Freelance AI developers build automations to spec then hand them off. AI Staff designs, builds, manages, and improves your automation infrastructure as an ongoing partner. The distinction matters when systems break, business needs change, or new automation opportunities emerge.
Service businesses that need a full AI operations infrastructure — multiple automations, all connected, with ongoing management and improvement over time.
Technical founders or companies with internal dev capacity who need one specific automation built to spec and have the resources to maintain it.
Real Cost Comparison
Year-one total cost of ownership — including setup, ongoing fees, and hidden management costs.
$7,500 assessment + $3,500–5,500/month build retainer
$2,000–10,000 per automation project. No assessment, no guarantee, no maintenance.
For a business needing 5+ automations, freelancers cost $10,000–50,000 in builds plus 20–40 hours of your management time per project, with no ongoing support. AI Staff: all-inclusive, managed, with ROI guarantee.
Common Questions
Yes — if you have the technical knowledge and time. Most owner-operated service businesses don't have either. And the bottleneck isn't usually the tool — it's knowing which processes to automate and how to design them for your specific operation.
Freelancers typically don't offer SLAs for maintenance. When something breaks (and automation systems do break when software updates), you're starting a new hiring process. AI Staff has ongoing monitoring and fixes issues proactively.
Most bad experiences come from (1) no ROI framework before building, (2) no ongoing management after delivery, or (3) generic automation not designed for the specific industry. The AI Operations Assessment is specifically designed to prevent all three.
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll ask about your situation and give you an honest answer — including if a different approach would serve you better.