Free tools/AI Project Cost Calculator

What will an AI project actually cost to build?

Build + year-1 run · low–high range by complexity

Estimate what an AI project costs to build and run in its first year — pick a complexity, add integrations and your rates, and get a low–high range.

Build cost
€24,800 – €48,000
Year-1 running
€4,800
Total year 1
€29,600 – €52,800

Indicative ranges based on typical effort for each complexity band, your day rate, and running cost. A diagnostic refines this against your actual scope and data.

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How to use it.

1. Pick the complexity

Simple (one clean workflow), moderate (multiple steps and integrations), or complex (multi-workflow, messy data, strict guardrails). This sets the effort range.

2. Add integrations and rates

Each system you connect adds effort. Enter your engineering day rate (or a vendor's) and the expected monthly running cost — models, infra, and oversight.

3. Read the range, not a point

AI build costs are a range until scope is pinned down. You get build cost, year-one running cost, and total year-one — all as low–high bands.

4. Pair it with ROI

Cost is only half the decision. Run the same project through the ROI calculator to see whether the savings justify the build.

Frequently asked questions.

How much does an AI project cost?
For mid-market teams, a focused production workflow typically lands in the low-to-mid five figures to build, plus ongoing running costs. Complexity, data quality, and the number of integrations are the biggest drivers — this tool gives a range for your inputs.
Why a range instead of a single number?
Until scope, data quality, and edge cases are pinned down, a single figure is false precision. The low–high band reflects the real uncertainty; a diagnostic narrows it.
What's the ongoing running cost of an AI workflow?
Model/API usage, infrastructure, monitoring, and the human oversight time for exceptions. It's rarely zero — ignoring it is the most common budgeting mistake.

More free AI tools.

Numbers looking promising?

A free tool gives you a hypothesis. The 30-minute diagnostic is where we pressure-test it against your actual workflows — and decide whether the project is worth building, buying, or skipping.