How Much Does AI Consulting Cost? Pricing Guide for Small Businesses

Most AI consulting companies hide their pricing behind a contact form. You fill it out, sit through a 45-minute sales call, and then finally get a number that could be anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000.

That is a waste of your time. Here are real numbers.

What the Market Charges Right Now

AI consulting pricing depends almost entirely on who you hire. Here is the breakdown by provider type.

Want to know what you are actually paying for? Read what an AI consultant does day-to-day.

Big Consulting Firms (McKinsey, Deloitte, Accenture)

Starting price: $150,000. Typical range: $250,000 to $2M+. Consultant billing rates: $300 to $600/hour.

These firms serve enterprise clients with $50M+ in annual revenue. If you are reading this article, they are almost certainly not the right fit. Their deliverables are strategy-heavy and implementation-light, meaning you still need to hire someone to actually set things up.

Mid-Market AI Consultancies

Typical range: $10,000 to $75,000 per engagement. Target client: 50 to 500 employees.

These firms do custom workflow design and enterprise software integration. Good at what they do, but overkill for a 15-person company. You are paying for infrastructure you do not need.

Freelance AI Consultants

Hourly rate: $100 to $300. Project rate: $2,000 to $15,000.

Quality varies wildly. Some freelancers are genuinely excellent - former engineers from Google or Microsoft who consult on the side. Others rebranded from "social media consultant" to "AI consultant" last year. Ask for references and verify past work.

The biggest risk with freelancers: limited implementation support. Many will advise you on what to do but not stick around to help you actually do it.

Small-Business-Focused Firms

Typical range: $1,000 to $10,000 total. Target client: 5 to 100 employees, $500K to $10M in revenue.

This is where Aslan Intelligence sits. More structured than a freelancer, more affordable than mid-market firms. We handle strategy, implementation, and training in one engagement.

What Your Money Actually Pays For

AI consulting fees cover different things depending on the engagement. Knowing what each piece costs helps you compare quotes.

Operations audit ($0 to $3,000): Someone maps your workflows, identifies bottlenecks, and figures out where AI fits. Free versions are high-level (30 to 60 minutes). Paid versions include detailed workflow mapping, specific tool recommendations, and written ROI projections.

Not sure where to start? Read our guide on what AI consulting is and how it works.

Not sure if you need AI or custom development? Read AI vs custom software.

See how a San Diego AI consultant is helping local businesses save time.

Based in San Diego? We offer in-person consulting across Southern California.

Tool selection (often included in audit): Evaluating 5 to 10 AI tools and recommending the 2 or 3 that fit your industry, budget, and existing software stack. This sounds easy until you realize there are 5,000+ AI tools on the market and most of them are mediocre.

Implementation ($2,000 to $10,000): The expensive part - and the most valuable. This includes configuring tools, connecting them to your CRM or scheduling software, building automated workflows, and testing everything. Complexity drives the price. Two tools with simple integrations: $2,000. Four tools with complex integrations across multiple departments: $8,000+.

Team training ($500 to $2,000, often bundled): Live walkthroughs, written cheat sheets, and follow-up sessions. Good training is the difference between "we tried AI and it did not work" and "we cannot imagine going back."

Ongoing advisory ($500 to $5,000/month): Monthly performance reviews, optimization tweaks, new tool evaluation, and team support. Think of it like a fractional AI operations manager.

Our Pricing at Aslan Intelligence

Four tiers. Fixed prices. No surprises.

Free Strategy Session

Cost: $0

A 60-minute review of your operations. We identify the top 3 areas where AI can save you the most time or money and give you a high-level action plan. You walk away with specific tool names and a rough idea of ROI - even if you never hire us.

We offer these on a limited basis. Not a permanent thing.

Paid AI Audit - $997

What you get:

• Detailed workflow mapping across your key departments
• Specific tool recommendations with pricing and integration requirements
• ROI projections for each recommended tool
• Prioritized implementation roadmap
• Written report you can share with partners or your team

For comparison: most firms charge $3,000 to $10,000 for a comparable audit. We price ours at $997 because small businesses should not need to spend $10K just to find out what is possible.

Implementation - $2,000 to $5,000

What you get:

• Full setup of 2 to 4 AI tools
• Integration with your existing systems (CRM, email, scheduling, accounting)
• Custom automation workflows
• Team training with live sessions and written docs
• 30 days of post-launch support

What drives the price: Two simple tools with basic integrations: closer to $2,000. Four tools with complex integrations and a larger team: closer to $5,000. Comparable freelancer work costs $3,000 to $8,000. Mid-market firms charge $10,000 to $30,000 for the same scope.

Advisory Retainer - $1,000 to $3,000/month

What you get:

• Monthly performance review of your AI tools
• Optimization based on real usage data
• New tool evaluation as better options appear
• Priority email and call support
• Quarterly strategy sessions

Month-to-month. No annual contracts. If we are not delivering value, you cancel. $1,000/month for simple stacks (1 to 2 tools). $3,000/month for complex setups or regulated industries. A part-time operations manager costs $3,000 to $5,000/month by comparison.

Does It Actually Pay For Itself? (3 Real Examples)

Numbers speak louder than promises.

Healthcare practice (3 physicians, 8 staff): AI scheduling and billing automation reduced admin work by 25 hours/week. At $25/hour for admin staff, that is $2,500/month saved. Implementation cost was $4,000. Payback period: under 2 months.

Healthcare consulting typically runs higher due to compliance requirements. See our healthcare AI guide for specifics.

Marketing agency (12 people): AI content generation and automated reporting tripled content output without adding headcount. Freed up 60 hours/month of senior staff time. At $75/hour blended rate, that is $4,500/month in recovered capacity. Implementation cost: $3,500. Payback: under 1 month.

HVAC company (3 trucks, 7 employees): AI scheduling, review management, and automated follow-ups added $4,000/month in captured leads and recovered estimates. Implementation cost: $2,500. Payback: under 1 month.

The pattern is consistent: most businesses recoup the consulting fee in 4 to 8 weeks through labor savings or increased revenue. After that, the savings compound monthly.

How to Figure Out Which Tier You Need

Not sure AI applies to your business? Start with the free strategy session. No risk.

Know you want AI but need a plan? Go straight to the paid audit. You will get a specific roadmap with tool names, prices, and projected ROI.

Already know which tools you want? Skip to implementation. We will handle setup, integration, and training.

Before budgeting, make sure your business is prepared. Our AI readiness checklist helps you assess where you stand.

Want someone managing your AI stack long-term? Add the advisory retainer after implementation.

Do not overbuy. Most small businesses need the audit ($997) plus implementation ($2,000 to $5,000). That is $3,000 to $6,000 total to go from zero AI usage to a fully working system with a trained team. The ongoing retainer is optional - many clients handle maintenance themselves after the first few months.

No Contracts. No Hidden Fees.

Implementation fees are fixed-price based on agreed scope. The advisory retainer is month-to-month with no cancellation penalty. If a tool does not have clear ROI for your business, we will tell you that instead of selling you on it anyway.

We would rather have a client who trusts us than one who is locked in.