Pricing & day rates
What do AI, software and design cost?
The honest answer: it depends on the project – which is why every project gets its own quote. So that you can still get a sense of where you stand, you will find our day rates here, how we calculate and what AI actually costs in operation.
01 · Quotes
Every project is quoted individually.
We do not sell off-the-shelf packages. It starts with a free initial consultation, followed by a short analysis – and then a quote that fits your project. With more than 25 years of experience in software and e-commerce, we usually need fewer hours for the same result; you will notice that in the quote.
Step 1
Free initial consultation
We clarify your goal, starting point and scope – and tell you honestly whether the project is worthwhile or a simpler solution will do.
Step 2
Analysis & concept
We review systems, data and requirements. Smaller analyses are often included in the quote; larger ones are billed as a separate, clearly limited step.
Step 3
Fixed price or budget
With a clear scope you get a fixed price, otherwise a capped budget with milestones – you always know where you stand.
02 · Day rates
Our day rates.
Our day rates are the basis of every quote. The range depends on the complexity and responsibility of the task – consulting on an AI strategy is priced higher than maintaining a website.
| Service | Day rate | roughly | typical for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI consulting & strategy | €1,000–1,300 | €125–165 / hour | Potential analysis, AI strategy, workshops, choice of models and providers |
| AI development | €900–1,150 | €115–145 / hour | Chatbots with your own knowledge (RAG), AI agents, automation, connection to CRM, shop or ERP |
| App development | €800–1,000 | €100–125 / hour | Native iOS apps (SwiftUI), Android, Flutter, desktop apps, middleware |
| Web development & shops | €750–950 | €95–120 / hour | Websites, web applications, WooCommerce and Shopify, interfaces |
| UI/UX design | €750–950 | €95–120 / hour | Concepts, prototypes, interface design for web and apps |
| Corporate design & graphics | €700–900 | €90–115 / hour | Logo, brand identity, print; usage rights are covered in the quote |
| SEO & GEO | €750–950 | €95–120 / hour | Audits, visibility on Google and in AI answers; strategy up to €1,000, ongoing support as a monthly retainer |
All prices are net, plus statutory VAT. A day rate covers 8 hours; billing is based on actual effort or the agreed fixed price. Project management is included in the quote.
03 · Running costs
What AI actually costs in operation.
The biggest worry about AI is often unpredictable running costs. The good news: the AI providers’ fees are usually the smaller item – as long as the system is built properly.
Use of the AI models
Billed by consumption (tokens) directly with the provider, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Mistral – or not at all if a model runs locally on your own hardware.
Operation & hosting
Server, database and, if needed, a vector database for your knowledge. Depending on size and data protection requirements in an EU cloud or on your own server.
Maintenance & development
Updates, new models, quality monitoring. As a monthly retainer or by effort – whatever suits your business.
Sample calculation: model costs only, per month
Assumption: each request contains around 1,500 tokens of context and question and receives an answer of around 400 tokens – for example product advice in a shop or a question to your own knowledge base.
| Model | 1,000 requests | 10,000 requests | 100,000 requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Luna (OpenAI) | $0.35 | $3.50 | $35 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 (Anthropic) | $3.50 | $35 | $350 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Anthropic) | $7.00 | $70 | $700 |
| Mixed operation (80% small, 18% medium, 2% large) | $1.05 | $10.50 | $105 |
Providers’ list prices in US dollars, excluding taxes; as of October 2026. Longer documents, image and speech generation cost more; caching and batch processing cost less. Operation and maintenance come on top.
04 · Cost control
How costs stay under control.
01
The right model for each task
Simple questions go to small, inexpensive models, only demanding ones to large models. This often reduces costs by a factor of five to ten.
02
Budget limits and monitoring
Fixed caps per day or month and an analysis of consumption – no surprises on the invoice.
03
Caching and preparation
Recurring content is cached and knowledge is prepared in advance, so the system only sends what it really needs.
04
Approval instead of mass production
When images or texts are produced in large numbers, a person decides what gets published – this prevents costly runaway jobs.
05
No provider lock-in
We build so that the model can be switched. If a provider becomes more expensive, we switch – without redeveloping the application.
06
Local where it pays off
With high volumes or sensitive data, a locally run model can be cheaper and better for data protection.
05 · FAQ
Questions about costs and quotes.
Why do you quote day rates instead of fixed packages?
Because no two projects are alike. Packages are either too large or too small. With day rates and an individual quote, you pay for what your project needs – and still get a fixed price when the scope is clear.
What does the initial consultation cost?
Nothing. In the free initial consultation we clarify goal and scope and tell you honestly whether and how your project can be realised.
Do I get a fixed price?
Yes, if the scope is clearly defined. If questions are still open, we agree on a capped budget and work in milestones so that you can decide at any time.
What does an AI solution cost in operation?
Usually less than feared: with a properly built application, the pure model costs are often in the range of a few euros to a few hundred euros per month, depending on usage. Operation and maintenance come on top. The sample calculation above shows the order of magnitude.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes, if you wish as a monthly retainer with a fixed allowance or by effort – tailored to how much support your solution needs.
Are the prices net?
Yes, all prices quoted are plus statutory VAT. The providers’ model prices are given in US dollars, as they are billed.
Let’s talk about your project.
In the free initial consultation we estimate together what effort is realistic – then you receive a transparent quote.
Book a consultation →