Custom AI chatbot: setup from £5,000; monthly plan from £299. Defined scope; VAT, licences and usage extra unless expressly included. One channel, agreed knowledge sources and controlled human handover. Care is optional after client-managed handover. Additional development is quoted separately.
| Chatbot Type | Price Range | Timeline | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAQ chatbot (rule-based) | £1,500 to £4,000 | 1 to 2 weeks | Simple customer support, basic lead capture |
| AI chatbot (GPT-powered) | £4,500 to £12,000 | 3 to 6 weeks | Customer enquiries, product recommendations, support deflection |
| Custom-trained AI chatbot | £8,000 to £20,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Complex support, trained on your docs and data |
| Enterprise AI chatbot | £20,000 to £35,000+ | 8 to 16 weeks | Multi-channel, CRM integration, custom AI model, compliance requirements |
| WhatsApp AI chatbot | £5,000 to £15,000 | 3 to 6 weeks | Order updates, booking, customer support via WhatsApp |
| Internal staff chatbot | £6,000 to £18,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | HR queries, IT helpdesk, policy search, onboarding |
The four factors that most affect chatbot development cost are: the AI model and hosting approach, the number of integrations required, the training data complexity, and the number of channels you want to deploy on.
A chatbot that handles 60% of inbound support queries saves a UK business with 3 support staff approximately 18 hours per week. At an average UK support salary of £28,000, that is £9,700 per year in recaptured time - before accounting for after-hours coverage and faster response times improving conversion.
Custom AI chatbot: setup from £5,000; monthly plan from £299. Defined scope; VAT, licences and usage extra unless expressly included. One channel, agreed knowledge sources and controlled human handover. Care is optional after client-managed handover. Additional development is quoted separately.
| SaaS Platform | Custom Development | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £0 to £2,000 | £4,500 to £35,000 |
| Monthly cost | £300 to £1,500 | £50 to £300 (hosting only) |
| 3-year total cost | £10,800 to £56,000 | £6,300 to £46,800 |
| Custom training | Limited | Full - your data, your model |
| Deep integrations | Limited to their API | Any system with an API |
| You own the code | No | Yes |
For most UK businesses handling more than 200 support interactions per month, custom development is cheaper over a 3-year horizon than a mid-tier SaaS subscription.
A chatbot for a small UK business typically costs between £4,500 and £12,000 for custom AI development. If your requirements are simple (FAQ handling, basic lead capture), a rule-based chatbot can be built for £1,500 to £4,000. Most small businesses choose an AI-powered chatbot in the £4,500 to £8,000 range that handles natural language questions without rigid decision trees.
A simple AI chatbot takes 3 to 6 weeks from scoping to deployment. Complex projects with custom training, multiple integrations or enterprise compliance requirements take 6 to 16 weeks. We give you a fixed timeline in the written proposal before any work begins.
Custom AI chatbot: setup from £5,000; monthly plan from £299. Defined scope; VAT, licences and usage extra unless expressly included. One channel, agreed knowledge sources and controlled human handover. Care is optional after client-managed handover. Additional development is quoted separately.
Yes. All prices quoted are exclusive of VAT at 20%. UK VAT-registered businesses can reclaim the VAT as input tax. We provide a full VAT invoice on project completion.
Custom AI chatbot: setup from £5,000; monthly plan from £299. Defined scope; VAT, licences and usage extra unless expressly included. One channel, agreed knowledge sources and controlled human handover. Care is optional after client-managed handover. Additional development is quoted separately.
Custom AI chatbot: setup from £5,000; monthly plan from £299. Defined scope; VAT, licences and usage extra unless expressly included. One channel, agreed knowledge sources and controlled human handover. Care is optional after client-managed handover. Additional development is quoted separately.
Book a free 30-minute scoping call and we will send you a fixed-price proposal within 48 hours. Tell us your use case, your current support volume and the systems you need the chatbot to connect to - we will give you an exact price, not a range.
Let us help
Our London-based team builds AI software, automation, and bespoke digital solutions tailored to your exact needs.
Deen Dayal Yadav
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