What does an AI chatbot cost in 2026?

Updated: August 2026

Ask for chatbot quotes and you will rarely see a number before a conversation has taken place. There is a reason for that: the price depends heavily on what the chatbot needs to know and do. Below you will find what a chatbot costs in the market, where the differences come from and which recurring costs to expect, so you can judge any quote on its merits.

The short answer

Off-the-shelf chatbot software rents from a few tens to a few hundred euros per month. A custom chatbot that knows your products, terms and way of working ranges in the Dutch market from roughly €2,500 to €40,000 one-off. At the blue thing you get a fixed quote for a first, clearly scoped version after a free introductory call, so you know exactly what will and will not be built.

Why prices vary so much

A chatbot's price is mostly determined by what it needs to know and do. A bot that answers five standard questions is something entirely different from an assistant that knows your full product range, terms and way of working and talks to your systems.

The biggest price factors: how much knowledge goes in (from one page to complete product catalogues), which integrations are needed (website, WhatsApp, email, your own software), whether it needs to assess photos, how many languages it should answer in, and what happens with conversations it cannot handle.

Off-the-shelf or custom?

Off-the-shelf chatbot software is fine if you mainly want to catch frequently asked questions and have time to set up and maintain everything yourself. You pay monthly and can start quickly. You notice the limits as soon as you want something specific: your tone of voice, an integration with your planning, photo assessment, or answers that truly match your terms.

Custom costs more up front, but the assistant is built around your business instead of the other way round. You decide what it does and does not say, what happens when it is unsure, and which systems it uses. For businesses where customer contact is worth money, that usually pays back faster than a subscription that never quite fits.

The recurring costs

A chatbot is not a one-off purchase. Next to the build, count on three kinds of recurring costs:

Hosting and AI usage: the conversations themselves cost computing power, usually tens to hundreds of euros per month depending on volume.
Maintenance and updates: with us optional from €195 per month, cancellable monthly.
Further development: occasionally, as your business changes.

Ask every provider about these three items before you sign. A low build price with an expensive mandatory contract underneath is a classic.

How we set the price

We start with a free introductory call of at most 30 minutes. There we look at what the assistant needs to know, which systems it has to talk to and what does and does not go into the first version. Based on that you get a fixed quote: one amount, clear boundaries, no hourly billing.

If you are not yet sure whether a chatbot pays off for you, the Work Scan (€495 excluding VAT) is a good first step: it calculates what recurring questions cost you now and what an assistant changes. If you then have us build, we deduct that amount in full.

Frequently asked questions

Can't a chatbot just be free with ChatGPT?

You can do a lot yourself with free AI tools, but a chatbot on your website that knows your products and terms, refers properly and does not make things up requires setup, integrations and maintenance. That is where the costs are, not in the AI model itself.

What does AI usage cost per conversation?

Little per conversation, usually cents. It only adds up at large volumes. We calculate this with you up front based on your expected number of conversations, and it is listed separately in the quote.

How do I know whether a chatbot pays for itself?

Count the hours your team currently spends on recurring questions and multiply by what an hour costs. Our Work Scan (€495 excluding VAT, deducted in full if you then have us build) calculates this for your situation before you have anything built.

Want to know what a chatbot costs in your situation?

Tell us in a short introductory call which questions keep coming back. You get an honest picture of costs and returns, and then a fixed quote.

Request an introductory call