Market ·
What an AI Employee Costs in 2027 vs a VA, Freelancer or Agency
Most AI employee plans cost $0 to $249.99 a month; bigger tiers cost far more. A median US admin hire runs about $65,000 a year. The math, shown.
By Digvijay Yadav, Founder, Baljia AI
The short answer
Most AI employee plans we read cost from nothing to $249.99 a month as of November 5, 2026, and larger credit tiers can cost far more. A full-time US administrative assistant costs about $65,000 a year once you add employer costs to the median wage. We give no figure for a VA, freelancer or agency, because we have no government or primary source for those rates and will not guess. You get a formula for them instead.
The plan price is often not the biggest line. At the average pay and benefits cost for small US workplaces, $37.64 an hour, each hour a week you spend reviewing comes to $1,957.28 a year. That is more than a year on all but one of the plans in the year-one table below.
We sell one of the options priced here, so check our sums. Baljia's three plans sit in the tables with everyone else's. We read each vendor's public pages on October 31, 2026, and re-checked prices on November 5, 2026. We did not log in or run those tools. Wage figures come from US Bureau of Labor Statistics pages opened on October 31, 2026.
Price bands, and who does the work
The label on a product tells you less than this question: who does the work, and who finishes it?
| Option | Band, per month | Who does the work | What you still do |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI workspace: ChatGPT Business | $20 to $125 a seat | You, with AI drafting | Finish and send everything |
| AI agent you set up: Zapier Agents | $0 to $50 | The agent, once you build the setup | Build it, check runs |
| Team agent: Lindy | From $29.99 per active user | An agent across your tools | Approve anything with outside impact |
| Conversation workers: Teammates.ai | $0 to $100 on its pricing page | AI, in support, sales or hiring chats | Check the conversations |
| AI helper bundles: Marblism, Sintra | $24 to $97 | Named helpers in your tools | Set rules, check what it did |
| AI employee on a goal: Polsia, Baljia | $49 to $249.99 | The AI, against a goal you set | Approve, decide, follow up |
| Virtual assistant | No rate given, see the yardstick below | A person, usually by the hour | Brief and check |
| Freelancer | No number given | A specialist, usually by project | Scope and accept |
| Agency | No number given | A team behind an account lead | Approve, pay for changes |
| Part-time US employee, 10 hours a week | About $1,007 in wages | A person you manage | Manage, run payroll |
| Full-time US employee | About $3,731 to $8,293 in wages | A person you manage | Manage, run payroll, pay employer costs |
A few notes on those prices:
- ChatGPT Business is sold to teams of 2 to 200. Its $20 and $100 seats are billed yearly; $25 and $125 are the monthly prices.
- Lindy's $29.99 is per active user for 3,000 credits, and higher credit tiers cost more.
- Marblism is $24 billed yearly and $44 billed monthly.
- Sintra's $97 is the 1-month list price. On November 5, 2026 its page showed a time-limited sale at $48.50.
- Polsia has no pricing page. Its blog lists $49 per month.
- Baljia's Starter is $49.99 a month at its launch price and carries 1,000 credits, while Growth carries 2,000 for $99.99 and Scale 5,000 for $249.99. The 1,000-credit pack is also at a launch price, so a later year may cost more. Each plan covers one business, with no per-seat fee listed. See the pricing page for what each includes. One credit does not equal one task, and Starter leaves out LinkedIn campaigns, which need Growth or Scale.
What a person costs: the government numbers
These are median annual wages for May 2025 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They cover the whole country and all employers, so a quote in your town may differ.
The employer-cost step comes from a separate BLS release. At private-sector workplaces with 1 to 49 workers in June 2026, wages averaged $27.88 an hour and benefits $9.76. That is $9.76 ÷ $27.88 = 0.35, so each wage dollar carried about 35 cents of benefits and legally required costs. Hence the × 1.35.
| Role | Median wage | With employer costs (× 1.35) | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service representative | $44,770 | $60,439.50 | $5,036.63 |
| Secretary or administrative assistant | $48,310 | $65,218.50 | $5,434.88 |
| Wholesale or manufacturing sales representative | $76,460 | $103,221.00 | $8,601.75 |
| Market research analyst or marketing specialist | $78,760 | $106,326.00 | $8,860.50 |
| Web developer or digital designer | $99,520 | $134,352.00 | $11,196.00 |
The 35% is an average across all jobs at those small workplaces, so your own cost can run higher or lower.
VA, freelancer, agency: why there is no number
BLS publishes pay for employees by occupation. VA, freelance and agency prices are market quotes that shift with country, skill and scope, and we have no government or primary source for them. A made-up average would only mislead you, so get three real quotes and run them through these sums.
VA or freelancer by the hour: quoted rate × hours a week × 52, plus any platform or payment fees.
Freelancer by the project: quoted price, plus the cost of changes.
Agency: monthly retainer × 12, plus setup fees, plus ad spend if they run ads.
Then work out how many human hours a plan is worth. Divide the plan's yearly price by an hourly rate.
| Baljia plan | Cost for a year | Hours at $23.23 | Hours at your VA quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter, launch price | $599.88 | 25.8 | Plan cost ÷ your quote |
| Growth | $1,199.88 | 51.7 | Plan cost ÷ your quote |
| Scale | $2,999.88 | 129.1 | Plan cost ÷ your quote |
The $23.23 is the BLS median hourly wage for secretaries and administrative assistants, used as a yardstick. It is not a VA rate.
The takeaway: at that wage, a year of Growth buys about one hour of a person's time each week. So the real test is whether the plan finishes more each week than one competent person could finish in an hour. The same division works for any tool on this page, and your 7-day test will tell you the answer.
The plan price for a full year
Before review time, here is what twelve months looks like, cheapest first.
| Option | Sum | Year one |
|---|---|---|
| Marblism, billed yearly | $24 × 12 | $288.00 |
| Teammates.ai Pro | $25 × 12 | $300.00 |
| Lindy, 1 active user | $29.99 × 12 | $359.88 |
| Zapier Agents Pro, billed yearly | As listed | $400.00 |
| ChatGPT Business, 2 Standard seats billed yearly | 2 × $20 × 12 | $480.00 |
| Marblism, billed monthly | $44 × 12 | $528.00 |
| Polsia, per its blog | $49 × 12 | $588.00 |
| Baljia Starter, launch price | $49.99 × 12 | $599.88 |
| ChatGPT Business, 2 Standard seats billed monthly | 2 × $25 × 12 | $600.00 |
| Sintra 12-month plan at list | $52 × 12 | $624.00 |
| Sintra 1-month plan at list | $97 × 12 | $1,164.00 |
| Baljia Growth | $99.99 × 12 | $1,199.88 |
| Baljia Scale | $249.99 × 12 | $2,999.88 |
A cheap plan with a small allowance can cost more per finished job than a pricier one. Our guide to what to hand off first shows how to cost the finished work.
A first-year build-up
This table puts one AI plan next to three human options. Baljia Growth is just the example, so swap in any line from the table above. For a sales hire specifically, see AI SDR vs your first sales hire.
| Line | AI plan (Growth) | Part-time admin, 10 hours a week | Full-time admin | Full-time marketer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price or wages | $1,199.88 | $12,079.60 | $48,310.00 | $78,760.00 |
| Employer costs at 35% of wages | $0.00 | $4,227.86 | $16,908.50 | $27,566.00 |
| Your review time | $3,914.56 | $3,914.56 | $3,914.56 | $3,914.56 |
| First-year total | $5,114.44 | $20,222.02 | $69,133.06 | $110,240.56 |
How each line is built:
- Plan: $99.99 × 12 = $1,199.88.
- Part-time wages: $23.23 × 10 hours × 52 weeks = $12,079.60. Part-timers often get fewer benefits, so the 35% may run high here.
- Employer costs: wages × 0.35.
- Review time: 2 hours a week × 52 weeks = 104 hours, × $37.64 = $3,914.56.
The $37.64 is the BLS average total compensation per hour worked at private-sector workplaces with 1 to 49 workers, June 2026. Use your own figure if you know what your hour is worth. The 2 hours is a placeholder and not a measurement. We used the same number in every column on purpose, so the table does not quietly favor anyone.
These totals are not like for like. A full-time person gives you about 2,080 paid hours a year, plus judgment, phone calls and relationships. An AI plan gives you a usage allowance and no judgment you can hold to account. The table shows what you will spend, not what you will get.
What is excluded
Everything below sits outside the table, so add what applies to you.
- Going over your allowance. Baljia sells 1,000 extra credits for $49.99 at a launch price, 2,000 for $99.99 and 5,000 for $249.99. Lindy charges $10 per 1,000 credits. Sintra and Marblism sell paid top-ups.
- Ad spend. With Baljia, Meta ads are billed separately: what Meta spent, plus a 20% platform fee on Baljia's managed account, or no fee if you connect your own. Polsia's site code carries terms text with a 20% platform fee on ads.
- Cuts of your sales. Baljia takes none. The same terms text at Polsia shows a 3% platform fee on customer payments, so ask about it before you buy.
- Hiring costs. Job ads, recruiters, equipment, software seats and the weeks a new person needs to get up to speed. We have no sourced figure for these, so the human columns are understated.
- Other outside services. Domains and data tools, plus paid API usage by your app, which carries Baljia's 20% fee on pass-through costs.
- Tax. Vendor prices exclude it unless stated.
- Refunds. Baljia keeps plan fees and credits once paid, billing errors aside. Sintra offers a 14-day money-back guarantee and Marblism a 7-day one. Read the terms of anything you plan to pay for yearly.
- The cost of a mistake. A wrong message to a good customer, or a restricted LinkedIn account, can cost more than a month of any plan here.
Which option fits
| If this is you | Start with | Because |
|---|---|---|
| You enjoy the last step and need faster drafts | An AI workspace | You pay least and keep control |
| One repeated job eats your week | An AI plan on a short test | Cheap to try, easy to drop |
| The work needs a voice on the phone | A VA or part-timer, or try a voice tool | Marblism and Teammates.ai list phone or voice. Baljia does not make or answer calls |
| You need one specialist result | A freelancer | You pay for that result alone |
| Your agency delivers and the bill is fine | Stay put | Switching costs you time too |
| The job needs judgment all week, every week | A full-time hire | Ownership is what you are paying for |
If you are weighing Baljia against an app builder, a marketing tool or an agency, the compare page lays those out side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI employee cost per month?
Most AI employee plans we read cost between $0 and $249.99 a month, as of November 5, 2026. Marblism is $44, or $24 billed yearly. Baljia's Starter is $49.99 at its launch price, with Growth at $99.99 and Scale at $249.99. Usage above the allowance and your review time come on top.
Is an AI employee cheaper than a virtual assistant?
It depends on the quote you get, because we have no primary source for VA rates and give none here. As a yardstick, a year of a $99.99 plan equals about 52 hours at the BLS median admin wage of $23.23, so compare what each finishes.
How much does a full-time employee really cost on top of salary?
At US private-sector workplaces with 1 to 49 workers, benefits and legally required costs added about 35% to wages in June 2026, per BLS. A $48,310 median wage becomes about $65,219 before recruiting, equipment and training.
What hidden costs come with an AI employee?
The biggest ones are your review time, extra usage, ad spend and fixing mistakes. At $37.64 an hour, one hour of review a week is $1,957.28 a year, so measure it before you commit.
Are AI employee credits the same across tools?
No, a credit means something different at each vendor, and some use hours or activities instead. On Baljia, one credit does not equal one task, so check the task scope and any quote shown before work starts. Compare tools on finished work, never on the credit count.
Is an AI employee worth it for a one-person business?
It can be, if one repeated job is taking hours you could spend on paying work and the output passes your own test. If you cannot name the job yet, keep your money and read the shortlist when you can.
Put your own numbers in
The tables above use averages, and your business is not an average. To find your real figure, time one job, then try a plan on it. On Baljia the first week of measuring costs you nothing but attention, because the 7-day free trial asks for no credit card.
Sources
- BLS: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (checked October 31, 2026)
- BLS: Customer Service Representatives (checked October 31, 2026)
- BLS: Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives (checked October 31, 2026)
- BLS: Market Research Analysts (checked October 31, 2026)
- BLS: Web Developers and Digital Designers (checked October 31, 2026)
- BLS: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Table 6, by establishment size (checked October 31, 2026)
- Baljia pricing (checked October 31, 2026)
- Baljia FAQ (checked October 31, 2026)
- ChatGPT Business pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Zapier pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Lindy pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Teammates.ai pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Marblism pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Sintra pricing (checked November 5, 2026)
- Polsia blog post with the $49 figure (checked November 5, 2026)
- Polsia site app code with the terms text, read October 31, 2026 (checked October 31, 2026)