How much does an AI audit cost?
A professional AI audit typically costs between $5,000 and $50,000 depending on the size of your business and the depth of the assessment. Most small and mid-sized businesses need a focused audit at the lower end of that range, not an enterprise engagement.
What is an AI audit?
An AI audit, sometimes called an AI opportunity audit or AI assessment, is a structured review of your business to find where artificial intelligence can actually pay for itself. A good auditor sits with your team, maps your workflows, reviews your data and tools, and ranks the opportunities by cost and return. The output is a decision: what to build first, what it should cost, and what it should return.
Typical AI audit pricing
Focused audit
$5,000 to $15,000One business unit or a handful of workflows. Two to four weeks. Right for most small and mid-sized businesses making their first AI decision.
Full operations audit
$15,000 to $50,000Every major workflow across the company, data and systems review, and a multi-quarter roadmap. Right for companies planning a serious AI budget.
Enterprise assessment
$50,000+Multiple departments, compliance and security review, change management planning. Usually run by larger consultancies over several months.
What determines the price
- Scope: one workflow versus your entire operation
- Data complexity: clean, centralized data audits faster than scattered spreadsheets
- Team size: more stakeholders means more interviews and more alignment work
- Deliverable depth: a ranked list versus full ROI models and architecture plans
- Who does it: independent consultants, boutique agencies, and global firms price very differently
Is an AI audit worth it?
Compare it to the alternative. Custom AI builds typically run $50,000 to $200,000. Companies that skip the audit step routinely spend that budget automating the wrong process, buying tools that do not fit, or building a system nobody adopts. A $5,000 to $15,000 audit is the cheapest insurance you can buy on a six-figure decision. If the audit tells you not to build anything yet, that answer alone usually pays for itself.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI audit cost for a small business?
For a small business with one or two core workflows, a focused AI audit usually runs $5,000 to $15,000. That should include interviews with your team, a review of your tools and data, and a prioritized list of AI opportunities with cost and return estimates.
How long does an AI audit take?
A focused audit takes two to four weeks. Enterprise-wide assessments that cover many departments and systems can take two to three months. Be cautious of anyone offering a meaningful audit in a few days, and of engagements that stretch past a quarter without a decision.
What should an AI audit deliver?
At minimum: a ranked list of AI opportunities specific to your operations, cost and return estimates for each, and a build-ready recommendation for the first project. If the deliverable is a generic slide deck about AI trends, you overpaid.
Is a free AI assessment worth anything?
Free assessments are usually sales tools scoped to recommend whatever the vendor sells. They can be a useful first conversation, but they rarely include the operational depth that makes an audit decision-grade. Paid audits with no obligation to build are the more honest structure.
Wondering whether your business is ready for any of this? Start with our AI readiness assessment or see how we work.
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