 $40 Better ↖ 1 2 3 4 Nova Vega 1.5 Kite 2 pro Atlas 3 Orion XL Model · size is spend Latency elevated Efficient edge Model cost against quality Model Cost per 1K runs Quality Spend Nova $4 93.2% $414 Vega 1.5 $12 95.6% $920 Kite 2 Pro $20 95.4% $2040 Atlas 3 $28 97.4% $3880 Orion XL $40 97.8% $2960 Switch research Orion XL → Atlas 3 proposed −$600 / mo Switch sales Kite 2 Pro → Vega 1.5 proposed −$310 / mo Switch refunds Kite 2 Pro → Atlas 3 proposed +$190 / mo Switch docs Atlas 3 → Vega 1.5 off −$720 / mo
Common mistakes Total spend with no budget Spend alone says nothing about whether it is too much. Draw the budget.
A forecast with no range Show the high case too, so a near miss is visible.
Every model as its own colour Past three or four, group the small models into Other.
Questions What counts as model spend? What the model providers bill for tokens and calls, per model, per day.
How is the forecast made? From the daily pace so far, with a high case for a busier rest of month. Send it with the data.
Can I draw it from my own data? Yes. The chart is drawn from your rows (date, model, spend, budget) and lays out again for its size; nothing is scaled.
Does the budget runway come in every size? Yes: XS, S, M and L, each laid out again for its size, in light and dark.