A Proof of Concept runs $5,000–$25,000 and takes 2–4 weeks. A full automation build runs $25,000–$100,000. Enterprise programmes start at $200,000. ROI is typically inside 6 months. Here is the breakdown.
Project tiers
2–4 weeks · ROI in 3–6 months
$5,000–$25,000
A working automation on your real data with your real integrations. One process, end-to-end. The goal is to prove ROI before a larger commitment — not to build a toy.
CRM lead routing automation: $12,000 — 3-week build. Saved a SaaS company 40 hours/week of manual data entry.
6–16 weeks · ROI in 4–9 months
$25,000–$100,000
Multi-workflow automation across a business function — sales ops, customer service, finance, or operations. Handles edge cases, integrates with your full stack, includes monitoring and handoff training.
Contract renewal automation for SaaS company: $68,000 — 10-week build. 3 FTEs reallocated, $180K/year saved.
6–18 months · ROI in 6–12 months
$200,000–$500,000+
Organisation-wide automation infrastructure: workflow platform deployment, custom node development, AI agent orchestration, governance framework, and ongoing engineering retainer.
Multinational professional services firm: $380,000 — 14-month engagement. 12 departments automated, $2.1M annual savings.
Real client outcomes
Before
3 FTEs spending 60% of time on manual renewal outreach, data entry, and CRM cleanup
After
AI-driven renewal workflow: lead scoring, email sequence trigger, CRM update, Slack alert to sales
Annual savings
$180,000/year (3 FTEs at $60K reallocated to growth work)
Build cost / Payback
$68,000
Payback: 4.5 months
Before
2 ops staff manually processing returns, refunds, and fulfilment exceptions — 8 hours/day
After
Shopify webhook → n8n → inventory check → refund decision → customer email → Slack notification
Annual savings
$95,000/year (2 staff reallocated; 400+ hours/month recaptured)
Build cost / Payback
$38,000
Payback: 4.8 months
Before
Account managers spending 6 hours/week per client pulling data and formatting reports
After
Automated report pipeline: data pull → GPT-4o narrative → PDF generation → scheduled delivery
Annual savings
$220,000/year (11 account managers save 6h/week each at $80/hour)
Build cost / Payback
$52,000
Payback: 2.8 months
The hidden cost trap
Zapier charges per task (every action in a Zap). At low volume it's fine. At 100,000 operations/month, you're paying $449/month vs $40/month for self-hosted n8n doing the same work. At scale, Zapier's pricing model is a tax on your growth.
| Monthly ops | Zapier | Make.com | n8n Cloud | n8n Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000/month | $49 | $9 | $20 | $30 |
| 20,000/month | $99 | $29 | $50 | $30 |
| 100,000/month | $449 | $97 | $120 | $40 |
| 500,000/month | $2,199 | $499 | $500 | $60 |
| 2M+/month | Enterprise (call) | Enterprise (call) | Enterprise (call) | $80–150 |
Monthly platform costs only. Does not include build or integration cost. Zapier prices from published plans as of mid-2026.
Our model
Most agencies bill time-and-materials — every hour is your risk. We scope fixed deliverables with a firm price, agreed before any work starts. If it takes longer than scoped, that is our problem.
Our PoC guarantee
Our Proof of Concept is a working automation on your real data, live in 2–4 weeks. If the PoC does not demonstrate measurable ROI — time saved, error reduced, cost cut — we refund the PoC fee in full. 90% of clients who do a PoC move to a full build within 60 days.
PoC refund applies to projects where we agree on the ROI metric before work starts and the automation performs as designed but the business outcome is not achieved due to factors in our control.
30-minute scoping call. We define deliverables, estimate effort, and give you a firm price. No hourly billing, no scope surprises.