AI automation agency · 2026 pricing data
From $1,500 per workflowThe AI automation agency that shows you the math first.
We build automations for teams that are done doing it by hand: workflows in n8n or code, with AI where it earns its keep. Before you talk to anyone, including us, here is what 48 agencies actually charge and a calculator to see if it pays back.
By Axit · Updated Sep 23, 2026 · 177 price points, all sourced
trigger
Web form submitted
- Form
New enquiry from a clinic owner
- Claude · ai step
Reads the message, scores fit, drafts a reply
- HubSpot
Contact + deal created, owner assigned
- Gmail
Personal reply queued for approval
- Slack
#sales pinged with the summary
Illustrative run · the shape of workflows we build
The short answer
An AI automation agency finds the repetitive work in your business and builds systems that do it, using workflow tools plus AI steps for anything that needs reading or judgement. Across 48 agencies that publish prices, a single workflow starts around $1,000, a multi-workflow project around $3,556, and an ongoing build retainer around $1,423/month. If the task happens a few times a month, don't hire one.
- Single workflow
- $1,000
- median entry, n=21
- Multi-workflow project
- $3,556
- median entry, n=16
- AI agent build
- $3,558
- median entry, n=15
- Build retainer
- $1,423/mo
- median entry, n=15
Original research · 48 agencies · 14 countries
What AI automation agencies charge in 2026
Most “pricing guides” on this topic are written by one agency quoting ranges nobody can check. We took a different route: on September 23, 2026 we collected every published price we could verify from 48 AI automation agencies, from their own pricing pages or their Clutch rate cards, and converted them to US dollars. That is 177 price points. Each agency counts once per category, at its lowest “from” price.
Our starting price
From $1,500 per workflow
One workflow in your own accounts, with a shadow run before go-live and a runbook. Scope sets the final quote; the survey below shows where that sits in the market.
Updated 2026-09-24
View data
| Category | n | Min | Q1 | Median | Q3 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audit or discovery | 8 | $78 | $400 | $1,283 | $2,126 | $3,436 |
| Single workflow build | 21 | $113 | $467 | $1,000 | $2,002 | $7,500 |
| Multi-workflow project | 16 | $500 | $1,786 | $3,556 | $5,631 | $19,923 |
| AI agent or chatbot build | 15 | $800 | $1,718 | $3,558 | $5,869 | $15,683 |
View data
| Category | n | Min | Q1 | Median | Q3 | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retainer including new builds | 15 | $209 | $928 | $1,423 | $2,001 | $10,000 |
| Maintenance and hosting | 7 | $57 | $155 | $286 | $356 | $534 |
| Managed automation, per automation | 6 | $57 | $97 | $171 | $228 | $339 |
What the numbers say
- A single workflow is a four-figure purchase. The median entry price is $1,000; the middle half of agencies start between $467 and $2,002.
- AI agents cost about the same as a multi-workflow project to start ($3,558 vs $3,556 median), but their published ranges run much higher, up to $15,683.
- Paid audits are common and usually credited. 8 agencies charge for discovery, median $1,283; several deduct it from the build.
- Retainers split into two products. Build retainers that include new work sit around $1,423/month. Maintenance-only plans sit around $286/month.
- Hourly rates vary almost sevenfold. The midpoint of published hourly ranges runs from $37 to $250, median $74.
How to read it
- These are entry prices. Real quotes land higher once scope is known.
- Agencies that publish prices skew smaller and newer. Larger firms rarely publish, so the true market is higher, especially in the US, where most entries are Clutch rate cards rather than price pages.
- Platform and model usage (n8n hosting, Zapier tasks, API calls) is almost always billed on top.
- Tax treatment varies: Australian prices often include GST, UK and EU prices are mostly ex VAT.
- Exchange rates: open.er-api.com USD base, 2026-09-23, cross-checked against ECB rates for 2026-09-22.
All 48 agencies and sources +
| Agency | Country | Pricing models | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Automation Company | Australia | fixed project; monthly retainer; maintenance plan | own site |
| AI Automation Agency (aiautomationagency.com.au) | Australia | per-automation managed subscription (weekly); paid audit | own site |
| Advisync | Australia | setup + monthly subscription | own site |
| Zatersio | Australia | fixed project (no retainers) | own site |
| Source Digital | Australia | fixed project; monthly retainer | own site |
| Peer 2 Peer IT (P2P IT) | Australia | audit fee; fixed project; hourly; monthly retainer | own site |
| Ez-AI | New Zealand | fixed project; hourly (small jobs, rate not published); monthly support | own site |
| Automate AI | New Zealand | setup + monthly subscription; fixed project | own site |
| Waboom AI | New Zealand | monthly retainer (hours-based); fixed project; per-minute voice | own site |
| The Automation Agency | UK | audit fee; fixed-price per-workflow; fixed project; monthly retainer | own site |
| Softomate Solutions | UK | fixed project; setup + monthly care | own site (blog) |
| AI Automate Company | UK | fixed project tiers; monthly retainer | own site |
| Fixology | UK | fixed project; custom retainer (unpriced) | own site |
| Zaps Studio | UK | fixed project; monthly retainer | own site |
| Goodspeed | UK | free audit; fixed-fee accelerator; monthly team retainer | own site (blog) |
| DARE Solutions | Germany | fixed project; monthly operations plan | own site |
| FoxifAI | Germany | setup + monthly | own site |
| Der Prozessmeister | Germany | one-time starter; setup + monthly subscription | own site |
| AzenFlow | France | day rate; fixed project by effort; per-workflow monitoring; audit fee | own site |
| Roffanova AI Automation | Netherlands | monthly subscription + one-time implementation | own site |
| AIFAIS | Netherlands | fixed project + monthly hosting | own site |
| Innovatrix Infotech | India | fixed-price sprints; monthly retainer | own site |
| RisonAI Tech | India | fixed-price tiers | own site |
| Gazania Infotech | India | fixed project | own site |
| AI Automation Agency (automationagencyindia.com) | India | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| SayOne Technologies | India | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| Wappnet Systems | India | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| ChatGPT.ca | Canada | fixed project; monthly advisory retainer | own site |
| Planext | Canada | setup + monthly retainer | own site |
| Leonyx AI | Canada | per-automation project | own site |
| The Automated Agency | US | productized subscription | own site |
| Promptful Consulting | US | audit fee; hourly; fixed project | own site |
| AutomateNexus | US | paid pilot; one-time build (BYOK, no retainer); hourly (Clutch) | own site + Clutch profile |
| AI Automation Agency 360 | US | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| HatchWorks AI | US | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| Mpire Solutions | US | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| XRay.Tech (XRAY Hourly) | Not stated | hourly / prepaid hour packages | own site |
| AY Automate | US/Belgium | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| Finyki | Singapore | fixed project; monthly build-partnership retainer | own site |
| Processter | Kazakhstan | hourly; per-automation fixed; paid consult call | own site |
| GolmTech | Pakistan | fixed project | own site |
| HouseofMVPs | Not stated | fixed-price studio | own site |
| HummingAgent | Not stated | paid discovery; fixed project; support retainer | own site (blog) |
| BULDRR AI | Not stated | fixed project; monthly retainer | own site |
| Voypost | Germany | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| Codimite | Sri Lanka | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| n8n Lab | Not stated | hourly; min project | Clutch profile |
| Syed Husnain Haider Bukhari (independent) | Not stated | hourly; engagement bands by market | own site (blog) |
Interactive · nothing is stored
Will automating it pay back?
The build cost defaults to the median multi-workflow project from the survey, and the running cost to the median maintenance plan. Change anything. If the answer is “never”, you just saved yourself a sales call.
Your numbers
- Hours back per month
- 26
- Net saving per month
- $610
- Payback
- 5.7 mo
- First-year net
- $3,820
Strong candidate. Pays back inside six months.
Hours saved = hours a week × share automated × 52 ÷ 12. Net saving subtracts the monthly running cost. Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere.
Search data · United States
Fewer people search for n8n. More search for someone to build it.
US searches for “ai automation agency” grew 5× in two years and “ai automation consulting” grew 26×. Over the same period, searches for n8n itself, the most popular tool for building these workflows yourself, fell 70% from their mid-2025 peak. The do-it-yourself wave is cooling and the hire-someone wave is rising.
Hiring an agency
“ai automation agency” · US searches / month · 880 → 4.4k
View data
| Month | Searches |
|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 880 |
| Oct 24 | 1,300 |
| Nov 24 | 1,300 |
| Dec 24 | 1,600 |
| Jan 25 | 1,900 |
| Feb 25 | 1,900 |
| Mar 25 | 1,900 |
| Apr 25 | 1,900 |
| May 25 | 1,900 |
| Jun 25 | 1,900 |
| Jul 25 | 2,400 |
| Aug 25 | 1,900 |
| Sep 25 | 2,400 |
| Oct 25 | 2,400 |
| Nov 25 | 1,900 |
| Dec 25 | 1,900 |
| Jan 26 | 8,100 |
| Feb 26 | 3,600 |
| Mar 26 | 8,100 |
| Apr 26 | 8,100 |
| May 26 | 4,400 |
| Jun 26 | 3,600 |
| Jul 26 | 4,400 |
| Aug 26 | 4,400 |
Hiring a consultant
“ai automation consulting” · US searches / month · 50 → 1.3k
View data
| Month | Searches |
|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 50 |
| Oct 24 | 90 |
| Nov 24 | 90 |
| Dec 24 | 170 |
| Jan 25 | 170 |
| Feb 25 | 210 |
| Mar 25 | 210 |
| Apr 25 | 170 |
| May 25 | 210 |
| Jun 25 | 260 |
| Jul 25 | 140 |
| Aug 25 | 170 |
| Sep 25 | 390 |
| Oct 25 | 210 |
| Nov 25 | 210 |
| Dec 25 | 210 |
| Jan 26 | 260 |
| Feb 26 | 210 |
| Mar 26 | 590 |
| Apr 26 | 390 |
| May 26 | 720 |
| Jun 26 | 720 |
| Jul 26 | 1,900 |
| Aug 26 | 1,300 |
Doing it yourself
“n8n” · US searches / month · 14.8k → 90.5k
Peak 301,000 in Jul 2025.
View data
| Month | Searches |
|---|---|
| Sep 24 | 14,800 |
| Oct 24 | 18,100 |
| Nov 24 | 18,100 |
| Dec 24 | 22,200 |
| Jan 25 | 49,500 |
| Feb 25 | 110,000 |
| Mar 25 | 110,000 |
| Apr 25 | 135,000 |
| May 25 | 201,000 |
| Jun 25 | 246,000 |
| Jul 25 | 301,000 |
| Aug 25 | 246,000 |
| Sep 25 | 246,000 |
| Oct 25 | 246,000 |
| Nov 25 | 201,000 |
| Dec 25 | 201,000 |
| Jan 26 | 201,000 |
| Feb 26 | 201,000 |
| Mar 26 | 201,000 |
| Apr 26 | 165,000 |
| May 26 | 135,000 |
| Jun 26 | 110,000 |
| Jul 26 | 110,000 |
| Aug 26 | 90,500 |
Source: DataForSEO Labs historical search volume (Google Ads), United States, English, pulled 2026-09-23.
Definition
What an AI automation agency actually does
Most of the work is not AI. It is understanding how a lead moves from a form to a CRM to an invoice, where it gets stuck, and who fixes it when it breaks. The language model is usually one step in a longer chain: reading an email and deciding where it goes, pulling fields out of a PDF, drafting a reply someone approves.
A good agency spends more time on that chain than on the model. The failures that hurt are boring: an API token that expires on a Sunday, a webhook that fires twice, a spreadsheet column someone renamed. The rest of this page is about how to tell the good ones from the rest.
The market
Five kinds of AI automation agency
No-code workflow shop
Builds in Zapier, Make or n8n. Fast, cheap, mostly connects tools you already use.
Best for: Linear workflows with clean inputs, under a few thousand runs a month.
Watch for: Per-task pricing that balloons with volume, and flows only the builder understands.
AI agent studio
Writes code around language models: agents, retrieval, tool calling, evaluation.
Best for: Work where the next step depends on what the input says.
Watch for: Demos that impress once. Ask how they test and how the agent is stopped.
Voice and chat specialist
Phone receptionists, WhatsApp and web assistants on platforms like Retell, Vapi or Voiceflow.
Best for: Missed calls, bookings, first-line support.
Watch for: White-labelled platforms resold at a markup with no access for you.
Productised automation service
A fixed menu of automations for one industry at a monthly price.
Best for: Standard workflows in a vertical they know well.
Watch for: Anything off the menu, and contracts you can't leave with your data.
Consultancy with a build arm
Strategy first, then a team that implements.
Best for: Bigger organisations with many teams and compliance needs.
Watch for: Long discovery phases and decks before anything runs.
Honest comparison
Agency, freelancer, DIY or an in-house hire?
An agency is not always the answer. Here is when each option wins, including the ones that don't involve paying us.
| Option | Cost shape | Speed | Best when | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (Zapier, Make, n8n) | Tool subscription plus your time | Days, if the flow is simple | One or two linear workflows and someone curious on the team | The person who built it leaves, and nobody knows how it works |
| Freelancer | Hourly or per workflow | Fast for one workflow | A single, well-defined build with a clear spec | No cover when they are busy or gone, thin documentation |
| AI automation agency | Project fee, often plus a monthly retainer | Weeks for a set of workflows | Several connected workflows, AI steps, and a need for monitoring | Paying for process you could have skipped; lock-in if accounts aren't yours |
| In-house automation hire | A full salary | Slow to hire, fast after | Automation is continuous work across many teams | One person becomes the bottleneck and the single point of failure |
Anatomy of a project
What a good engagement looks like
- 01
Discovery
Interviews with the people doing the work. Every step, tool and handoff written down.
You get: A process map and a scored shortlist
- 02
Scope
Pick the workflows that pay back first. Define inputs, outputs and what counts as done.
You get: A fixed scope and price
- 03
Build
One workflow at a time, on real data, in your accounts.
You get: Working automations in a test mode
- 04
Shadow run
The automation runs next to the manual process until the outputs match.
You get: Evidence it works before you rely on it
- 05
Handover
Alerts, runbook, recorded walkthrough, credentials in your name.
You get: Something your team can own
- 06
Run
Optional retainer for monitoring, fixes and the next workflows.
You get: A partner, not a dependency
Total cost of ownership
The costs nobody quotes you: after launch
Almost every price in our survey is for building. Only 7 of 48 agencies publish a maintenance-only plan, yet keeping automations alive is where most projects go wrong. Budget for these before you sign.
API and app changes
A CRM renames a field or deprecates an endpoint and a workflow quietly stops.
Model changes
Providers retire model versions. Prompts tuned for one model can behave differently on the next.
Usage costs
Language-model calls and per-task platform fees scale with volume. Budget per run, not per month.
Credential expiry
OAuth tokens and API keys expire, often on a weekend.
Edge cases
The first months surface inputs nobody planned for. Someone has to own the exception queue.
Ownership
If the accounts, prompts and workflows live in the agency's workspace, you don't own the system.
Interactive checklist
12 questions to ask any AI automation agency (including us)
Tick the ones they answered well. Fewer than eight? Keep looking.
Tick each question the agency answered well.
0/12
How we work
We run agents in production ourselves.
Everything on this page is how we build: your accounts, a shadow run before go-live, human approval on anything that touches money or customers, and a runbook your team can follow. The live stream on the right is SalesClawd, our own product, where ten specialist agents work in parallel and every change is read back and verified before a person sees it.
SalesClawd Our flagship product, live
The SEO agent coordinates ten specialist Claude agents in parallel, each with its own tools and evidence trail. Every change is read back from the live source and verified before anyone sees it. Fastify, Next.js, Postgres with Drizzle, BullMQ on Redis, the Anthropic SDK.
Meet Buddy Internal tool
A Manifest V3 Chrome extension streams meeting context to an MCP server, which hands work to a swarm of Claude agents. GitHub device-flow auth, no stored passwords.
For the other half of searchers
Thinking of starting an AI automation agency instead?
The same data is useful from the other side. Published entry prices cluster around $1,000 per workflow, which means a lot of agencies are competing on small jobs. Operators who write publicly about it point to the same traps: budgets too small to cover real scoping, maintenance nobody priced in, and a flood of course-trained competitors offering the same generic menu. The ones who last pick one industry and one painful workflow, and price the monthly running from day one.
Questions
Frequently asked
What does an AI automation agency do?+
It finds repetitive work in a business, decides which of it is worth automating, and builds systems that do it reliably. Most of the work is connecting the tools you already use. AI handles the steps that need judgement, like reading an email, classifying a ticket or pulling fields from a document.
How much does an AI automation agency cost?+
It depends on the pricing model: discovery or audit fees, per-workflow builds, larger projects and monthly retainers all sit in different bands. The pricing section on this page summarises what agencies publish, with every source linked. Our own builds start from $1,500 per workflow; scope sets the final quote.
Is an AI automation agency worth it?+
When the work is frequent, rule-based enough to describe, and expensive to do by hand. Use the calculator on this page: if the payback is under six to twelve months at conservative inputs, it usually is. If the task happens a few times a month, it usually is not.
What is the difference between AI automation and regular automation?+
Regular automation moves data between tools on fixed rules. AI automation adds steps that interpret messy input, such as free-text emails, PDFs or calls, so the workflow can handle work that used to need a person to read it first.
Should I use Zapier, Make or n8n myself instead?+
For one or two simple, linear workflows, often yes. An agency earns its fee when workflows connect to each other, include AI steps, handle money or customers, or need monitoring and someone accountable when they break.
How long does an AI automation project take?+
A single well-defined workflow can be days of work. A set of connected workflows with AI steps, testing and a shadow run alongside the manual process usually takes weeks. Be wary of anyone promising a full rollout without a testing phase.
What is the best AI agent for automation?+
There isn't one. For fixed, repeatable steps, a workflow tool beats any agent on cost and reliability. For work where the next step depends on the input, an agent built on a model like Claude or GPT with a small, specific toolset works best.
How do I start my own AI automation agency?+
Pick one industry and one painful workflow, build it for real for a few customers, and price by outcome rather than by the hour. Operators who have done it warn that small budgets and unpriced maintenance are what break the model, so price the monthly running and support from the start.
Who owns the automations when the project ends?+
You should. Insist on workflows running in your own accounts with credentials in your name, plus documentation your team can follow. If an agency won't agree to that, treat it as a red flag.
Bring the workflow. We'll bring the numbers.
A 30-minute call with the person who would build it. You leave with a scored shortlist of what to automate, what it should cost, and what to skip.