How much does AI automation cost?
There is no fair single number, because a small workflow and a company-wide system are different jobs. What you can do is understand what moves the price, so that you can judge a quote.
6 min read. Updated
The short answer
The price depends on how many systems are involved, how messy the inputs are, and how much harm a mistake would cause. One process touching one or two systems is a small project. Several teams and a high risk of error make a large one.
On Aphelore, projects come in three bundles: Starter Automation, Growth Automation and AI Operations System. Your builder gives a fixed price for each milestone before you pay anything. For Growth Automation, our working guide is €10,000 to €20,000. It is a guide, not a promise, and we will update it as real projects complete.
What pushes the price up
These are the things to look for when you compare quotes:
- More systems. Each new connection adds setup, testing and things that can fail.
- Messy inputs. Free-text email and changing PDF layouts take more work than a clean file.
- Old systems. Software with no modern API may need import files or other workarounds.
- High stakes. Anything touching money, compliance or customers needs more testing and review steps.
- Personal data. Data protection rules can limit where data goes and which tools you can use.
The costs people forget
The build is only part of it. Ask for these in writing before you agree:
- Tool subscriptions, such as automation platforms and hosting.
- AI usage, usually charged by how much text is processed.
- Maintenance, because connected tools change.
- Your team's time for answering questions, testing and reviewing exceptions.
How to work out if it pays back
Start with what the manual work costs today: the volume, multiplied by the minutes per item, multiplied by the hourly cost of the people doing it. Then assume only part of it can be automated, because exceptions will still need a person.
Our savings calculator does this sum for you. Treat the result as a rough first estimate, then replace the assumptions with your own measured numbers.
A safe way to start
Choose one process with steady volume and clear rules. Split the project into short milestones and pay for one at a time. If the first one does not work, you have limited what you can lose and learned something useful.
On Aphelore, each payment is held until you accept the work. Our commission of 15% is included in the price and shown before you pay.
Questions
Is a fixed price better than a day rate?
For a well-defined scope, a fixed price per milestone is easier to budget for and puts the delivery risk on the builder. For exploratory work, a short paid audit is usually better than guessing at a fixed price.
Why do quotes for the same job vary so much?
Often they do not describe the same job. A low quote may leave out error handling, documentation or handover. Compare what is included, not just the total.