A simple AI feature bolted onto an existing product runs $8,000–$18,000. A standalone AI product from scratch is $18,000–$45,000. A complex multi-agent or fine-tuned platform climbs past $45,000. The same scope from a US or UK agency is typically 3–5× higher. Here’s the real breakdown, what pushes the number up, and why AI costs more than a plain app.
| What you’re building | Typical scope | DappaSol | US/UK agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI feature in an app | Chatbot, assistant, summarizer | $8k–$18k | $40k–$90k |
| Standalone AI product | RAG app, AI tool, MVP | $8,900–$45k | $80k–$200k |
| AI agent system | Tool-using, multi-step | $8,900–$45k | $90k–$220k |
| AI platform | Multi-agent, fine-tuned, scale | $45k+ | $150k–$300k+ |
See our AI development service and pricing.
Evals, guardrails, fallbacks and monitoring are what separate a demo from something you can ship. This is the work that makes AI trustworthy — and it is not optional.
Cleaning, chunking, embedding and keeping your data fresh for retrieval (RAG). Often the biggest hidden cost.
Per-token API costs, or GPU costs if you self-host. We design caching and model routing to keep this sane at scale.
Every system the AI touches — your APIs, databases, SaaS tools — adds scope.
How long it takes: 8-week timeline. Offshore vs local: offshore AI guide.
Fixed price within a business day, a working demo every Friday, milestone payments and 100% code ownership. We have shipped AI products across 10+ countries — and we will tell you honestly when an off-the-shelf tool beats a custom build.
By the DappaSol team — pricing based on 100+ products shipped since 2020. Last updated June 2026.