English · 7 min read
AI automation services: what they cost and when to hire one
You can build AI automations yourself, buy a plan that tells you what to build, or pay someone to build it. What each option costs, what you get, and how to tell which one you need.
By Dapols ·
The short answer: There are three ways to get AI automations working in a small business. Do it yourself for the cost of the tools, usually $20 to $100 a month, plus your time. Get a plan that tells you exactly what to build and with which tools: ours is $99 one-time. Hire someone to build it: our custom integration starts at $1,000, and agency engagements run much higher. Hire when the work touches several systems, customer data, or money, and nobody on your team has the hours.
Option 1: build it yourself
What it costs: the software. Automation platforms start at $12 to $20 a month billed annually (Zapier vs n8n vs Make, priced), and an AI assistant seat is $20 to $25 a month.
What it really costs: your time. Expect a few hours per automation to set up and test, plus ongoing checks when something breaks.
Right for you if: someone on the team enjoys this kind of work, the automation is simple (form to spreadsheet, email to CRM), and a mistake would be cheap.
Option 2: a plan, then build it yourself
What it costs: a Business AI Plan is $99 one-time, with an optional $29 a month to keep it current as tools and prices change.
What you get: a written plan for your business type and budget that names which jobs to automate first, which tools to use, what they cost, and the setup steps. You skip the research and the tools you would have cancelled.
Right for you if: you can follow instructions and click through setup screens, but you do not know which tools to trust or where to start.
Option 3: hire someone to build it
What it costs: our custom engagement starts at $1,000 for a scoped build, quoted and invoiced directly rather than sold through our checkout. Larger agency engagements and full-time hires cost far more. See what a forward-deployed engineer costs for the ranges and sources.
What you get: someone who connects your actual systems (inbox, CRM, booking, accounting), writes the AI steps, tests on your real data, and hands over something that runs.
Right for you if any of these are true:
- The automation touches customer data, payments or bookings, where a mistake is expensive.
- It connects three or more systems.
- You have tried to build it yourself and it keeps breaking.
- The hours you would spend are worth more than the fee.
What to ask before you hire anyone
- What exactly will be built? Get a written list of workflows, systems and a definition of "done."
- Who owns the accounts? The automations should run on tools in your name, not the builder's.
- What does it cost to run afterwards? Monthly software fees are separate from the build fee.
- What happens when it breaks? Ask about support after handover and how failures get reported.
- Is there a human approval step on anything customer-facing? There should be.
Red flags
- Promises of a "digital employee" that replaces a person with no oversight.
- Monthly retainers with no list of deliverables.
- Building on the provider's own accounts, so you cannot leave.
- No mention of what happens to your customer data.
How to decide in five minutes
If you do not know what to automate yet, start with the free 2-minute AI plan finder. If you know what you want but not which tools, get a plan. If you know what you want and do not have the hours, request a custom integration.
Related: Do you need an AI consultant? and AI agents for business: what actually works.
More: what an AI consultant costs, with published rates and AI agents for business.