I’ll probably not use the API Key anymore. The AI assistant in Elements is a great offering, but since it cost me $25 on the first day for a bit of testing, this service is far too expensive to use. If you use it often, you quickly run “out of money”. I’ll go with using the MCP Server instead, even though it’s a bit more work.
What’s your experience? Are you going to use the Elements AI assistant?
I think it depends a lot on what model you use for the assistant. For example something like GPT-5.4 nano or mini are quite cheap, whereas if you are using the frontier models then yeah it can get pretty pricy. Usually it’s those frontier models that can really do a lot of the build and design work, whereas the cheaper models can be used for the simpler things.
@dan did a video here which should help BIG NEWS: Elements 3.0 is out of beta! 🎉 - #44 by dan
I’d have both, but probably use the MCP server option more often.
I’ve switched MCP. Not only is it far cheaper, but devoted an on-screen panel to it means I’m squeezing the content area, as I already have multiple panels open simultaneously. While I’ve gotten used to that in XCode and Excel, the number of panels I want open in Elements is far higher, and it just starts squeezing the content area if I open another.
I’m using the MCP with Claude. It works great.
Same experience here. Burned through about $25 replicating a banner and working on some text and button details.
Sure, it “saves time”, but if I were to use it for my entire site, it would probably cost me more than paying a designer to hand-code the whole thing!
And here we are. 
MCP for me…
Free Claude or Pro? @ercross or makes no difference?
My test script on MCP phase 1 - phase 6 takes an hour plus of time
Definitely need pro - and then you might time out and run out of tokens and have to restart in next session…
Got bored waiting last night and ran Chat GPT Codex
5.6
It seemed faster and with a larger script…
But I’m locked in Claude for 1 year subscription (cheaper price by $40)
If you are not doing complete site overhaul like I was testing - it will take much less time - and token usage
I have Pro because I not only use Claude for Elements work, but for a number of other things like my writing. So what Mike mentions on the Free Claude or lower tier is usually what happens with large usage and you don’t like to wait for more tokens to be come available. There is a current session limit and a weekly limit which if you hit means you will have to wait until they reset. In settings it tells you where your at for both and when the reset. You also have the option to set it up to purchase Usage credits with a monthly spending limit. That is handy if you have a project you are working on and don’t want to wait.
I’m doing the MAX (5x) for now, because it is cheaper for all the stuff I do with my writing and Bible research. Start with the lower account and see how you use it. Again, you can buy Usage credits if you hit a ceiling and need to continue to work, so you don’t have to necessarily increase your monthly plan.
Stupid question 
@thominator @differentdan
I’ve run 2 prompts - one on Claude - the other on Codex (Chat GPT)
Both - of course -made the new AI section
Are they interchangeable? Does it matter which AI engine I have to use?
My guess - it is a ‘standard’ writing system - and I can use any AI - which is amazing design!
Yes, you can chop and change as much as you like (this is why we have the built-in AI memory), however I wouldn’t run them both at the same time, otherwise they’ll start fighting each other 
Thank you - great design - very clever…