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Cost guide

How much does an AI chatbot cost in 2026?

An AI chatbot on one queue of questions costs $500–$10K at the direct rate, as a fixed quote. The written scope sets the questions it may answer, the sources it answers from and the systems it uses. The monthly tuning and hosting retainer is priced on its own below. Every figure becomes a written proposal.

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The range

What it costs,
at the direct rate.

Priced as a build for one support queue, answering from your own documents. A monthly support retainer keeps its answers accurate as your documents change.

  • ProjectChatbot build$500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
  • RetainerMonthly tuning and hosting support$100–$1,250per month
  • ProjectGrowth assistant$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
  • RetainerGrowth assistant, monthly$350–$1,250per month
  • ProjectEcommerce assistant$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
  • RetainerEcommerce assistant, monthly$350–$1,250per month
  • ProjectCRM assistant (HubSpot, Salesforce or Zoho)$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
  • RetainerCRM assistant, monthly$350–$1,250per month
  • ProjectHealthcare assistant, built to your HIPAA requirements$3,000–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
  • RetainerHealthcare assistant, monthly$600–$1,875per month

Indicative: every figure is refined into an itemised proposal.INR figures shown excl. GST.

Where the engagement includes it, a Prism workspace holds requests, approvals, tasks and reviews.

What moves the price

Why the price
varies from job to job.

01

How hard the questions are

Chatbot questions come in three levels. The simplest can be answered from your documents alone: a refund window, a delivery policy. The next needs this customer's own record, so the bot must check who is asking before it reads a live system. The hardest changes something, which needs edit access, a confirm step and a way to undo it. Every demo handles the simplest level. The build is priced on the hardest level your queue needs.

Biggest factor
02

The state of your documentation

The bot answers only from what your documents say, so their state sets how much preparation the build needs. An up-to-date help centre that speaks with one voice loads in cleanly. Policies that contradict each other, or answers that only your support staff know, must be sorted out first. Our review finds the gaps. Writing what is missing is your team's job or its own line in the proposal, never a surprise in the fee.

Hidden cost
03

Which systems it must reach

The build connects the bot to the helpdesk, CRM, website or messaging channel you already use. A helpdesk with a clean API, and questions already tagged by topic, sits at the bottom of the range. A system with no API, or one that must identify the customer before it shows anything, adds work to design and test. We size this from your systems while planning.

Connections
04

What the queue could get wrong

Before a customer sees it, the bot is tested against a set of your real support tickets. The tests check that it sticks to its sources, its tone, when it says no, and how it resists prompt injection (a user talking it out of its rules). Shipping questions need a short test set. Refunds, health, money or contracts need a longer one, with stricter rules on when to say no. The proposal shows the difference.

Risk
05

Channels and queues

The build covers one queue on one channel, the smallest scope we can test properly. A second channel is not a copy: each has its own style of conversation, handover route and tests. More channels and queues are priced after the first one proves itself. So the pilot never carries the cost of a rollout you have not decided on.

Scope
06

Volume and how often the docs change

The monthly retainer is sized by the number of conversations and how often your documents change. Every change means reloading the documents and running the tests again. So policies updated every few months and a help centre edited daily need different retainers. Model usage up to the conversations a plan includes is in the monthly price; above that, the provider's charge is passed on at cost.

Monthly cost
The options

Which option
suits your business.

Each option below is one way to buy AI chatbots. Read what it is and who it suits, then ask for the one that fits. Your proposal itemises it.

Project

Chatbot build

$500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
What it is

A support or sales bot on one queue, answering from your help centre, policies, manuals and past tickets. Every answer shows its source, and the bot hands over to a person when it is unsure. It works by RAG (retrieval-augmented generation): it finds the right passages first, then writes only from them. The fee is fixed against a written scope you approve before any code goes live.

Who it fits

Teams with a queue of questions their documents already answer, and a helpdesk to connect to. It does not fit a business with no documents to answer from, which needs the writing first. Nor does it fit a buyer who wants the bot to make things up beyond its sources.

Included
  • Answers drawn from your help centre, policies, manuals and tickets; if there is no source, there is no answer
  • Hands over to a person when it isn't sure, with the full conversation attached
  • Tests built from real tickets: accuracy, tone, resistance to misuse and when to refuse
  • Connected to the helpdesk, CRM, website or messaging channel you already use
  • Conversation records, a step-by-step guide, admin training and agreed IP and ownership terms
Not included, quoted separately
  • Model and API usage
  • Hosting
  • More channels or queues, priced once the pilot has proved itself
  • Ongoing tuning (see the support retainer)
Turnaround
3 to 6 weeks
Moves the number
How much it is allowed to do: answer from documents, read a verified customer's record, or update it.
Request this option →
Retainer

Monthly tuning and hosting support

$100–$1,250per month
What it is

The retainer that keeps a live bot accurate after launch. We reload documents as they change and adjust when it hands over to a person, based on the logs. We test AI model upgrades before they go live and manage hosting and monitoring. Each month you get a report of what it answered, what it passed on and why.

Who it fits

Any team whose documents change, which is nearly every team. It does not fit a bot you will run in-house from the instruction guide (runbook). It is not a way to buy new channels either; those are priced as their own lines.

Included
  • Your documents re-loaded as they change, with the tests re-run each time
  • When it hands over to a person, adjusted based on the conversation records
  • AI model upgrades tested before they go live
  • Hosting and monitoring managed, inside your own cloud if needed
  • A monthly report: what it answered, what it escalated, and why
Not included, quoted separately
  • AI model and API usage above the included conversations, passed on at cost
  • New channels or queues
  • Extra 1,000 conversations a month on the starter plan
Turnaround
Monthly; the starter plan is month to month
Moves the number
How many conversations it handles, and how often your documents change. The starter plan includes up to 1,000 conversations a month (a conversation is one visitor session of up to 20 messages) and one content refresh.
Request this option →
Project

Growth assistant

$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
What it is

A larger assistant: up to 300 pages or documents, two languages and two channels (your website plus WhatsApp, Messenger or your helpdesk), with handover into one CRM or helpdesk.

Who it fits

Teams with a bigger help centre or a second channel. It does not fit a small site with a short FAQ, which the starting build covers.

Included
  • Answers drawn from up to 300 pages or documents, with sources shown
  • Two channels: the website and one of WhatsApp, Messenger or your helpdesk
  • Handover into one CRM or helpdesk with the full conversation attached
  • Tests built from real questions before any customer sees it
  • A step-by-step guide, admin training and agreed IP and ownership terms
Not included, quoted separately
  • More channels or languages
  • AI model and API usage above the included conversations
Turnaround
3 to 5 weeks
Moves the number
How many sources and channels it covers, and what it may do in your CRM or helpdesk.
Request this option →
Retainer

Growth assistant, monthly

$350–$1,250per month
What it is

The monthly plan for a growth assistant: up to 3,000 conversations a month with model usage included, and 4 hours of tuning.

Who it fits

Teams running a growth assistant. It does not fit a website FAQ assistant, which has its own smaller monthly plan.

Included
  • Up to 3,000 conversations a month, model usage included
  • 4 hours of tuning a month from the conversation records
  • Documents re-loaded as they change, with the tests re-run
  • A monthly report: what it answered, what it handed over, and why
Not included, quoted separately
  • Conversations above 3,000 a month, at cost
  • New channels or languages
Turnaround
Monthly, month to month
Moves the number
How many conversations it handles, and how often your documents change.
Request this option →
Project

Ecommerce assistant

$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
What it is

An assistant for one Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento store: product questions for up to 5,000 products, order status for a verified customer and your returns policy.

Who it fits

Online stores whose customers ask the same product and order questions every day. It does not fit a store that needs the assistant to change orders, which is priced from the brief.

Included
  • Product questions answered from your catalogue, up to 5,000 products
  • Order status looked up for a verified customer
  • Returns, delivery and payment questions answered from your policies
  • Handover to your team with the conversation attached
  • Tested on real customer questions before launch; a step-by-step guide and ownership terms
Not included, quoted separately
  • More stores, languages or channels
  • AI model and API usage above the included conversations
Turnaround
3 to 5 weeks
Moves the number
The size of your catalogue and what the assistant may do with orders: read them, or change them.
Request this option →
Retainer

Ecommerce assistant, monthly

$350–$1,250per month
What it is

The monthly plan for a store assistant: up to 3,000 conversations a month with model usage included, catalogue and policy changes re-loaded, and 4 hours of tuning.

Who it fits

Stores running the ecommerce assistant. It does not fit a store that changes thousands of products a day, which needs a quote.

Included
  • Up to 3,000 conversations a month, model usage included
  • Catalogue and policy changes re-loaded, with the tests re-run
  • 4 hours of tuning a month from the conversation records
  • A monthly report on questions, handovers and order lookups
Not included, quoted separately
  • Conversations above 3,000 a month, at cost
  • New stores or channels
Turnaround
Monthly, month to month
Moves the number
How many conversations it handles, and how often your catalogue changes.
Request this option →
Project

CRM assistant (HubSpot, Salesforce or Zoho)

$1,500–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
What it is

A website assistant connected to one CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce or Zoho). It asks the qualifying questions you approve, creates or updates the contact and deal, and books a meeting.

Who it fits

Sales teams that want website leads qualified and booked into their CRM. It does not fit a team with no CRM, or one that needs several CRMs connected.

Included
  • Connected to one CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce or Zoho
  • Your qualifying questions, written and approved by you
  • Contacts and deals created or updated, with the conversation attached
  • Meetings booked into your team's calendars
  • Tested before launch; a step-by-step guide and ownership terms
Not included, quoted separately
  • A second CRM or more pipelines
  • AI model and API usage above the included conversations
Turnaround
3 to 5 weeks
Moves the number
What it may change in your CRM, and how many pipelines and owners it routes to.
Request this option →
Retainer

CRM assistant, monthly

$350–$1,250per month
What it is

The monthly plan for a CRM assistant: up to 3,000 conversations a month with model usage included, CRM changes reflected, and 4 hours of tuning.

Who it fits

Teams running the CRM assistant. It does not fit a team that changes its pipelines every week, which needs more tuning hours.

Included
  • Up to 3,000 conversations a month, model usage included
  • CRM field and pipeline changes reflected, with the tests re-run
  • 4 hours of tuning a month from the conversation records
  • A monthly report on leads captured, meetings booked and handovers
Not included, quoted separately
  • Conversations above 3,000 a month, at cost
  • New pipelines or a second CRM
Turnaround
Monthly, month to month
Moves the number
How many conversations it handles, and how often your CRM set-up changes.
Request this option →
Project

Healthcare assistant, built to your HIPAA requirements

$3,000–$10Kfixed quote, one-time
What it is

A website assistant for patient enquiries for one practice group, built to your HIPAA requirements: appointments, services, opening hours and insurance questions. It gives no diagnosis or medical advice and hands over to your staff.

Who it fits

Clinics and practices whose front desk answers the same enquiries every day. It does not fit a practice that wants the assistant to give clinical advice.

Included
  • Patient enquiries answered from your approved content, never diagnosis or medical advice
  • Handover to your staff by the rules you set
  • Hosting and model chosen for your HIPAA requirements
  • Conversation logs kept to your retention policy
  • Tested before launch; a step-by-step guide and ownership terms
Not included, quoted separately
  • More locations or languages
  • AI model and API usage above the included conversations
Turnaround
4 to 6 weeks
Moves the number
How many locations and languages it covers, and how much approved content it answers from.
Request this option →
Retainer

Healthcare assistant, monthly

$600–$1,875per month
What it is

The monthly plan for the healthcare assistant: up to 2,000 conversations a month with model usage included, monitoring and a quarterly review of handovers, logs and access.

Who it fits

Practices running the healthcare assistant. It does not fit a group of many locations, which is quoted from the brief.

Included
  • Up to 2,000 conversations a month, model usage included
  • Monitoring, and your content re-loaded as it changes
  • A quarterly review of handovers, logs and access
  • A monthly report on enquiries and handovers
Not included, quoted separately
  • Conversations above 2,000 a month, at cost
  • New locations or channels
Turnaround
Monthly, month to month
Moves the number
How many conversations it handles, and how often your services and policies change.
Request this option →
Cheaper or dearer

What makes your quote
lower or higher.

The proposal lists the scope, connections and testing. So you can see each item below change a line before you sign.

Brings the quote down
  • Simple questions: answered from documents, with no customer record needed
  • An up-to-date help centre that says what your support staff say
  • A helpdesk with a clean API and questions already tagged by topic
  • One channel to start: the website chat or the helpdesk, not both at once
  • Real support tickets to build the tests from
Pushes the quote up
  • Answers that need a checked customer record, which adds an identity check
  • Actions such as cancelling or refunding, each with a confirm step and a way to undo it
  • Policies that contradict each other, so they must be rewritten before loading
  • Regulated subjects, with strict rules on when to say no and a longer test set
  • Running inside your own cloud, with rules on where data is stored and for how long
What you get

What your fee
pays for.

The fee buys a working bot on one queue, and proof that it behaves. We promise no figure for tickets it will handle or deflect, because your queue is not an average. We do promise what we deliver and how it is measured.

01

Answers with their sources

Every reply links to the passage it came from, so anyone can check it. When it finds nothing, the bot says so instead of guessing.

02

Handover to a person, with the full conversation

Set limits decide when it stops. Refunds outside policy, legal questions and upset customers go to a person, with the full conversation and document attached.

03

A test report you sign off

Scores for sticking to sources, tone, saying no and resisting misuse, from tests built on your real tickets. You see them before launch, and again whenever the documents change.

04

Connected to the tools you already use

Your helpdesk, CRM, website or messaging channel. The AI model is chosen on fit, cost and where data is stored, and can be swapped without a rebuild.

05

Logs you can check

Every conversation is recorded with the source it used and why it was passed on. So a complaint can be traced to the exact answer and fixed at the cause.

06

Ownership at handover

The instruction guide (runbook) and admin training are included, and IP and ownership terms are agreed before work starts. Your team can update the knowledge base without asking us.

AgenciesThe ranges above are direct prices. Agency partners buy from the partner price list, about 20% lower on packages.

See the partner price list →
Questions

Frequently
asked.

Because the work is in the queue, not each conversation. A queue is one set of documents, one set of handover rules, one connection and one set of tests. We build it once, whatever the number of chats. The number of chats shows up in the provider's usage bill and the size of the retainer.

No, and be wary of a quote that says it is. Model and API usage is billed by the provider on your own account. So you can see it, cap it and switch models without asking us. The build fee buys the engineering, and the retainer passes usage on at cost.

No. The handover includes the runbook and admin training, under the agreed ownership terms, so your team can run the bot in-house. Most keep the retainer because documents change. Every change should mean reloading them and running the tests again. If your documents rarely change and your team can do that work, the proposal says so.

It's priced as its own line, after the first queue proves itself. A new channel brings its own style of conversation, handover route and tests. A new queue brings its own documents and handover rules. The proposal shows it separately, so you can decide when to add it from the pilot's test results.

Because moving from documents to customer records is the big jump in work. A bot answering from documents touches no live system. One that answers about a customer's own plan must check who is asking. It must read the customer system with limited access, and know what to do when it can't be sure who it is talking to.

Often, for simple questions, and our planning says so in writing when it's true. A helpdesk's own bot can answer from your help centre with little setup. But it usually can't read customer records, hand over with the full conversation or be tested on your real tickets. If simple answers are all your queue needs, we tell you to use it.

Related

Other cost guides
and the service page.

How much does an AI agent cost in 2026?Cost guide: the options, what changes the price and what the fee buys.How much does a website cost in 2026?Cost guide: the options, what changes the price and what the fee buys.About AI chatbotsThe service page: what the work is, how it runs and the proof behind it.AI chatbots on the rate cardThe same ranges beside every other service, in one card.

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