How much does an AI assistant cost?

The short answer

For most small and medium-sized businesses, a first AI assistant or automation costs somewhere around £2,000–£5,000 to build, plus roughly £50–£300 a month to run it — all plus VAT. Simpler tools sit at the lower end; anything that plugs deeply into your existing systems costs more. A one-off audit of where AI would help starts from around £495, and hands-on team training from about £650 for a half-day.

What you're actually paying for

• The build — setting the tool up and fitting it to how you work.
• The connections — plugging it into your booking system, website, inbox or spreadsheets.
• The running cost — hosting and usage, the small monthly figure.
• Support — keeping it accurate and making changes as your business shifts.

What moves the price

• How many jobs it does — one focused task is cheaper than a do-everything system.
• How deeply it connects to the tools you already use.
• Whether sensitive data means a private, self-hosted setup.
• How much is custom versus fitted from proven building blocks.

The honest test

The number that matters isn't the price — it's the return. If a tool saves you ten hours a month, or catches the enquiries you're currently missing after hours, it usually pays for itself quickly. If it wouldn't, it's not worth building, and a good adviser will say so.

How to get a real number

The only honest quote comes from understanding your setup — what you'd want it to do, and what you already use. Have a chat with Katalis on our homepage for a ballpark tailored to your business, and the first conversation is free.