What does an AI chatbot cost in 2026?

Updated: August 2026

Ask for chatbot quotes and you will rarely see a number. Most providers only name a price after a call. We do it differently. Below you will find what a chatbot really costs, where the differences come from and which recurring costs to expect.

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 a custom chatbot or AI assistant starts from €4,500 excluding VAT, with a fixed quote up front.

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), and occasional further development 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.

Why we simply publish our prices

Almost nobody in this market puts prices on their site. We do: a chatbot or AI assistant starts from €4,500 excluding VAT, as a budget indication for a first, clearly scoped version. The fixed price follows from a quote after the Work Scan, so you know exactly what will and will not be built.

That way you can do the maths before sitting down with anyone. Saves you a sales call, saves us explaining why something suddenly got more expensive.

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) 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 a fixed quote after the Work Scan.

Request an introductory call