What does AI automation cost an SME?

The package price is only part of the cost of AI automation. Platform access, model usage and your team’s time may add to it. We use our own prices to show which amounts are fixed and which depend on how you use the setup.

When comparing quotes, ask the same questions of each: What will be installed? What will it cost to use afterwards? What support is included? What will your people need to provide?

What you pay once for the setup

There are three packages, and you pay the agreed setup price once, as a fixed price. The next section shows what may cost extra afterwards.

Basic Installation, CHF 490.–: You get an installed AI harness, a vault template for working files on your machine, one or two basic workflows and a handover document. Two weeks after handover, we check how those workflows are running.
Pro Setup, CHF 1'490.–, recommended: This adds our platform, multi-step workflows, initial connections to your systems and three to five commands for starting the workflows. It includes an introduction session, 30 days of follow-up support and a Business seat for three months. The package covers one person on one device.
Operator System, CHF 3'500.– to 5'000.–: We set up workflows for several people and connections within the agreed scope. The package includes 60 days of follow-up support, and each person’s Business seat is included for six months instead of three. Your quote fixes the price within that range before work starts.

The package comparison shows what each package includes. Your written quote is binding: it states what we’ll install and whether on-site work or expenses cost extra.

If you buy Basic Installation and later move to Pro Setup, you pay CHF 490.– and then a further CHF 1'490.–. Basic Installation is included in Pro Setup, but its price is not credited. If the installed setup differs from the written quote, we fix the difference at no extra cost, with no deadline.

For a team, we recommend Operator System as the shared base, plus one Pro Setup per person. With Operator System, each person’s Business seat is included for six months instead of three. A worked example for five people follows below; your quote states the cost for your team. If you want a model to run on your own hardware, we quote that work separately.

What may cost extra after handover

Running costs depend on your package, chosen tools and usage. Check these items before you buy:

Business seat: This gives you access to our platform. Pro Setup includes three months; with Operator System, it is six months per person. After that, access costs CHF 199.– per person per month, or 15% less when billed yearly: CHF 169.– a month, which is CHF 2'028.– a year. Basic Installation has no Business seat.
Model usage: You pay the AI model provider through your company’s account. If you prefer, we manage that account for you or provide API keys where the provider’s licence allows it, and invoice you for the cost. The amount depends on the model and how much you use it. Check whether you can see usage and set a spending limit.
Licences: Licences for existing programs or additional software cost extra.
Support: Pro Setup includes 30 days of follow-up support and Operator System includes 60. After that, you can agree further support for CHF 500.– to 2'000.– a month: monitoring, basic maintenance, updates and one-to-one technical help within reason. You decide separately whether you need it and what it should cover.
Your team’s time: Your people need to explain the workflow, learn the setup and check its output. A person makes the final decision before AI sends a message outside your firm or spends money. Include that time in your calculation.

Worked example: Pro Setup in year one

One person uses Pro Setup and keeps the Business seat after the three included months. Billed monthly, the setup and platform access cost:

Pro Setup, paid once: CHF 1'490.–
Business seat, months 1 to 3: included
Business seat, months 4 to 12, billed monthly: 9 × CHF 199.– = CHF 1'791.–
Setup and Business seat in year one: CHF 3'281.–, excluding model usage, other licences, your team’s time, expenses and further support

Billed yearly, the Business seat costs 15% less. If you pay for it yearly from month 4, we bill CHF 2'028.– in month 4 for months 4 to 15. Nine of those months fall in year one:

Pro Setup, paid once: CHF 1'490.–
Business seat, months 1 to 3: included
Business seat, months 4 to 12, billed yearly: 9 × CHF 169.– = CHF 1'521.–
Setup and Business seat in year one: CHF 3'011.–, again excluding those additional costs
Invoiced in year one: CHF 1'490.– + CHF 2'028.– = CHF 3'518.–, because the yearly bill from month 4 also covers months 13 to 15

You do not pay the setup price again in year two. If you keep the Business seat, it costs 12 × CHF 199.– = CHF 2'388.– per person, or 12 × CHF 169.– = CHF 2'028.– billed yearly. Model usage and other licences may add to that. Read more under Additional costs.

Worked example: a team of five in year one

Five people work with the setup. Operator System is the shared base, plus one Pro Setup per person. Everyone keeps their Business seat after the six included months. Billed monthly, the setup and platform access cost:

Operator System: One-off fixed price of CHF 3'500.– to 5'000.–. Your written quote states the price for the agreed scope
Pro Setup per person, paid once: 5 × CHF 1'490.– = CHF 7'450.–
Business seat per person, months 1 to 6: included
Business seat per person, months 7 to 12, billed monthly: 5 × 6 × CHF 199.– = CHF 5'970.–
Setup and Business seats in year one: CHF 16'920.– to 18'420.–, excluding model usage, other licences, your team’s time, expenses and further support

Billed yearly, we bill CHF 2'028.– per person in month 7 for months 7 to 18. Six of those months fall in year one:

Business seat per person, months 7 to 12, billed yearly: 5 × 6 × CHF 169.– = CHF 5'070.–
Setup and Business seats in year one: CHF 16'020.– to 17'520.–, again excluding those additional costs
Invoiced in year one: CHF 10'950.– to 12'450.– for the setups and 5 × CHF 2'028.– = CHF 10'140.– for the Business seats, CHF 21'090.– to 22'590.– in all, because the yearly bills from month 7 also cover months 13 to 18

How many hours would cover the cost on paper?

Divide each amount by what a working hour costs your business. We use CHF 90.– an hour as an example. Use your own figure before making a decision:

Basic Installation: CHF 490.– ÷ CHF 90.– = 6 hours, rounded up.
Pro Setup: CHF 1'490.– ÷ CHF 90.– = 17 hours, rounded up.
Pro Setup in year one with a Business seat billed monthly: CHF 3'281.– ÷ CHF 90.– = 37 hours, rounded up.
Pro Setup in year one with a Business seat billed yearly: CHF 3'011.– ÷ CHF 90.– = 34 hours, rounded up.
Operator System: CHF 3'500.– to 5'000.– ÷ CHF 90.– = 39 to 56 hours, rounded up.

In our setups, we record one figure you choose at the start, such as the time spent processing an invoice, and measure it again at the review two weeks after handover. ‘Where does the time go?’ includes a worksheet for recording a workflow.

Check the software you already have first

A rule or template in software you already pay for may handle the step. Check that before adding a new setup to your budget. ‘The cheapest solution might already be installed’ explains how to review your existing tools.

Not every task needs AI. For your calculation, choose a workflow that comes up regularly. Write down what a correct result looks like and who will check it.

Worksheet

Worksheet: costs and hours for one workflow

Choose a recurring workflow and have your software bills to hand.

Write down how the work happens today, how often it comes up and who works on it.
Record the working time it takes each month. List waiting time separately: less waiting does not always mean fewer working hours.
Enter your internal hourly cost. The examples above use CHF 90.–.
List what you already pay for this workflow, including software, licences and outside help.
Count the people who need platform access. After the included months, each Business seat costs CHF 199.– a month, or CHF 2'028.– a year billed yearly.
Set a monthly budget for AI model usage.
Estimate your people’s time for onboarding and checking AI output.
Convert the estimated time spent on onboarding and checking into a cost using your internal hourly cost. Add it to the setup price, platform access and any other costs the setup adds in year one. Divide the total by your hourly cost. The result is a threshold in hours, not a forecast of time saved.

After setup, compare the working time with your original notes. You can discuss the worksheet in a free call with Jules.

How to find the right package for your workflow

The free interview asks about your work, one question at a time, with no account. After level two, your report shows where it pays to start and which of the three packages fits. In a free 20-minute call with Jules, we discuss scope and price; you book it on the contact page.

For five more questions to ask before commissioning the work, read ‘Five questions before you commission AI automation’.

What does AI automation cost an SME? Setup and running costs