Ask what an AI agent costs and you often get a range too wide to plan with. It gets easier once you split the question in two: the one-off cost of building the agent for your workflow, and the running costs once it does real work every day. This guide explains both for a Swiss company, with MomentumQ’s published starting prices in CHF, and what to ask for before you sign.
Two costs: building and running
The build is paid once: understanding the task, connecting the agent to your tools, setting up checks and approvals, testing and handover. The running costs recur for as long as the agent works: model usage, hosting, licences and, if you want it, support. An offer that names only the build price tells you only part of the cost, so ask for both in writing before work starts.
The one-off build
At MomentumQ, building an AI system for one defined workflow, such as an agent, starts from CHF 8'000 and typically takes three to eight weeks. The price covers:
- an agreed workflow and the connected tools;
- checks and approvals where needed;
- testing, operating instructions and handover.
At handover you receive the source code, operating access and documentation; third-party licences remain subject to their own terms. The starting price is guidance for a clearly defined workflow; what moves it is the work involved: how many systems the agent connects to, how many kinds of documents it handles and how many exceptions and checks the workflow needs. Changes during the project, and their effect on price and timing, are agreed before they are made.
Running costs, and what drives them
Once the agent works, each item it handles has a cost: the AI model is paid by usage, and the agent has to run somewhere. Five things drive the monthly amount:
- Volume. How many emails, invoices or enquiries the agent handles each month.
- Text per item. A two-line enquiry needs far less processing than a long contract with attachments.
- The model. Larger models cost more per step than small ones, and not every step needs a large one.
- Hosting. Where the agent runs: with a cloud provider, or on your own infrastructure if data must stay in-house.
- Licences and usage-based services. Some connected tools charge for licences or for use of their interface.
Without knowing your volume and your documents, nobody can name these costs honestly. MomentumQ therefore estimates the running costs of your workflow upfront, states them in the written offer next to the build price and agrees with you who operates the agent. Ongoing support is optional: from CHF 3'500 a month for an agreed allocation of hours, a prioritised list of improvements and direct contact with the developer, cancellable after the first month.
How a well-built agent keeps running costs down
Running costs are decided when an agent is built. Three practices shape them:
- The smallest model that does a step well. Routine steps, such as recognising what an email is about, run on small, fast models. Larger models are kept for the steps that need them.
- Cached context. Context that repeats, such as price lists, policies or product data, is cached and reused, so it is not processed at full cost on every run.
- Monitored running costs. Response times and costs are monitored for every run, so you can see what the agent costs per task, not only when the monthly bill arrives.
Two habits help as well. Where the input always looks the same, a fixed rule is cheaper and more predictable than AI. And where a mistake would be expensive, the agent stops and asks a person: a short check usually costs less than correcting a wrong booking.
What to ask for in an offer
Whoever builds your agent, the written offer should answer these questions before you sign:
- Which workflow is built, which tools are connected and where does a person approve?
- What does the build cost, and what is not included?
- What running costs are expected at your volume, and what is the estimate based on?
- Which recurring costs remain, such as hosting, licences and support, and who operates the agent?
- Which data does the AI see, which provider processes it and where, so you can meet your duties under the revDSG?
- What do you receive at handover: source code, access and documentation?
MomentumQ’s offer is made under Swiss law, with prices in CHF, and states the scope, timeline, price and expected running costs. Paid work starts only once you agree.
When an agent is not worth it
An agent is worth its cost only through the work it takes over. It is probably not worth it when:
- the task comes up only a few times a year, so the build costs more than it saves;
- the volume is so small that checking the agent’s work takes as long as doing it;
- every case needs a new, personal judgement;
- a simple rule, or a feature your software already has, would do the same job.
To judge any offer, note how long the task takes today and how often it comes up. If an agent cannot plausibly save more than it costs to build and run, leave the task with people.
Starting points at MomentumQ
The first conversation takes 30 minutes, is free and without obligation, online or in Zürich by appointment; MomentumQ works with businesses across Switzerland, mostly online. If you are not sure which task to start with, the review “Find the right starting point” takes one week and costs from CHF 2'500. It looks at your current workflows and ends with prioritised suggestions with estimated value and a written plan with an implementation recommendation. It starts only after you agree to its scope and price in writing.