"How much does AI cost?" is the question everyone wants answered and nobody gives a straight answer to. So let's fix that.
The honest truth: it depends on what you're building. But unlike most articles that stop there, we're going to give you real numbers based on real projects.
The DIY route: $0-$100/month
If your needs are simple, you might not need custom work at all. ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), Zapier ($20-70/month), and a few other tools can handle basic automation. The catch? You're limited to what these tools can do out of the box, and you'll spend your own time configuring and maintaining them.
Good for: simple chatbots, basic content generation, straightforward automations. Not good for: anything custom, multi-step workflows, or tools that need to integrate with your specific systems.
Freelancer route: $500-$5,000
Hiring a freelancer on Upwork or Fiverr can work for well-defined, one-off projects. Prices vary wildly — you might find someone for $500 or $5,000 for the same project. Quality varies just as much.
The risk: AI is a specialized field. A great web developer isn't automatically a great AI developer. And if the freelancer disappears after delivery, you're stuck maintaining something you don't fully understand.
Boutique agency route: $1,500-$10,000
This is where Lumivant fits. Boutique agencies specialize in AI and deliver custom solutions with ongoing support. You get expertise, consistency, and someone to call when things break.
For context: our Starter projects begin at $1,500 (a single workflow or mini-app), Pro projects at $4,000 (full app or workflow suite), and Business projects at $8,500 (multiple integrations with ongoing support). These aren't arbitrary numbers — they reflect the actual time and expertise required to build something reliable.
Big agency route: $25,000-$500,000+
Enterprise agencies charge enterprise prices. You're paying for large teams, account managers, lengthy discovery phases, and polished slide decks. The work is often excellent, but the timeline is measured in months and the budget in tens of thousands.
For a small business, this is almost always overkill. You don't need a 12-person team to automate your lead follow-up.
What to watch out for
Be suspicious of anyone who quotes you before understanding your problem. Be wary of hourly billing with no cap — projects can balloon fast. And run from anyone who promises AI will "transform your entire business" in a single project. Good AI work is iterative. Start small, prove value, then expand.
The best investment is one that pays for itself. If a $4,000 project saves you 15 hours a week, that's roughly $3,000/month in reclaimed time. The project pays for itself in six weeks.