A/B Testing Token Usage Per-User Calculator Examples
Worked examples showing how traffic allocation, prompt size, response size, and request frequency affect A/B test token usage per user.
These examples show how to turn average token counts and user behavior into a per-user estimate for each variant and a blended estimate for the full experiment.
Even Split: Short Prompt vs Long Prompt
A product team expects each participant to send 10 requests during the test.
Input Summary
Variant A share
50%
Requests per user
10
Variant A tokens per request
800 input + 300 output
Variant B tokens per request
1,000 input + 400 output
Calculation Breakdown
- 1A request total800 + 3001,100 tokens
- 2B request total1,000 + 4001,400 tokens
- 3A per-user total1,100 × 1011,000 tokens
- 4B per-user total1,400 × 1014,000 tokens
- 5Blended total11,000 × 0.50 + 14,000 × 0.5012,500 tokens
Result Summary
Blended total
12,500 tokens
A/B Testing Token Usage Per-User Calculator
The test averages 12,500 tokens per participant, with A using 3,000 fewer tokens per user than B.
90/10 Rollout: Higher-Usage Variant Is Limited
Variant A is the established experience, while Variant B includes extra context and longer answers.
Input Summary
Variant A share
90%
Requests per user
8
Variant A tokens per request
600 input + 250 output
Variant B tokens per request
1,400 input + 600 output
Calculation Breakdown
- 1A per-request total600 + 250850 tokens
- 2B per-request total1,400 + 6002,000 tokens
- 3A per-user total850 × 86,800 tokens
- 4B per-user total2,000 × 816,000 tokens
- 5Blended total6,800 × 0.90 + 16,000 × 0.107,720 tokens
Result Summary
Blended total
7,720 tokens
A/B Testing Token Usage Per-User Calculator
The experiment averages 7,720 tokens per user even though B uses 16,000 tokens per assigned user.
High-Frequency Users: Same Prompt Difference, Larger Per-User Gap
Both variants serve a workflow used 30 times per participant during the measurement period.
Input Summary
Variant A share
50%
Requests per user
30
Variant A tokens per request
500 input + 200 output
Variant B tokens per request
650 input + 250 output
Calculation Breakdown
- 1A request total500 + 200700 tokens
- 2B request total650 + 250900 tokens
- 3A per-user total700 × 3021,000 tokens
- 4B per-user total900 × 3027,000 tokens
- 5Difference and blended total21,000 - 27,000; (21,000 + 27,000) / 2-6,000 tokens; 24,000 tokens
Result Summary
Difference and blended total
-6,000 tokens; 24,000 tokens
A/B Testing Token Usage Per-User Calculator
Variant A uses 22.2% fewer tokens per user than B, saving 6,000 tokens per participant assigned to A rather than B.
Response-Length Experiment: Input Is Constant
A team tests brief answers in A against detailed answers in B for users making 12 requests.
Input Summary
Variant A share
60%
Requests per user
12
Variant A tokens per request
900 input + 150 output
Variant B tokens per request
900 input + 550 output
Calculation Breakdown
- 1A request total900 + 1501,050 tokens
- 2B request total900 + 5501,450 tokens
- 3A per-user total1,050 × 1212,600 tokens
- 4B per-user total1,450 × 1217,400 tokens
- 5Blended total12,600 × 0.60 + 17,400 × 0.4014,520 tokens
Result Summary
Blended total
14,520 tokens
A/B Testing Token Usage Per-User Calculator
The traffic-weighted average is 14,520 tokens per user, while B uses 4,800 more tokens per assigned user.
How to Read Your Results
Tokens per user describes expected usage for a participant assigned to one specific variant.
The weighted average is the expected token volume across all participants, based on the entered traffic split.
A negative A-minus-B result means A is more token-efficient on a per-user basis.
The percentage comparison uses Variant B as the reference point.
Use the same measurement period for requests per user and the token averages.
Assumptions & Important Notes
- The inputs represent typical request and user behavior during the chosen test period.
- Each variant has a stable average input and output token count.
- The assigned traffic shares represent actual participant allocation.
- The examples estimate token volume, not monetary API cost.
Related Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use these examples for a 90/10 feature rollout?
Yes. Enter 90% for Variant A or B as appropriate; the weighted average will reflect the uneven allocation.
Why do high-frequency users have a larger token difference?
The per-request difference is multiplied by every request a user makes, increasing the total gap.
What if Variant A and Variant B have different request frequencies?
This calculator assumes one common requests-per-user value. Analyze cohorts separately if usage frequency differs by variant.
Should I use median or average tokens in the calculator?
Use average token counts for estimating average usage. Review percentiles separately when unusually large requests are important.
Ready to calculate your own result?
Use the live calculator with your own inputs, timing, and preferences.