Custom AI/How pricing works
How custom AI software development is priced
Fixed price, quoted after a short scoping chat with me. The written quote spells out what's in and what's out, and you own the code. Below: what the quote covers, what moves it, and how long each kind of build takes.
Scope your project
Three quick questions shape the brief and show a typical timeline from real shipped projects. The price itself comes as one fixed number after a short scoping chat with me.
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 shape the brief.
Your three answers go to me with your email. No newsletter, no spam.
Prefer to design the system piece by piece? Build your own AI system in the interactive builder. Pick channels, agents and integrations, then send the design in for a written quote.
Pricing an assistant for a smaller team? AI assistant cost for small business compares renting a managed assistant against a focused custom build, with the running costs of both.
What the quote covers
Custom AI development cost is rarely about the AI itself. It’s the integration work, the edge cases, and the deployment. The work inside a fixed-price quote usually splits like this, from the largest share down.
Core AI development
Largest shareBuilding the AI logic: agents, tools, memory, prompts and evaluation tests.
Integrations
Second largestEach system you connect adds engineering time; APIs are easier than legacy systems.
Discovery & technical design
MediumMapping your workflow, agreeing scope, and writing the technical spec you sign off on.
Admin panel & UI
MediumHow your team uses it day to day: admin controls, dashboards and audit logs.
Testing & deployment
SmallerProduction hardening, security review, rollout to your environment.
Post-launch support
SmallestBug fixes and adjustments after launch, based on real usage.
Real projects
Anonymised examples from past work: what was connected and how long it took. Each was one fixed price, quoted after scoping.
| Project | Integrations | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp customer support bot for retail chain | WhatsApp, Shopify | 4 weeks |
| Bank reconciliation + invoice automation | AFAS, Exact, Stripe, bank APIs | 8 weeks |
| Internal AI assistant for legal team | SharePoint, DMS, Outlook | 10 weeks |
| Multi-department AI ops platform | 12+ systems, on-prem | 16 weeks |
Pricing FAQ
How is a custom AI project priced?
Fixed price for the agreed scope, quoted after a short scoping chat with me. The written quote spells out what's in and what's out, and you own the code.
Why don't you publish prices?
Because two projects that sound the same rarely are. The price depends on how many systems it connects to, how clean your data is and which edge cases matter. A short scoping chat with me gets you one fixed number for your actual scope, in writing, instead of a range that fits nobody.
What does the quote include?
Discovery, design, development, integrations, testing, deployment to your server or my managed cloud, and bug fixes and adjustments after launch. It does not include third-party API fees (model providers, Twilio, etc.), which I set up under your accounts so you keep direct billing control.
What's NOT included in the quote?
Ongoing model API usage, third-party SaaS subscriptions, and any infrastructure you choose to run yourself. Those are billed to your own accounts, and I give you a forecast of them before you start so there are no surprises.
Can I pay monthly instead of a one-time build?
Two different things, worth keeping apart. If you want an assistant with nothing built at all, rent one: Nora is my managed product at nora.work, with a two-week free trial. A custom build is one fixed price, and hosting, updates and tweaks after launch can go on the same quote.
What if my scope is small?
Then the quote is small too. And if a ready-made assistant already covers what you need, I'll tell you to rent Nora rather than commission anything. Get in touch and I'll say straight which of the two fits.
Ready for a fixed price?
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: I reply within 24 hours