Pricing guide · Updated October 2026
How much does business automation cost in the UK? (2026)
Short answer: A single, well-defined automation usually costs between about £1,250 and £5,000 to build, plus a small monthly cost to keep it running. My automations start from £1,250, with optional care from £99 a month.
What the market charges
Published prices are rare, but the ones that exist cluster in the same range. A London agency lists one simple n8n or Make workflow from £1,500 plus £99 a month, and says first projects covering two or three workflows typically start from £8,000. Solo n8n consultants are quoted at £600 to £1,500 a day.
Developer day rates are a useful sense check: the median UK TypeScript contract rate outside London is about £500 a day. A straightforward workflow is usually two to three days of work once it is properly scoped.
What makes it cost more
The price is driven less by the tool and more by the edges of the process.
- How many systems it touches, and whether they have usable APIs.
- Exceptions: what happens when data is missing, duplicated or wrong.
- Approval steps, where a person must check before anything is sent.
- Volume, which affects platform costs on Zapier and Make.
- Who will look after it when one of the connected tools changes.
Running costs to budget for
Expect a platform subscription (Zapier, Make or n8n cloud, or a small server for self-hosted n8n), any AI usage if the workflow uses AI, and optional care to fix things when a connected tool changes. I quote these separately and, where possible, you pay the platforms directly so the accounts stay in your name.
How to start for less
Start with the task your team repeats most often, not the most ambitious idea. My Automation & AI review costs £495: you get the three automations worth doing first, ranked by time saved, each with a fixed quote, and the fee is credited if you go ahead. Not ready for that? Book a free 20-minute call.
Want to see what automation could save you? Try the savings calculator, or read about Automation & AI.
Common questions
- Is automation worth it for a small business?
- If someone spends a few hours a week copying information between systems, usually yes. Use the savings calculator with your own figures to see how quickly a build would pay for itself.
- Do you charge VAT?
- No. RightCyber is not VAT-registered, so my prices are what you pay. Many agency prices are shown before VAT.
Sources
Market figures are from suppliers’ own published pages, checked on 25 October 2026, and may have changed. Agency prices are usually shown before VAT. Prices in GBP. RightCyber is not VAT-registered, so no VAT is added. Scope and price are confirmed in a written proposal before work starts.