How much does custom AI software development cost?
Honest ranges, no marketing fog. Use the estimator below to ballpark your project, then book a free 30-minute call for a written fixed-price quote.
Interactive estimator
Three quick questions. Numbers are real ranges from past projects. Final quote always after a discovery call.
1. What kind of AI are you building?
2. How many systems will it connect to?
3. Where do you want it hosted?
Click any answer above to refine the estimate.
What drives the number
Custom AI development cost is rarely about the AI itself. It’s the integration work, the edge cases, and the deployment. Here’s the rough split.
Discovery & technical design
10–15%Mapping your workflow, agreeing scope, and writing the technical spec you sign off on.
Core AI development
35–45%Building the AI logic — agents, tools, memory, prompts, evaluation harness.
Integrations
15–25%Each system you connect adds engineering time; APIs are easier than legacy systems.
Admin panel & UI
10–15%How your team uses it day-to-day — admin controls, dashboards, audit logs.
Testing & deployment
10%Production hardening, security review, rollout to your environment.
Post-launch support
5–10%First 30 days of bug fixes and adjustments based on real usage.
Real project ranges
Anonymised examples from past work. Not exact prices — pricing depends on your specifics — but a useful gut check.
| Project | Integrations | Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp customer support bot for retail chain | WhatsApp, Shopify | €7,950 – €12,950 | 4 weeks |
| Bank reconciliation + invoice automation | AFAS, Exact, Stripe, bank APIs | €19,950 – €34,950 | 8 weeks |
| Internal AI assistant for legal team | SharePoint, DMS, Outlook | €24,950 – €49,950 | 10 weeks |
| Multi-department AI ops platform | 12+ systems, on-prem | €89,950 – €159,950 | 16 weeks |
Cost FAQ
Why is custom AI software development cheaper than a typical software project?+
Because you don't pay developers to write everything from scratch. We start from the OpenClaw foundation and existing AI building blocks, then build the specific tools, integrations and workflows your business needs. That collapses what used to be a 6–12 month custom-software build into a 4–12 week project.
What does the cost include?+
Discovery, design, development, integrations, testing, deployment to your server or our managed cloud, and 30 days of post-launch support. It does not include third-party API fees (OpenAI, Twilio, etc.), which we set up under your accounts so you keep direct billing control.
What's NOT included in the quote?+
Ongoing model API costs (typically €50–€500/month depending on usage), third-party SaaS subscriptions, and any infrastructure you choose to run yourself. We give you a forecast before you start so there are no surprises.
Do you offer monthly plans instead of one-time fees?+
Yes. ClawdBot managed plans start at €249/month and include hosting, updates and ongoing tweaks. Most clients start with a one-time project (custom build) then move to a managed plan for hosting and support.
How accurate is the estimator?+
It gets you a realistic ballpark within ±25%. The final quote depends on the specifics — what data you have, how clean it is, and what edge cases you need to handle. We give you a written fixed-price quote after a free 30-minute discovery call.
Can you do it for less if our scope is smaller?+
Sometimes. If your need genuinely fits inside an existing ClawdBot template, you might be able to start at €249/month with no setup fee. The estimator above shows custom builds — get in touch and we'll tell you straight if a managed plan would be a better fit.
Ready for a real number?
Tell me what you’re building. I’ll send a written fixed-price quote within a few days — with the scope, timeline and what’s in or out spelled out.
Mark Austen, Founder — replies within 24 hours