AI Automation Pricing for UK Businesses: What Every Service Costs and What ROI to Expect in 2026

Softomate simple workflow and existing-platform FAQ chatbot setup starts from £1,500. A complete GHL AI receptionist starts from £2,000, a limited AI integration from £4,000, and custom chatbot development from £5,000. The starting fee buys a defined implementation. Monthly plans, required third-party services and usage must also be budgeted. All prices exclude VAT.

This is Softomate's own service-pricing guide, reviewed on 13 September 2026. It is not an independent industry price survey. Use it to compare the first working scope with your requirement, then request a written proposal for the complete setup and running costs. The published starting fees are scheduled for review in March 2027; third-party charges depend on the selected suppliers and usage.

Choose a first workflow, then set the budget

Company size does not create a minimum project fee. A larger business may need one simple workflow; a small business may need a complex integration. Start with the enquiry, document, call or system task that needs improving. Identify its inputs, destination, permissions, exceptions and success criteria. This defines a useful first phase without implying that an entry package covers every later requirement.

Ask the provider to show a setup total, a recurring subtotal and the variable charges. A starting price is useful only when the included workflow and its limits are visible. Migration, custom connectors, additional channels and new functionality should be identified before work begins.

Chatbot and knowledge-assistant prices

An existing-platform FAQ setup uses supplied answers and a simple handover. A custom chatbot is a different build. A company knowledge assistant requires retrieval from agreed sources and checks for answer quality and permitted access. Connecting a bot to a CRM adds defined data actions; it does not grant unrestricted access to every customer record. Website and WhatsApp are separate channel choices unless both are explicitly included.

AI receptionist and custom voice-agent prices

The complete receptionist includes essential account configuration. Do not add a separate CRM QuickStart fee for that same setup. The lower existing-account add-on applies only when the account, calendar and pipeline pass a readiness check. Custom voice development covers a different workflow and integration scope; outbound campaigns and specialist booking connections require their own agreement.

The complete GHL monthly package includes basic Softomate-supplied platform access and light support. Numbers, calls, messages, AI processing and paid add-ons are extra. An existing-account customer keeps the agreed existing subscription arrangement; the same location should not receive a duplicate platform charge. Custom voice care is separate from telephony, model usage and hosting.

Workflow, Microsoft 365 and AI integration prices

A supported-connector workflow is different from a custom API connection. Native Power Automate implementation is also different from an AI-assisted Microsoft 365 workflow that reads or interprets information. Identify the actual Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, ERP or CRM actions needed. Microsoft licences, automation executions, hosting and external AI consumption are separate where required.

Documents, RFQs and AI on existing systems

The invoice starter covers one intake route, one document type and validated draft output. It does not include full ERP posting or purchase-order reconciliation. The RFQ first phase covers an agreed quotation workflow; supplier portals, complex product matching and wider purchasing automation need their own scope. An ERP copilot must have defined data access, permitted actions and approval rules. Reading information and changing an order are different responsibilities.

For these packages, request an example using representative documents or a demonstration dataset. Agree how missing information, duplicate records, uncertain answers and failed integrations are handled. A useful acceptance test includes an exception case as well as a successful demonstration.

Odoo and CRM implementation prices

A core Odoo implementation, a focused module extension and a multi-department ERP rollout are different engagements. User licences, hosting, historical migration and custom modules must be listed separately when required. GHL QuickStart is a focused CRM-only offer; fuller GHL implementation covers a wider agreed setup. Bespoke CRM development means building custom software, which explains its different starting fee.

Software, applications, design and reporting prices

Monthly SaaS and mobile care does not include continuous feature development or unlimited hosting. A focused Power BI dashboard is different from an AI management-monitoring programme. A UX/UI engagement supplies the agreed design work; implementation is included only if explicitly quoted. Compare deliverables, ownership, deployment responsibilities and acceptance criteria alongside the entry price.

What is paid each month?

Separate three items: the selected platform or hosting, the agreed support or care package, and metered usage. GHL basic platform access is included only where the package says so. Other platforms normally require the customer's own licence or an itemised hosting arrangement. Usage can include calls, messages, AI tokens, workflow executions and storage. The proposal should identify who pays each supplier.

Care is scoped to the agreed system. It covers the checks and support listed in the proposal, with response arrangements and exclusions confirmed before purchase. Additional development is quoted separately. Optional care can follow a client-managed handover; required platform and usage costs still apply even if ongoing care is declined.

How to assess whether the project pays for itself

Use your current task volumes and handling time to estimate potential savings. For sales workflows, use contribution after delivery costs rather than treating every booking as profit. Subtract setup, platform, care and usage costs over the same period. Time released is valuable, but it is not automatically a cash saving. Record a baseline before launch and measure the result before funding the next phase.

No package price implies a guaranteed payback period, conversion rate or extraction accuracy. Those depend on the starting process, data, adoption and actual usage. Ask for relevant delivery evidence and a clear measurement plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the lowest-priced starting engagement?

A focused assessment, simple workflow or existing-platform FAQ chatbot setup starts from £1,500. These have different deliverables. The receptionist add-on at that level requires a suitable existing GHL account; complete receptionist setup starts from £2,000.

Does the receptionist require two setup fees?

No. Essential account configuration is included in the complete focused receptionist setup. CRM QuickStart is an alternative CRM-only package, not an additional prerequisite fee for the same work.

Are licences and usage included?

Basic GHL platform access is included where stated. Calls, numbers, messages, AI and paid add-ons are extra. Other required licences, hosting and usage are itemised separately. All published prices exclude VAT.

Can I start with one task?

Yes. Bring one workflow and a representative example. We define the first useful implementation, the exceptions it must handle and the work that belongs in a later phase.

What should the written quote contain?

Included inputs and outputs, systems and channels, permissions, exclusions, acceptance tests, setup fee, recurring costs, usage assumptions, ownership, handover and support arrangements. Confirm payment milestones and any separate discovery work in that proposal.

Send the task you want to improve, the systems you use and an example of the current process. Softomate can scope a first implementation and identify its complete costs before you commit. Discuss your workflow and request a scoped quote.