ForHosting KIT · Developer Utilities

Token bucket rate limit calculator

A token-bucket rate limiter is the standard model behind API throttling, gateway quotas, and client-side back-pressure.

● BetaFree · in your browser
Use it from WebAPIEmailTelegramApp soon

You keep a bucket of tokens up to a fixed capacity, refill at a steady rate over time, and spend tokens when a request or burst arrives. This token bucket rate limit calculator accepts capacity, refill rate in tokens per second, the current token count, how many seconds have elapsed since the last update, and how many tokens the next burst needs. It refills the bucket with a hard clamp at capacity, decides allow or deny, reports tokens remaining after the decision, and when the burst is denied it computes how long you must wait for enough tokens—or tells you the request can never be satisfied because it exceeds capacity or refill is zero. The same pure deterministic module powers the free browser tool and the API path, so design reviews, load-test scripts, and production simulators never disagree on edge cases such as a full bucket, a partial refill, or a request larger than the burst ceiling.

How to use it

Enter your values in the form above. The tool checks them before calculating and shows the result on the same page.

Check your inputs

Use the labels and units shown next to each field. If something is missing or outside the allowed range, the page points to the field to fix.

Use it again or automate it

Use the browser tool for individual checks and the API when you need the same capability in an automated workflow.

Get an answer now

Enter one set of values and see the result without building a spreadsheet or script.

Compare scenarios

Change one value at a time and rerun the calculation to understand what affects the result.

Automate repeated work

Use the API when the same calculation needs to run inside your product or workflow.

How do I use this capability?

Complete the fields above and run it on this page. The form highlights anything that needs attention.

Everything on this page is available programmatically. This section is for teams who want to wire it into their own systems; everyone else can just use the tool above.

POSThttps://api.kit.forhosting.com/dev/token-bucket

Prefer to automate it? One authenticated POST creates the task; the result comes back by webhook or a signed link. The same capability also runs here on the web, by email and from Telegram — and soon from our app too.

curl -X POST https://api.kit.forhosting.com/dev/token-bucket \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $KIT_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"capacity":10,"refill_rate":2,"tokens":5,"elapsed":1.5,"request_count":3}'
{
  "capacity": 10,
  "refill_rate": 2,
  "tokens": 5,
  "elapsed": 1.5,
  "request_count": 3
}
{
  "task_id": "tsk_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6",
  "type": "dev.token_bucket",
  "status": "queued",
  "_links": {
    "result": "/tasks/tsk_…/result"
  }
}

The API is asynchronous: the call returns a task_id immediately and the result arrives by webhook. Polling is capped at 1 req/s per task.

Per request$0.002

Published price — no tokens, no invented credits. A failed task is never charged.

HTTPCodeMeaning
401unauthorizedMissing or invalid API key.
402insufficient_balanceYour balance doesn't cover the task price.
404unknown_typeThat task type doesn't exist.
429rate_limitedToo many requests. Use the webhook instead of polling.

Read the full KIT documentation →