How much does a custom AI agent cost?
The short answer
A custom AI agent that does one job, like answering calls or pulling invoices from a portal, costs from $2,000 to build with us, at a fixed price. After that you only pay for what it uses: the AI model and, for voice agents, the phone minutes.
Published estimates from other agencies are much wider, from a few thousand dollars for a basic chatbot to $20,000 to $80,000 or more for large custom builds. The difference is mostly scope: how many jobs, tools and rules the agent has to handle.
What you pay for
- The build: planning, connecting your tools, writing the agent's rules and testing it on real cases.
- Running costs: AI usage and phone minutes, billed by the providers. For comparison, our RTA project produced 771 AI documents for $34.98 in total.
- Changes later: new steps or tools as your business changes, quoted when you ask.
What makes the price go up
- More than one job, or several agents working as a team
- Websites or systems with no API, which need a computer-use agent
- Strict rules for approvals, compliance or sensitive data
- Many integrations, such as CRM, calendar, phone and inbox at once
Custom agent or monthly tool?
Subscription tools are quick to start and fine when your process matches theirs. A custom agent fits your process and tools instead, and you own it.
Prices by type of agent
Questions
How much does a simple AI agent cost?
At Robiq a single-job agent, such as a voice agent that answers calls and books appointments, starts from $2,000 as a fixed price.
Are there monthly fees?
You pay the AI and phone providers for what the agent uses, at cost. There is no monthly licence to us.
How long does it take to build?
It depends on scope. A single-job agent is much quicker than a multi-agent process, and the timeline is set in your written plan before any work starts.
Is a custom agent better than a subscription tool?
If an off-the-shelf tool fits your process, it is usually cheaper to start. A custom agent makes sense when you need it to work with your own tools, portals or rules, or when per-seat fees add up.