What drives the cost of an AI project?
Five things move the price more than anything else. Know them and you can read any quote.
- Scope. How many workflows, users and screens. One assistant that answers staff questions is a different job from a platform with a web app and an iPhone app.
- Data. Clean, accessible data is cheap to use. Scattered spreadsheets, scanned PDFs and old exports need work before AI can touch them.
- Integrations. Every system the AI has to read from or write to adds build and test time. A standalone tool costs less than one wired into your CRM, accounts and email.
- Compliance and risk. Privacy, record keeping and industry rules shape the design. Tighter rules mean more checking, logging and review.
- Running costs. AI usage is billed by the model provider each time it is used. Software, hosting and support carry on after launch.
How much does AI consulting cost in Australia?
Published ranges from Australian providers start at a few thousand dollars for small automations. A 90-day build for a small or mid-sized business is published at up to A$50k. Large programs are published at A$250k+.
Treat those numbers as a map, not a quote. The ranges are self-reported, the scopes differ, and the same price can buy very different things. A low number may cover one automation. A high one may include training, change management and years of support.
We don't add our own number here. Our price depends on what you build, and we fix it after a paid discovery, when both sides know the scope.
What does an AI engagement look like, and how is each one priced?
Most engagements fall into one of five shapes. Knowing which one you are being sold tells you where the risk sits.
| Shape | What you get | How it is usually priced |
|---|---|---|
| Advice only | A strategy, a report, a roadmap | A day rate or a fixed project fee. Nothing gets built. |
| Paid discovery | Requirements, a plan, costing and a build price | A fixed fee for a short, defined piece of work. |
| Build sprints | Working software in short blocks | A fixed price per sprint, or time and materials. |
| Run and improve | Support, fixes and new features | A monthly fee. |
| Open-ended time and materials | A team on call | Hourly or daily rates. The total is not known up front. |
What does it cost to run AI after it is built?
Build cost is only the start. Four running costs show up after launch:
- AI usage, billed by the model provider each time it is used.
- Software and hosting.
- Support, fixes and improvements.
- Your own people's time to use it and approve changes.
This is the part of operationalizing AI (we say operationalise) that most quotes skip. Getting AI into daily use, and keeping it there, costs money too. Ask for it to be listed.
At Agentsy, AI usage and software are billed at cost, in your name. You see what you pay, and you keep the accounts.
Why do fixed-price sprints and a paid discovery reduce the risk?
With open-ended billing, the price grows when the plan is wrong. You find out after you have paid. Two habits take most of that risk away.
A paid, fixed-price discovery
Before anything is built, you pay for a short discovery. Ours is fixed price: two days with the founders, including about four hours face to face. You come away with requirements for each build, a refined plan, costing and a fixed build price. Then you decide: go or no-go.
Fixed-price sprints with a test week
Building runs in two-week sprints, each at a fixed price. After every sprint there is a test week, so you try the work on real tasks before the next sprint starts. If it isn't right, you find out early and cheaply.
A fixed price only helps if the scope is fixed too.
What should you ask for in an AI consulting quote?
Use this list to compare quotes. A good provider will answer every line in writing.
- What exactly will be built, and what is not included?
- Is the price fixed, and for how much work?
- Who does the work, and who checks it before I see it?
- Can I stop between stages, and what do I keep if I do?
- Which of my systems does it connect to, and is that in the price?
- What will AI usage, software and hosting cost each month?
- Whose name are the accounts in?
- Who owns the code and the data?
- How will I test it on real work before the next stage is billed?
- Are the prices ex GST?
How do we price AI work at Agentsy?
There are two depths: Lean or Core. Every line is priced on its own, so you can remove any you don't need and the price drops by that amount. Prices are ex GST. The numbers come after discovery, because they depend on your build.
Read how we work for the full shape of an engagement. If you are weighing up who to hire, start with how to choose an AI implementation partner in Australia. See what we do on AI app development.