What does an automation cost, and why monthly maintenance?
Two questions I get in almost every first conversation. The answer to the first is: it depends on what you automate, but I give you a fixed price upfront. The answer to the second matters more, because it determines whether your automation still works a year from now. On this page I explain both, with the figures included.
The model: one-off setup, monthly maintenance
You pay once for setting up an automation: the process analysis, the build, testing with your data, the go-live and the documentation. After that you pay a fixed monthly fee to keep the automation running and keep refining it. Both amounts are fixed upfront, so you know where you stand. No hourly billing afterwards, no surprises when something goes wrong.
One-off setup
- Simple, one or two tools, fixed steps: 750 to 1,500 euros
- Medium, several tools, exceptions, an AI step: 1,500 to 4,000 euros
- Complex, many systems, two-way traffic, custom code: from 4,000 euros
After the process analysis you get a fixed price. All amounts exclude VAT.
Monthly maintenance and further development
- 95 to 350 euros per month, depending on the number of workflows and hosting
- Includes monitoring, error handling and small adjustments
- Includes hosting on my n8n server if you choose that option
Cancellable monthly. On cancellation you receive the workflows and documentation.
For comparison: an employee who spends two hours a week on work an automation can take over costs you, at an internal hourly rate of 40 euros, well over 4,000 euros a year. Most automations I build pay for themselves within three to six months. I calculate that for you during the process analysis, and if the sums do not add up, I say so.
Why an automation needs maintenance
An automation looks like software you buy and install, but it behaves differently. It depends on tools you do not control and on a business that keeps changing. Five reasons why an automation without maintenance sooner or later stops working:
- The connected tools change. Your CRM releases a new API version, your accounting package renames a field, your e-signature service changes its login method. Vendors do this a few times a year, and each time a connection can stop working.
- Access expires. Passwords, access keys and permissions have an expiry date. Without someone keeping track, the automation stops on a random Tuesday without anyone noticing.
- Your process changes. A new form field, an extra service, a colleague who gets a different role. The automation has to follow, otherwise it works against you instead of for you.
- Exceptions turn up. However well you test, in practice situations arise that you did not foresee: a client with two companies, an order without an email address, a PDF that is structured slightly differently. Every exception I handle makes the automation more robust.
- It can always be better. After a few months you see what the automation does and what you actually wanted. Those insights, from my own analyses and from your feedback, are the basis for further development.
The alternative is paying per incident. That sounds cheaper, but in practice it means you only call when something has already been down for a week, and every repair is a separate job with a separate invoice. A fixed monthly fee means I am watching before you have a problem.
What you get for the monthly fee
Keeping it running
- Monitoring: I get an alert when a workflow fails, often before you notice
- Fixing errors caused by changes in connected tools
- Keeping access and keys up to date and renewed
- Updates, backups and security of the n8n environment (when hosted by me)
Refining
- Periodic analysis: what does the automation do, where does it often go wrong, what can be improved
- Small adjustments based on feedback from your organisation
- Handling new exceptions
- Advice on next steps that are worth taking
Larger extensions, such as connecting an additional system or a completely new workflow, fall outside the monthly fee. For those you get a separate price upfront. That keeps the monthly fee predictable and means you do not pay for work you do not need.
Hosting: with me or with you
If you choose hosting on my n8n server, it is included in the monthly fee: an environment in a European data centre, including updates, backups and monitoring. You do not have to install or manage anything. If you choose your own environment, such as n8n Cloud or a server owned by your company, you pay the hosting directly to that party (n8n Cloud starts around 20 euros per month, your own server around 10 to 30 euros) and you pay me only for maintenance. You then remain the full owner of the environment. More on the trade-offs on the page about n8n.
If an automation uses AI models, there are usage costs from the provider, such as OpenAI or Anthropic. For most automations that is a few euros to a few dozen euros per month. I flag that upfront and build the workflow so that costs stay predictable.
Frequently asked questions about pricing
Can I order just the setup, without maintenance?
You can, but I advise against it and explain why: the automation will almost certainly stop working within a year due to a change at a connected tool. If you choose this, I deliver the workflows with documentation and you can maintain them yourself or through someone else. If you come back later, I start with an audit to see what has changed in the meantime.
What if I have several automations built?
Then the monthly fee per automation goes down, because monitoring and hosting are shared. A second automation is also usually cheaper to set up, because connections and building blocks from the first can be reused.
What about the payback period?
I calculate that for you during the process analysis: how many hours the work takes now, what that costs internally, and what the automation costs in the first year including maintenance. Most automations pay for themselves within three to six months. If that is not the case for you, I say so and recommend something else.
Are there subsidies for automation?
Sometimes. Various Dutch provinces and regions offer digitalisation vouchers for SMEs that cover part of the costs. The conditions and amounts differ and change regularly, so I refer you to the current schemes in your region rather than quoting a figure here.
What happens if I cancel the maintenance?
Maintenance can be cancelled monthly. You receive the workflows and the documentation, so you can continue them yourself or through another party. If the workflows run on my server, I help with the move to your own environment.
Want a price for your situation?
Describe the process you want to automate and which tools are involved. You will get an honest estimate of the setup cost, the monthly fee and the payback period. See also the overview of all automations.