Everyone quotes different numbers. Platform vendors say $50/month. Agencies say $10,000. Freelancers say $2,000.
All of them are right. And none of them are right.
The Pricing Landscape
DIY platforms (Tidio, ManyChat): $50 to $300/month. You build and maintain it yourself.
Custom development: $5,000 to $50,000 upfront plus monthly hosting.
AI agent setup service: $400 to $1,500 one time plus $150/month support. Someone configures it for your business. You own it.
Virtual assistant: $1,500 to $3,000/month. A human answering messages.
The Math Nobody Does
That $300/month platform subscription costs $3,600/year. In 3 years you've spent $10,800 and own nothing.
A one time $800 setup with $150/month support costs $2,600 in year one. $1,800 in year two. And you own the whole thing.
Full pricing comparison at automatyn.co
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