Calculator
AI App Build Cost
calculator.
Estimate the cost to build a production-grade AI feature — RAG, fine-tuned model, or agent.
How we calibrated this
Calibrated on the 22 AI projects we've shipped. Not a quote — a band.
Inputs
Tell us about your project.
This is a static reference card. For interactive calculators, talk to us — we tune the assumptions per client.
Type of AI feature
- RAG (retrieval-augmented chat)1×
- Fine-tuned small model0.85×
- Multi-step agent1.4×
- Document AI (vision + extraction)1.2×
Complexity
- Simple (single use case, public data)0.7×
- Medium (5-10 use cases, internal data)1×
- Complex (regulated industry, sensitive data)1.5×
Eval rigor
- Demo-only (no real evals)0.6×
- Basic (50-question eval set)0.85×
- Production (eval harness + observability)1×
- Regulated (red-team + audit trail)1.3×
How it's calculated
The formula.
Base cost (USD 25,000) × feature × complexity × evals
Output
Estimated build cost
Total project cost for the build phase.
Output
Estimated timeline
Weeks from kickoff to production-ready.
Output
Monthly inference cost
Approximate API + infrastructure cost per month.
Want a real estimate?
This is a band,
not a quote.
For a real estimate calibrated to your specific project, brief us. We get back within two business days.
Get a real estimate