Short answer: a first working AI automation for a small or medium-sized Bulgarian business costs from €1,490 excluding VAT to build, plus tens of euros a month to run. Complex document systems or custom software start from €3,900. Below: what drives the price and how to compare quotes.
The two kinds of cost
Every AI automation has two prices that often get mixed up:
- Build — one-off. Analysis, connecting systems, setup, testing, handover.
- Running — monthly. You pay the providers of language models, telephony and hosting for usage. It's not a licence to the builder.
If someone offers only a monthly subscription with no clarity on what it covers, ask which part is real provider cost and which is margin.
Prices by project type
| Project type | Build | Timeline | Running cost / month* |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI quick audit | €190 | 90 min + report | — |
| AI audit and roadmap | €890 | 1–2 weeks | — |
| AI chatbot (web, Viber, Messenger) | from €1,490 | 2–3 weeks | €20–60 |
| AI receptionist (phone) | from €1,490 | 2–3 weeks | €60–250 |
| Invoice and reminder automation | from €1,490 | 3–4 weeks | €20–50 |
| AI document system at volume | from €3,900 | 2–4 weeks per phase | €30–150 |
| Software or app with AI | from €4,900 | per phase | depends on volume |
* Paid directly to providers (models, telephony, hosting) for actual usage. Excluding VAT. Build prices are ours — other suppliers may differ.
What drives the price
- Number of systems to connect. Viber and Google Calendar are quick. Old accounting software with no API is slow.
- Data quality. A price list in one spreadsheet is easy. Prices in the owner's head aren't.
- Volume. 50 conversations a month and 5,000 need different architecture.
- Required accuracy. Reading invoices at 95% and at 99.5% are two different projects.
- Voice or text. Voice assistants cost more to build and run.
- Languages. Every extra language means more testing.
- Human approval. A review queue adds work but cuts risk — for payments and discounts it's a must.
What AI costs to run each month
Check with our calculator. A few examples at the default assumptions:
- AI receptionist, 300 three-minute calls: about €123 a month.
- Chatbot, 1,000 conversations: about €40 a month (excluding Viber business message fees).
- Email assistant, 2,000 emails: about €39 a month.
- Reading 500 invoices: about €30 a month.
For comparison: 300 five-minute calls are 25 hours of a person's time each month.
How to compare two quotes
Ask every supplier these questions, including us:
- Is the price fixed, and what exactly is in scope?
- Whose name are the accounts, code and data in?
- What's the cap on monthly costs, and who pays them?
- How is accuracy measured, and what happens if it isn't met?
- What do I get at handover — runbook, video, training?
- Will you sign a GDPR data processing agreement?
- How does the system meet the AI Act requirement to say it's an AI?
Red flags
- A promise that AI will “replace the whole team”.
- No written scope — “we'll see as we go”.
- A monthly licence for something you could own.
- No access to your own data and conversations.
- No plan for what happens if the supplier disappears.
Grant funding
European and national SME digitalisation programmes open periodically. A written AI audit with an impact estimate is a good basis for an application. Watch announcements from Bulgaria's SME promotion agency and the operational programmes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI chatbot for a website cost?
Are there free AI tools?
Sources
Want the numbers for your business? The free consultation takes 30 minutes.
Book a time