Pricing and engagement models
Arcesso publishes every price and sets each one 5–10% below the comparable US market figure, shown beside it. Three models: fixed-scope projects, dedicated teams and staff augmentation. Discovery fees are credited to the build, there are no hidden fees, and you own the code from the first commit. Prices in USD, reviewed quarterly; last review 2026-10-15.
- Fixed-scope project
AI pilot from $11,500 · 6-week MVP from $27,000
A defined product, MVP, integration or AI agent with a clear finish line.
- Paid scoping sprint, credited in full to the build
- Fixed price and dated plan before work starts
- Weekly demo and a shared repo you own
- Evals and a human approval step on every AI feature
- 30-day warranty after launch
- Dedicated team
2-engineer pod from $16,000/month
Ongoing product work with a stable team and a US-based lead.
- 2 to 8 engineers who work your hours and join your tools
- Named Arcesso lead for reporting and replacements
- No recruiting fee, 30-day notice
- Code is yours from the first commit
- Scale up or down monthly
- Staff augmentation
$50–$60 per hour
One or two vetted engineers inside your own team.
- You interview before you commit
- Start in two to four weeks
- US-based lead handles onboarding and reporting
- Replacement if the fit is wrong
- Monthly scale up or down
No hidden fees. Discovery fees are credited to the build. Third-party costs (cloud, model APIs) run in your own accounts.
Published price list
Every row shows our price, what it includes, and the comparable market figure it was set against (as published on competitors’ pricing pages, October 2026).
| Offer | Arcesso price (USD) | What is included | Comparable market figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI readiness assessment (2 weeks) | $3,999 fixed, credited to your build | Ranked automation and agent use cases with cost, payback and risk, a 90-day plan, and a readout call. Credited in full to any build started within 90 days. | $4,999–$5,000Source: AIGist24 two-week assessment ($4,999); Rapid Innovation "Scope for $5k", Oct 2026 |
| 2-week AI agent pilot (one workflow) | From $11,500 fixed | One workflow, evals against your baseline, logging, a human approval step, and a go/no-go report. Typical range $11,500–$18,000 depending on integrations. | $12,000 floor; $20,000 medianSource: Main & Machine AI implementation sprint ($12,000–$45,000); median of 14 published pilot/sprint offers, Oct 2026 |
| Production AI agent (after the pilot) | $22,500–$85,000 | Agent built into your systems with tool use, evals, monitoring and handover. Fixed quote issued from the pilot result. | $25,000–$90,000 typical; $50,000–$150,000 for agents on enterprise systemsSource: ScienceSoft published ranges; Clutch average AI project $120,595, Oct 2026 |
| AI automation build (n8n or Make) | From $3,200 per workflow | One workflow scoped, built in your accounts, edge-case tested and documented. Connected multi-app automations $5,900–$22,500. Care plan $225 per month per system (monitoring, break-fix, one hour of changes). | $5,000 fixed accelerator; $10,000–$25,000 connected automations; $250/month careSource: Goodspeed Automation Accelerator; SuperDupr workflow automation; Alpenglow AI care plan, Oct 2026 |
| AI chatbot (support or sales assistant on your content) | From $8,900 | Retrieval over your documents, web or in-app widget, hand-off to a person, answer-quality evals. Monitoring $225 per month. | $15,000–$35,000 professional tier; $20,000–$80,000 custom AISource: PerfectionGeeks chatbot tiers; CMARIX cost guide, Oct 2026 |
| AI voice receptionist (done-for-you) | Setup from $2,250 + plans from $399/month | Custom call scripts, booking and CRM integration, number porting, go-live in 2–3 weeks. Plans: $399/month (500 minutes), $699/month (1,500), $1,299/month (3,500); $0.32 per extra minute. HIPAA setup quoted separately. Human answering services cost $250–$1,725 per month for 50–500 minutes (Ruby, Oct 2026). | $5,000–$10,000 setup + $200–$2,000/month (done-for-you); $0.35–$0.48 per extra minute (self-serve tools)Source: SuperDupr voice agents; Dialzara overage rates, Oct 2026 |
| 6-week AI MVP (fixed scope, US senior delivery) | From $27,000 fixed | One-week scoping, six-week build with weekly demos, one AI feature with evals, launch, handover documentation. Typical range $27,000–$54,000. A 4-week focused MVP starts at $16,500. | $30,000 flat (6 weeks); $30,000–$80,000 typical MVPSource: Rapid Innovation six-week build; Innowise and SoluLab MVP ranges, Oct 2026 |
| Custom software, web, mobile and SaaS projects | Projects from $22,500; most $36,000–$135,000 | Discovery, design, build in weekly sprints, launch and a 30-day warranty. Fixed price after a credited scoping sprint. | $25,000 minimum project (common on Clutch); $40,000–$150,000 typical; Clutch average $132,480Source: Clutch pricing data and Texas agency minimums, Oct 2026 |
| AI-built app rescue audit | $3,600 fixed, credited to the fix work | Security, data-model, auth and performance review of a Lovable, Bolt, Replit or Claude-built app, with a fix estimate per issue. | $4,000–$12,000Source: Leanware code audit, Oct 2026 |
| Software and IT consulting / fractional CTO | $175 per hour; fractional CTO from $3,900/month | Architecture and code reviews, build-vs-buy decisions, technology roadmaps. Fractional CTO: two days a month, monthly billing. | $150–$199 per hour (premium US boutiques); $250 per hour (XRAY)Source: Clutch rate bands for Texas boutiques; XRAY published rate, Oct 2026 |
| Staff augmentation (per engineer) | $50–$60 per hour per engineer | Vetted engineers you interview first, a US-based lead, weekly reporting, replacement if the fit is wrong, 30-day notice. | $65–$95/hour (vetted remote platforms); $150–$199/hour (US boutiques); $200+/hour (Toptal AI specialists)Source: Lemon.io, BairesDev third-party rates, Clutch Texas bands, Toptal, Oct 2026 |
| Dedicated development team | 2-engineer US-managed pod from $16,000/month; US-based senior engineer from $25,000/month | Named Arcesso lead, your tools and hours, monthly billing, no recruiting fee, 30-day notice, code yours from the first commit. | $20,800–$30,400/month for two engineers at $65–$95/hour on vetted remote platforms; $6,000–$15,000 per developer (Andela); $11,553 average monthly AI engagement (Clutch)Source: Lemon.io and BairesDev third-party rates, Andela third-party pricing, Clutch, Oct 2026 |
The Arcesso price promise
- Every published price is set 5–10% below the comparable US market figure we track, and we show that figure next to ours.
- Prices are reviewed every quarter; the date of the last review is printed on this page.
- If a comparable US-based agency quotes the same written scope for less, send us the quote and we match it.
- No hidden fees. Scoping and assessment fees are credited in full to the build.
What the market pays
Independent benchmarks we are measured against. Each figure names its publisher. Arcesso prices are set below the comparable figure for each offer, and the scope is capped first, so most engagements land under these averages.
$132,480
average custom software project on Clutch
Source: Clutch, cited in Arcesso market research (2026)
$120,595
average AI project on Clutch
Source: Clutch, cited in Arcesso market research (2026)
$11,553
average monthly spend on an AI engagement
Source: Clutch, cited in Arcesso market research (2026)
71%
of B2B buyers more likely to buy when pricing is published
Source: TrustRadius B2B Buying Disconnect
Deeper breakdowns: custom software cost, AI agent cost, mobile app cost.
The Arcesso Kickoff Promise
- Published prices, 5–10% below the comparable US market figure we track.
- Fixed-price discovery, credited in full to the build.
- You own 100% of the code and IP from the first commit, in writing.
- Mutual NDA within 24 hours of asking.
- A senior engineer replies within one business day.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us
Why do you publish how you price when most agencies do not?
Arcesso publishes its pricing models because buyers decide faster with them. TrustRadius found B2B buyers are 71% more likely to buy from vendors that show pricing. Published models also save both sides a call when the budget and the scope do not match.
How is a fixed price set?
A fixed price at Arcesso comes out of a short paid scoping sprint. We map the workflow, data, integrations and risks, then give you a fixed quote and a dated plan. The scoping fee is credited in full to the build, so you pay for it only if you decide not to proceed.
Are there hidden fees?
No. Arcesso has no hidden fees. Fixed-scope projects state what is included and excluded in writing. Dedicated teams and staff augmentation are billed monthly or hourly with no recruiting fee. Third-party costs such as cloud hosting and model API usage run in your own accounts, so you see them directly.
What does a typical AI agent cost?
An Arcesso AI agent pilot is a fixed price from $11,500 for two weeks on one workflow, and production agents run $22,500 to $85,000. Industry benchmarks put the average AI project on Clutch at about $120,595 across reviewed agencies. The AI agent cost guide breaks down build and run costs.
How are your prices set below the market?
Arcesso sets each published price 5–10% below the closest comparable figure published by US competitors, as fetched from their pricing pages in October 2026, and prints that figure beside ours. Prices are reviewed every quarter. If a comparable US-based agency quotes the same written scope for less, we match it.
Can I start small?
Yes. The smallest Arcesso engagement is the two-week AI readiness assessment at $3,999, followed by a two-week pilot on one workflow from $11,500. Both are fixed price and credited to any build that follows. There is no minimum annual contract and no retainer required.
Do you offer equity deals or discounts for startups?
Arcesso works for cash at a fixed price or monthly rate, not for equity. Pilot discounts may be exchanged for case-study participation with written consent, never for reviews. Founders get the same fixed-price MVP package and the same code ownership terms as larger clients.
Tell us what you need. An engineer replies within one business day.
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Reply within one business day · mutual NDA within 24 hours · ballpark estimate within 3 business days