Cost calculator
Compare engagement models on your numbers
Indicative total cost, monthly run rate, time to start and cost per productive month for four ways of staffing an AI deployment. Every default is editable; results update as you type.
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Your numbers
Each model has its own duration. The comparison window is the longest of them (12 months); totals are for each model's own period, and cost per productive month is the fairer like-for-like figure.
Internal teamHire and ramp your own engineers. Costs continue after the comparison window.
people
$/yr
%
$
%
$/mo
months
months
months
Employment window used for this comparison.
FDE / embedded teamA provider's forward deployed engineers embed in your team and own delivery.
people
$/mo
months
%
$/mo
weeks
Staff augmentationHourly specialists you direct and manage yourself.
people
$/hr
hrs
months
%
$/mo
Implementation partnerA fixed-scope project owned by a partner, with optional support afterwards.
months
people
For reference; the project fee is what drives cost.
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$/mo
months
Comparison
Updates live. All figures in USD.
| Model | Total cost | Monthly run rate | Time to start | Productive months | Cost / productive month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal team | $466,125 | $45,125 | 5 mo | 7 | $66,589 |
| FDE / embedded teamFastest start | $235,800 | $39,300 | 0.2 mo | 5.8 | $40,873 |
| Staff augmentationLowest total | $196,680 | $32,780 | 0.5 mo | 5.5 | $35,760 |
| AI implementation partner | $216,000 | $45,000 | 0.8 mo | 9.3 | $23,351 |
Total cost by model
- Internal team$466,125
- FDE / embedded team$235,800
- Staff augmentation$196,680
- AI implementation partner$216,000
Line items and assumptions
Internal team$466,125
- Recruiting
- $60,000
- Salaries
- $270,000
- Benefits
- $67,500
- Management overhead
- $50,625
- Infrastructure
- $18,000
- Assumes 3 months to hire and 2 months ramp-up before productive delivery.
- Long-term ownership and knowledge stay in-house; costs continue after the comparison window.
FDE / embedded team$235,800
- Engineer fees
- $216,000
- Coordination overhead
- $10,800
- Deployment & tooling
- $9,000
- Engineers embed in your team and typically own delivery to production.
- Knowledge transfer and handover should be written into the engagement.
Staff augmentation$196,680
- Hourly fees
- $163,200
- Your management overhead
- $24,480
- Infrastructure
- $9,000
- You direct the work and own the outcome; requires internal technical leadership.
- Flexible to scale up or down month to month.
AI implementation partner$216,000
- Project fee
- $180,000
- Post-launch support
- $36,000
- Partner owns delivery to a defined scope; changes usually cost extra.
- Ask for team composition, evaluation approach and IP terms up front.
Indicative only. Indicative estimates based on the numbers you entered and common market ranges. They are not quotes. Provider pricing varies by scope, seniority, region and risk.
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