Pricing
Automation pricing, clear before you start
Automation pricing in three parts: a fixed project price for the build, a fixed monthly fee if you outsource maintenance, and external costs shown separately. All amounts exclude VAT and are meant for business clients. They are indicative prices: your quote and the terms decide what applies.
Free · 30 minutes online · you always get a short advice report
Worked example
What does the manual work cost now?
- 5 hours a weekon one recurring process, for example retyping invoices
- × 46 working weeksafter holidays and public holidays
- × €45 per hourwage costs including employer charges (assumption)
- = €10,350 per yearon that one process
Worked example with assumptions, not a client figure. If an automation takes over half of that work, a €750 quick win pays for itself within two months; with Technical Maintenance added it takes about four months. In the assessment I calculate with your own hours and rate. More worked examples are in what automation really costs; which process to start with is covered in the business process automation guide.
One-off build
What does it cost to build an automation?
A fixed project price after scoping. You know in advance what you get and what it costs. Prefer to pay by the hour? Ad hoc help costs €125 per hour; see the additional rates.
| Service | Indicative price, one-off | What you scope in the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Automation assessment | Free | A conversation about your process, opportunities and costs |
| Quick win | From €750 | One scoped process, from one simple flow to usually three related flows, including agreed tests, error handling and handover |
| CRM and lead funnel | €3,500–€7,500 | The agreed chain between, for example, form, CRM, email and appointment scheduling |
| Scoped AI agent | €5,000–€12,000 | A concrete task, agreed data sources, evaluation, limits and human review |
| Secure n8n setup | €1,250–€2,500 | Setup of an agreed environment, access security, backup chain, monitoring and handover |
These are starting points. Integrations, exceptions, data sensitivity, volumes and testing determine the final price. If the work falls outside this range, you hear that before you commit to an assignment.
What every build price includes
- Normal inputwhat needs to happen with normal input
- Exceptionswhat happens with missing data, errors and duplicate submissions
- Error handlingwhich retries, alerts and stop routes are needed
- Responsibilitywho receives alerts and makes decisions
- Acceptance testswhich tests determine whether the work is delivered
- Handoverwhich documentation and access you get so you can carry on
For an AI agent this also includes limits on acting independently, usage budgets and checks on results. I do not promise error-free AI output or revenue growth. I do agree which checks I build and how I test them.
A one-off n8n setup covers the agreed setup and handover. Recurring updates, checks and follow-up then fall under self-management or a separate maintenance package. The server and any licences are not owned by AIAgentCycle and are budgeted separately. After the assessment you receive brief advice with a first calculation. If technical groundwork is needed to give a responsible fixed price, I first explain what it delivers and costs. No paid investigation starts without your approval.
Maintenance packages
n8n maintenance pricing: outsource it, or do it yourself
The three packages below are for an n8n environment with your automations. For an ordinary server there is Server Maintenance. I check in advance whether your situation fits within the limits. Every package can be cancelled monthly from the start. How maintenance works in practice is described in how I work.
Technical Maintenance
€250per month, excl. VAT
For a stable environment where you mainly want the technical maintenance taken care of.
- One production environment and up to three named workflows
- Technical monitoring, regular updates and maintenance of the agreed security
- Daily backup of up to 20 GB of agreed source data, kept for fourteen days
- A restore test every quarter
- Thirty minutes of human fault analysis per subscription period
- A monthly summary of maintenance and points of attention
I estimate extra changes and additional repair work in advance. I do not charge for fixing my own mistake.
Discuss Technical MaintenanceRoom for improvements
Maintenance with Included Work Hours
€500per month, excl. VAT
For an environment where you also expect regular small improvements or additional repair work.
- Everything in Technical Maintenance, for up to five named workflows
- Two hours of additional human work time per subscription period, on top of the fixed maintenance
- Backups kept for thirty days
- Small changes, additional analysis and repairs within the work hours, after agreement
This does not buy unlimited further development. Larger changes get their own scope and price.
Discuss included work hoursExtended Maintenance
€950per month, excl. VAT · on request
For more managed processes and more room for agreed work.
- One production environment and one test environment
- Up to ten named workflows
- Five hours of additional human work time per subscription period
- Daily backups, kept for thirty days, with a restore test every month
- Up to 20 GB of agreed source data for production and test combined
I assess in advance whether complexity, risk and capacity fit. A higher monthly price means more scope and work time; it is not a 24/7 service or a promise that a fault is fixed faster.
Discuss Extended Maintenance
Ordinary server
Server Maintenance
€145per server per month, excl. VAT
For an ordinary server, such as the one behind your web shop or website. Available on its own, or as an extra server alongside a maintenance package.
Discuss Server Maintenance- Registered in my monitoring system: availability, disk space, memory and certificates are checked automatically 24/7; follow-up within service hours
- Operating system updates and security patches in the agreed maintenance window
- Firewall and protection against login attacks, set up and kept up to date
- Daily backup of up to 20 GB of agreed data, kept for fourteen days
- A restore test every quarter
- Up to thirty minutes of human fault analysis per subscription period and a monthly summary
Per server, cancellable monthly; I quote the one-off intake in advance. Server Maintenance covers the operating system; software on the server, such as WordPress or a web shop, is only included if we agree that in advance. First substantive response within 8 service hours; not a 24/7 service.
For multiple servers or clusters, databases, or special requirements for availability, security, compliance or response time, by arrangement. I describe the service per assignment, with what is and is not agreed; the price follows after a short intake.
A backup or standby server at a second, independent hosting provider can be discussed, with Server Maintenance and with custom management. Then a single outage at one provider does not hit everything at once.
Maintain it yourself
€0per month in AIAgentCycle maintenance
For teams with the knowledge and time in-house, or who work with their own administrator. You receive the agreed handover and can maintain your automation yourself. You arrange updates, monitoring, backups, restore tests and fault follow-up yourself. Hosting, licences and usage costs still apply.
Ad hoc help is available by appointment from €125 per hour, with a minimum of thirty minutes. A delivery error on AIAgentCycle’s side does not become paid extra work because you choose to maintain it yourself.
Compare
The packages side by side
| Item | Technical Maintenance | Maintenance with Included Work Hours | Extended Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, excl. VAT | €250 | €500 | €950, on request |
| Production environment | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Test environment under maintenance | — | — | 1 |
| Named workflows | Max. 3 | Max. 5 | Max. 10 |
| Protected source data | Max. 20 GB | Max. 20 GB | Max. 20 GB total |
| Fixed technical maintenance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic technical check | Every 5 minutes | Every 5 minutes | Every 5 minutes |
| Human triage | 30 min per period | 30 min per period | 30 min per period |
| Additional work time | — | 2 hours per period | 5 hours per period |
| Daily backup | Kept 14 days | Kept 30 days | Kept 30 days |
| Restore test | Quarterly | Quarterly | Monthly |
| First substantive response | Within 8 service hours | Within 8 service hours | Within 8 service hours |
| Cancellable monthly from the start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Service hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00 Dutch time, excluding the public holidays listed in the maintenance terms. Automatic monitoring also runs outside those hours; human follow-up is not a 24/7 service. A response time is not a promised resolution time. A workflow is an agreed process on the maintenance list; the number does not say everything about complexity or usage. Extra servers, larger amounts of data, special risks and demanding availability requirements need a separate agreement.
Proof
What maintenance feels like for a client
Web agency Mercabilis: the integration runs on a server I maintain, with maintenance every month and a fault email in plain language.
External client case · maintained since September 2026
WooCommerce and Exact Online, with customer group pricing
For web agency Mercabilis: 14 workflows on a dedicated server with Cloudflare in front. Orders go to Exact, products and prices go back to the shop, and every exception triggers an alert in plain language.
We build the web shop, but an integration with Exact is not our line of work. Our client works with separate prices for resellers, and that is where you get stuck with standard modules.
Stefan built the integration between WooCommerce and Exact: whoever logs in sees their own price, and Exact remains the only place where a price changes. He also maintains the server the integration runs on, with maintenance every month. If something goes wrong, I get an email I can simply read. With Cloudflare in front of it, the security is in good shape.
Robin DuinOwner, Mercabilis · translated from DutchTotal costs
What you pay in total
A low maintenance fee says little if hosting, usage or repair work stay unclear. That is why everything is listed separately in your quote.
| Item | What do you pay for? | How do we agree this? |
|---|---|---|
| One-off build or setup | Analysis, development, testing and handover of the agreed result | A fixed project price after scoping |
| Maintenance, if you want it | The agreed technical care and any work time | A fixed monthly fee for the chosen package |
| Usage with other providers | For example your server, backup storage, CRM licence and AI API | Shown separately; usually directly through your own accounts |
Hosting, external backup storage, paid n8n or other software licences and the AI usage of your running automations are listed separately in the quote. Normally your server is in your name and you pay the supplier directly. If, by exception, I host your environment in my name, the hosting is included in the monthly price of a maintenance package; the suppliers I use myself are listed under subprocessors.
I use AI myself in analysis, development and maintenance. My usual AI tools are included in my price. I only charge exceptional additional development usage separately if we agree that in advance with a budget. For hourly work you pay the human time actually spent, including necessary checks and tests. I do not bill unattended AI run time as human working time.
Example of total monthly costs
- Technical Maintenance€250
- Hosting€35
- External backup storage€10
- Operational AI calls (estimate)€20
- Estimated total per month, excl. VAT€315
A worked example only, not a supplier price list or a total price offer. Actual usage, subscriptions and rates may differ. Your quote lists the suppliers, payment route, budgets and any mark-up.
Standard agreements
What is arranged for you as standard
Cancellable monthly
Your subscription runs per month from the agreed start date. You cancel by email before the end of the current period. No extra notice month is added.
My mistake, my cost
I fix an error in agreed and delivered work without extra labour costs and without it coming out of your work hours.
Accounts in your name
Hosting and supplier accounts are in your name; I get the admin rights I need. You can carry on yourself or bring in another administrator.
No exit fee
At the end I arrange the standard handover of the agreed documentation and exports. A separate migration or new setup is quoted in advance.
Example: if you start on 17 March, your period runs up to and including 16 April. If I receive your cancellation on 16 April, the subscription ends at the end of that day. A cancellation on 17 April ends the subscription on 16 May. You cancel or continue your own supplier contracts yourself. Term and handover in the maintenance terms.
Self-hosted means the agreed application runs on infrastructure you choose. It does not automatically mean that connected AI models, CRM services or all data processing stay local; I make those data flows visible. Cloudflare can help place the admin interface behind access control and shield the server. Public webhooks get security that suits the integration. Updates, correct configuration, n8n security and tested backups are still needed as well.
The details
If something goes wrong: who pays for which work?
| Situation | How do I handle it? |
|---|---|
| A regular update or restore test | Part of the fixed maintenance |
| An error in work I agreed and delivered | I fix my shortcoming without extra labour costs or using your work hours |
| A new alert with a cause that is not yet known | Initial assessment and available triage; for further paid investigation we agree the limit in advance |
| An external API changes or a change on your side breaks a process | First I assess cause and responsibility; additional work can come from work hours or approved extra work |
| You want a new feature or automation | We set the scope and price together; a new automation is not automatically included |
So an error message in a workflow does not automatically mean an extra invoice. Conversely, maintenance does not mean that every future change or external outage is repaired without limit for the monthly fee.
Additional rates
| Additional service | Rate excl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Extra work within an active maintenance package | €110 per hour; minimum 15 minutes |
| Ad hoc help without a maintenance package | €125 per hour; minimum 30 minutes |
| Urgent work outside service hours, accepted in advance | €187.50 per hour; minimum 1 hour |
| Review and handover of an existing environment | From €450 one-off, with content scoped in advance |
I add up human time per related ticket and round it once to a quarter of an hour, with the stated minimum. Urgent work is only available if I explicitly accept the request; a message at the weekend does not trigger the urgent rate. A takeover review from €450 is not an unlimited repair of an existing environment: I record in advance what it covers and then report any necessary changes. Work already included in your build project is not charged again.
How I work
How we reach a suitable agreement
From first conversation to maintenance, without surprises along the way.
- Look at your processWhat does it cost now, where do errors arise and what do you want to improve?
- Choose a first stepyou chooseSometimes working more simply is wiser than automating straight away.
- Scope and costsBuild, maintenance, usage costs, assumptions and terms described separately.
- Test and hand overyou decideThen you choose self-management or the maintenance that suits your situation.
- Agreements visibleWith maintenance you see work carried out, points of attention and available work hours.
After the assessment you always get a short advice report, even if you do not continue.
Next
Before you decide
What automation really costs
Worked examples per type of process, with payback time.
Cases, honestly labelled
Client work and own systems, with what they deliver.
Integrations
Which systems I connect, from Exact Online to WooCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
About pricing and maintenance
Is €250 the total price including server and AI usage?
No. €250 is the monthly price for the scoped Technical Maintenance. Normally your server is in your name, and hosting, storage, licences and operational API usage usually come on top. If, by exception, I host your environment in my name, hosting for the agreed server size is included in the monthly price of the maintenance package. Your quote shows the total estimate and who pays which supplier.
Can you rent the server for me?
By exception, with clear agreements. I then rent the server from Contabo, my hosting provider, and it is listed in the data processing agreement. With a maintenance package the hosting is then included in the monthly price; with other services I pass it on separately. Normally the server is in your name, so you stay in control.
Why is not every fault repair included?
An external API can change, a client can change something and a new process can bring different requirements. Work like that cannot be estimated without limit in advance. That is why I separate fixed maintenance, triage, work hours and approved extra work. I fix my own shortcomings without extra labour costs.
So is error handling a paid extra?
The agreed error handling is part of building and delivering the process carefully. Think of missing input, duplicate messages, limited retries and a clear alert. Human analysis of a future fault is a different service. New exceptions or changing integrations can require additional work.
Do the two or five hours include the fixed maintenance?
No. The fixed maintenance is carried out alongside those work hours. The work hours are for agreed small changes and additional work. The thirty minutes of triage come on top as well. My own errors do not come out of these hours.
Can I carry over unused hours?
Normally not: work hours and triage belong to the subscription period concerned. So plan the work you want in good time. If I do not carry out promised work on time for a reason on my side, the compensation scheme in the maintenance terms applies.
Will my fault be fixed within eight hours?
I cannot promise that. Within eight service hours you receive a first substantive response with an assessment or a targeted question, and a next step. The time to fix depends on things like the cause, access and any suppliers. Critical processes with hard recovery times need a different, separately arranged service.
Is my environment monitored at night too?
The automatic technical checks keep running. Nobody is watching continuously. Human follow-up takes place within service hours, except for separately accepted urgent work. Once a data breach becomes known, the legal notification obligations still apply.
What do the backups protect?
The n8n data, configuration, keys and agreed files named in your assignment, up to the package limit. Data that only lives in your CRM or mailbox is not automatically included. We also agree the storage location and restore tests. A daily backup does not mean that every piece of data from the last moment can be recovered.
Can you take over my existing n8n server?
Yes, after a scoped takeover review. I look at access, versions, setup, backups and known risks. Then you know whether the environment fits and what additional work is needed. I do not start an unlimited clean-up under a fixed intake fee.
Do I have to take maintenance after the build?
No. You may maintain it yourself or choose another administrator. Do make sure someone actually follows up updates, backups, security and alerts. The agreed rights of use and your rights in case of defects in my work remain.
Who owns the workflows and accounts?
Accounts are in your name by default. For paid, delivered work you get the agreed permanent right of use, including exporting, modifying and maintenance by a successor. Generic modules and third-party software keep their own rights and licences. So use is not the same as exclusive copyright.
Does all data stay in Europe?
Not automatically. A European server can be connected to an external AI or other cloud service. I record the data flows, suppliers and required safeguards. If you have specific location requirements, I assess them before the assignment.
Does my use of AI benefit me?
AI can help me do work faster. When I bill actual time, I charge the human time actually spent, including checks, not imaginary time as if everything had been done by hand. With a fixed price you pay for the agreed result. I do not give a fixed savings percentage as a promise.
Can rates change?
Yes, in line with the agreed indexation and change arrangement. A change is announced in advance and does not apply retroactively. If a change is to your disadvantage, you can cancel before the date it takes effect. An agreed fixed project price does not change because of annual indexation of maintenance.
What is the difference between Server Maintenance and Technical Maintenance?
Server Maintenance covers the operating system layer of one ordinary server, for example for your web shop or website: monitoring, updates, security and backups of the server itself. Technical Maintenance sits on top of that and covers an n8n environment: n8n, your named workflows, the keys and the backup of your source data. Software on a server is only covered by Server Maintenance if we agree that in advance.
Can you also maintain a server at another hosting provider?
Yes, if I get the admin access I need and the server fits at the intake. At the start I record access, backup scope, monitoring and known shortcomings. The hosting is in your name and you pay your hosting provider yourself.
What if my hosting provider goes down?
Your hosting is in your name with the hosting provider. If that provider goes down, that is not a shortcoming on my part and I am not liable for it, insofar as careful maintenance could not have prevented it; the agreements with your hosting provider then apply. I do flag the outage, keep you informed and check the server once it is back. A full restore from backup or a move to another provider is extra work, unless the cause lies with me. If you want to reduce that risk, a backup or standby server at a second hosting provider is possible; we agree that separately.
Is Extended Maintenance always the best choice?
No. If you have little change work, Technical Maintenance or self-management may fit better. If you have high continuity requirements or complex processes, €950 is not automatically enough either. I assess what your process needs.
Which terms apply?
Assignments are covered by the General Terms and Conditions B2B. For maintenance, the Supplementary Maintenance Terms also apply. The quote contains your specific scope, rates and any deviations. If I process personal data as a processor, we also conclude a data processing agreement. You receive the applicable documents before you can give your approval, in a form you can keep.
Assignments are covered by the General Terms and Conditions B2B, and maintenance also by the maintenance terms.