// MCP TOKEN COST

The Red by Big Red Cloud MCP server costs 67,693 tokens before the first call.

Every request your agent makes carries every tool definition this server exposes — context your code, documents and conversation can't use, mostly for tools the agent never calls. You don't need them all in the window, and you don't have to pay for them.

QUICK ANSWER The Red by Big Red Cloud MCP server's 159 tool definitions consume 67,693 tokens — 34% of a 200k context window, and 33× the median MCP server (2,038 tokens). A scoped grant exposing only the tools you use cuts that roughly in proportion.

MEASURED FROM SCHEMAS tiktoken o200k_base · rank #18 of 6,689 measured servers · refreshed every build Method →

// CONTEXT WINDOW SHARE

What that costs before your agent starts working.

Tool definitions are overhead: they occupy context on every request and compete with your code, documents and conversation history for the same window.

200K WINDOW 34%

1M WINDOW 6.8%

Corpus context: Red by Big Red Cloud ranks #18 of 6,689 measured MCP servers by definition cost. The median is 2,038 tokens, p90 is 12,122, and the heaviest (Ainumbers Mcp Apps) is 269,012 — 135% of a 200k window on its own. New to this? See MCP token cost and context window in the glossary.

Token cost is one axis. See the risk picture across your whole stack →

// PER-TOOL BREAKDOWN

Where the 67,693 tokens go.

Each row is one tool definition as a tools/list entry — name, description and input schema — counted with o200k_base. Average: 426 tokens per tool.

Tool	Category	Tokens	% of server
brc_create_sales_invoice_gen_ref	Write	1,891	2.8%
brc_create_sales_invoice	Write	1,770	2.6%
brc_create_quote_gen_ref	Write	1,165	1.7%
brc_create_quote	Write	1,160	1.7%
brc_create_sales_credit_note	Write	963	1.4%
brc_get_help_resource_details	Read	939	1.4%
brc_batch_sales_invoices	Write	935	1.4%
brc_find_help_resources	Read	911	1.3%
brc_create_cash_receipt	Write	866	1.3%
brc_send_email_statement	Write	861	1.3%
brc_create_cash_payment	Write	860	1.3%
brc_update_nominal_journal_batch	Write	841	1.2%
brc_create_purchase	Write	809	1.2%
brc_create_payment	Financial	804	1.2%
brc_send_sales_invoice_email	Write	773	1.1%
brc_send_quote_email	Write	768	1.1%
brc_batch_sales_credit_notes	Write	752	1.1%
brc_create_nominal_journal_batch	Write	724	1.1%
brc_process_vat_category_rates	Read	694	1.0%
brc_create_purchase_gen_ref	Write	693	1.0%
brc_create_bank_account	Write	683	1.0%
brc_create_sales_entry	Write	677	1.0%
brc_batch_cash_payments	Read	655	1.0%
brc_batch_cash_receipts	Read	655	1.0%
brc_batch_payments	Read	653	1.0%
brc_batch_sales_entries	Read	652	1.0%
brc_batch_purchases	Read	651	1.0%
brc_batch_quotes	Read	650	1.0%
brc_create_sales_credit_note_gen_ref	Write	646	1.0%
brc_update_accrual	Write	619	0.9%
brc_update_prepayment	Write	614	0.9%
brc_update_allocations	Write	584	0.9%
brc_update_purchase	Write	550	0.8%
brc_batch_sales_reps	Read	545	0.8%
brc_batch_customers	Read	543	0.8%
brc_batch_suppliers	Read	543	0.8%
brc_batch_products	Read	542	0.8%
brc_create_customer	Write	542	0.8%
brc_create_accrual	Write	541	0.8%
brc_create_prepayment	Write	538	0.8%
brc_update_sales_entry	Write	529	0.8%
brc_update_sales_invoice	Write	529	0.8%
brc_route_request	Destructive	509	0.8%
brc_update_bank_account	Write	477	0.7%
brc_list_company_contexts	Read	459	0.7%
brc_update_cash_receipt	Write	457	0.7%
brc_update_cash_payment	Write	456	0.7%
brc_update_customer	Write	453	0.7%
brc_update_payment	Write	453	0.7%
brc_update_product	Write	453	0.7%
brc_update_supplier	Write	453	0.7%
brc_generate_sales_invoice_from_quote	Write	444	0.7%
brc_delete_nominal_journal_batch	Destructive	440	0.6%
brc_create_supplier	Write	440	0.6%
brc_delete_accrual	Destructive	431	0.6%
brc_delete_prepayment	Destructive	429	0.6%
brc_delete_bank_account	Destructive	421	0.6%
brc_update_sales_credit_note	Write	420	0.6%
brc_delete_sales_entry	Destructive	417	0.6%
brc_delete_sales_credit_note	Destructive	416	0.6%
brc_update_sales_rep	Write	415	0.6%
brc_update_quote	Write	414	0.6%
brc_delete_sales_invoice	Destructive	413	0.6%
brc_delete_sales_rep	Destructive	413	0.6%
brc_delete_cash_receipt	Destructive	411	0.6%
brc_delete_cash_payment	Destructive	410	0.6%
brc_delete_purchase	Destructive	410	0.6%
brc_delete_quote	Destructive	410	0.6%
brc_create_product	Write	410	0.6%
brc_delete_customer	Destructive	407	0.6%
brc_delete_payment	Destructive	407	0.6%
brc_delete_product	Destructive	407	0.6%
brc_delete_supplier	Destructive	407	0.6%
brc_create_sales_rep	Write	407	0.6%
brc_reopen_quote	Read	396	0.6%
brc_close_quote	Write	395	0.6%
brc_delete_allocation_resolver	Destructive	392	0.6%
brc_list_audit_log	Read	386	0.6%
brc_start_company_connection	Execute	374	0.6%
brc_list_vat_rates	Read	370	0.5%
brc_red_help	Destructive	369	0.5%
brc_list_nominal_accounts	Read	355	0.5%
brc_list_analysis_categories	Read	354	0.5%
brc_list_vat_categories	Read	339	0.5%
brc_list_nominal_journal_batches	Read	329	0.5%
brc_list_accruals	Read	308	0.5%
brc_list_prepayments	Read	306	0.5%
brc_clear_audit_log	Destructive	298	0.4%
brc_list_sales	Read	294	0.4%
brc_list_customers_without_dormant	Read	293	0.4%
brc_list_products_without_dormant	Read	292	0.4%
brc_list_book_tran_types	Read	290	0.4%
brc_list_vat_analysis_types	Read	290	0.4%
brc_list_owner_type_groups	Read	289	0.4%
brc_list_sales_credit_notes	Read	289	0.4%
brc_list_user_defined_fields	Read	289	0.4%
brc_list_cash_payments	Read	288	0.4%
brc_list_cash_receipts	Read	288	0.4%
brc_list_sales_invoices	Read	288	0.4%
brc_list_sales_reps	Read	288	0.4%
brc_list_vat_types	Read	288	0.4%
brc_list_bank_accounts	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_category_types	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_company_settings	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_owner_types	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_product_types	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_sales_entries	Read	287	0.4%
brc_list_customers	Read	286	0.4%
brc_list_payments	Read	286	0.4%
brc_list_purchases	Read	286	0.4%
brc_list_suppliers	Read	286	0.4%
brc_confirm_company_connection	Read	285	0.4%
brc_list_accounts	Read	285	0.4%
brc_list_products	Read	285	0.4%
brc_list_quotes	Read	285	0.4%
brc_get_company_reference_settings	Read	274	0.4%
brc_multi_company_nom_ac_report	Read	268	0.4%
brc_get_nom_ac_ledger_by_ids	Read	267	0.4%
brc_check_transaction_settings	Read	266	0.4%
brc_get_nominal_account_ledger_by_id	Read	262	0.4%
brc_company_readiness_check	Read	261	0.4%
brc_grouped_nominal_accounts_report	Read	251	0.4%
brc_get_company_processing_settings	Read	250	0.4%
brc_list_allocation_resolvers	Read	232	0.3%
brc_list_allocated_transactions	Read	226	0.3%
brc_get_deployment_policy	Read	223	0.3%
brc_get_accrual	Read	210	0.3%
brc_get_prepayment	Read	208	0.3%
brc_get_company_options	Read	207	0.3%
brc_get_company_api_key_status	Read	203	0.3%
brc_get_nominal_journal_batch	Read	201	0.3%
brc_validate_transaction_date	Read	195	0.3%
brc_get_sales_credit_note	Read	192	0.3%
brc_get_cash_receipt	Read	190	0.3%
brc_get_bank_account	Read	189	0.3%
brc_get_cash_payment	Read	189	0.3%
brc_get_sales_entry	Read	189	0.3%
brc_get_sales_invoice	Read	189	0.3%
brc_get_sales_rep	Read	189	0.3%
brc_get_customer	Read	186	0.3%
brc_get_payment	Read	186	0.3%
brc_get_product	Read	186	0.3%
brc_get_purchase	Read	186	0.3%
brc_get_quote	Read	186	0.3%
brc_get_supplier	Read	186	0.3%
brc_list_supplier_op_bal_trans	Read	184	0.3%
brc_list_customer_op_bal_trans	Read	183	0.3%
brc_get_supplier_opening_balance	Read	182	0.3%
brc_get_customer_opening_balance	Read	181	0.3%
brc_list_supplier_account_trans	Read	181	0.3%
brc_list_customer_account_trans	Read	180	0.3%
brc_list_customer_quotes	Read	180	0.3%
brc_get_company_setup_config	Read	179	0.3%
brc_clear_company_api_key	Destructive	172	0.3%
brc_getting_started	Execute	168	0.2%
brc_get_company_logo	Read	164	0.2%
brc_get_financial_year	Read	164	0.2%
brc_open_edu_admin	Write	158	0.2%
brc_clear_all_company_api_keys	Destructive	138	0.2%

// CUT THE COST

Your agent uses a handful of these tools. It pays for all 159.

You don't need all 159 of those definitions in the window. PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway that sits in front of Red by Big Red Cloud: only the tools you grant are exposed to the agent, the rest never load. A smaller window means a sharper agent — less noise when it picks a tool — and every request costs less:

Grant scope	Definition cost	Reduction
All 159 tools (no gateway)	67,693 tokens	—
3 granted tools	~1,277 tokens	−98%
5 granted tools	~2,129 tokens	−97%
10 granted tools	~4,257 tokens	−94%

The risk dividend: 23 of these 159 tools are critical-risk (destructive or financial) and cost 9,331 tokens (14% of the definition load). Block them — the recommended starter policy — and you reclaim that context before tuning anything else.

Create a free account and register Red by Big Red Cloud — nothing to install.
Grant only the tools you use — ungranted definitions never enter the context window.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CUT RED BY BIG RED CLOUD TOKEN COST →

Instant setup, no code required.

Model your own stack in the token-cost calculator, or see the Red by Big Red Cloud policy for what a sensible grant looks like.

//FAQ

Red by Big Red Cloud token-cost questions.

How many tokens does the Red by Big Red Cloud MCP server use?+

Its 159 tool definitions total 67,693 tokens — 34% of a 200k context window — measured with tiktoken o200k_base over the serialised tools/list payload. Exact counts vary slightly by client and model.

Why does Red by Big Red Cloud consume tokens before I send a message?+

MCP clients load every connected server's tool definitions — name, description, and input schema — into the model's context so it knows what it can call. That payload is charged against your context window on every request, whether or not a tool is used.

How do I reduce Red by Big Red Cloud's token usage?+

Expose fewer tools. A PolicyLayer grant scopes Red by Big Red Cloud to only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. A grant of 3 typical tools costs roughly 1,277 tokens, a 98% reduction.

Does deferred tool loading fix this?+

Partially, in some clients. Claude Code defers MCP tool schemas behind a tool-search step by default, and VS Code has experimental grouping — but you still pay tokens per search and reload, and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load definitions upfront. Reducing the exposed tool set cuts the cost in every client.

// METHOD & REVIEW

How these numbers were measured.

01

Serialisation

Each tool is serialised as a tools/list entry — name, description, input schema — from the schemas in the PolicyLayer scan database. Clients differ slightly in framing, so treat counts as close estimates.

02

Tokeniser

tiktoken o200k_base (GPT-4o/o-series). Anthropic's current tokeniser isn't published, so Claude's exact counts will differ; for English text and JSON schemas the totals are close enough to treat these as estimates.

03

Deferred loading

Some clients now defer schema loading (Claude Code's tool search; VS Code experimental grouping). You still pay per search and reload — and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load everything upfront.

Computed 17-08-2026 from the PolicyLayer scan database over all 159 catalogued Red by Big Red Cloud tools. Counts refresh with every site build.