How much does business automation cost?
With TradeBetter, a build of three automations is $7,500, six is $13,500, and twelve or more starts from $20,000, all plus GST. Each is a fixed price, quoted before we start.
On top of that, most builds cost $100 to $200 a month to run, paid to the software and AI providers rather than to us. An optional care plan is $500 a month plus GST.
What each size of build costs.
Most businesses start with three or six automations, picked from the jobs costing them the most time. The price includes scoping, the build, testing against your real data, written documentation and a period of free fixes afterwards.
| Automations | Price, plus GST | How long | Free fixes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fix | 3 | $7,500 | Two to three weeks | 60 days |
| The Engine | 6 | $13,500 | Four to six weeks | 90 days |
| The Rebuild | 12 or more | From $20,000 | Staged over eight to twelve weeks | 6 months |
| Care plan | Optional | $500 a month | Cancel any time | Ongoing |
The Rebuild is priced from $20,000 because twelve or more automations is genuinely variable, and a flat figure would cap the large builds. Your number is set in the written scope before anything gets built.
What it costs to run each month.
Most builds cost something small every month to keep running. That is the automation platform the build runs on, the AI usage, and any other subscription the automation needs. It is paid to those providers, not to us, and the accounts go in your name so you control the spend.
For most builds it lands between $100 and $200 a month. A few automations that run a handful of times a day sit at the bottom of that range. A larger set, or anything reading and writing all day, sits at the top. Anything that sends text messages has a real cost per message, and that account gets a spend cap. You get the number in writing before you commit.
What makes automation cost more or less.
- How many automations. The biggest factor, and the reason the prices are set by count.
- How many systems are involved. Connecting two tools is simpler than connecting five, and some software lets other systems in more easily than others.
- How settled the process is. A job that is done the same way every time is quick to automate. One with four exceptions nobody wrote down takes mapping first.
- Whether it uses AI. AI adds to the monthly running cost, because the provider charges by how much it is used.
If one automation is genuinely all you need, say so on the call. The sizes are the common shapes, not a rule, and we will quote the one thing rather than talk you into a bigger build.
Working out whether it is worth it for you.
The honest comparison is what the manual work costs you now. If you or someone you pay spends hours every week answering enquiries, chasing quotes, raising invoices and filing paperwork, that time has a price every week, forever. A build is paid once and you own it.
The free admin cost calculator works out what the manual work is costing your business a year, with no email needed. It is worth doing before the call.
Everything included in each build Business process automation in Brisbane
What people ask about the cost.
Why a fixed price rather than an hourly rate?
So you know the number before anything gets built. The scope is agreed in writing first, so the price is set by what gets built, not by how many hours it takes.
Are there any ongoing costs?
Most builds cost $100 to $200 a month to run, paid to the software and AI providers in your name. The care plan is optional. If you decline it, you own the system and can look after it yourself using the written instructions.
What does the care plan cover?
We monitor your automations, fix any bug or error, update them when a platform changes, and make two small changes a month to your signed off automations, which roll over. It also includes email support, a one page monthly report and a quarterly review. It is $500 a month plus GST, and you can cancel any time.
What happens if it breaks after handover?
Every build comes with a period of free fixes, from 60 days to 6 months depending on the size, and that includes rebuilding anything that stops working because a platform changed something at their end.
Get a number for your business.
Tell us what your week looks like. We will tell you what could run without you, what could not, and what it would cost.
Book a call