The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, an AI customer service chatbot for B2B costs 6,000 to 22,000 EUR excl. VAT to set up, depending on RAG depth (retrieval-augmented search over your documentation) and CRM integration. The decisive line item is the monthly run: 300 to 1,500 EUR excl. VAT covering tokens, hosting and quality supervision. The real profitability lever is the ticket deflection rate — 35 to 60 % in well-scoped B2B — which drops payback under 6 months from a volume of 800 tickets/month.
Setup + run price ranges (2026)
The figures are 2026 orders of magnitude for a French SME/mid-cap. RAG (indexing your PDFs, contracts, FAQs) and CRM integration (ticket, customer history) are the two lines that move the quote.
| Chatbot level | Setup (EUR excl. VAT) | Monthly run (EUR excl. VAT) | Tickets deflected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple AI FAQ (no RAG) | 3,000 – 6,000 | 150 – 400 | 15 – 25 % |
| RAG over document base | 6,000 – 12,000 | 300 – 800 | 30 – 45 % |
| RAG + CRM integration | 10,000 – 16,000 | 500 – 1,100 | 40 – 55 % |
| RAG + CRM + actions (create ticket, update) | 14,000 – 22,000 | 800 – 1,500 | 45 – 60 % |
| Multichannel (web + email + WhatsApp) | 18,000 – 28,000 | 1,000 – 2,000 | 50 – 65 % |
The run typically breaks down into 40 % LLM tokens, 25 % hosting/vector store, 35 % quality supervision and updates to the indexed content.
What the monthly run is made of
Many quotes underestimate the recurring cost. Here is a realistic breakdown for 1,500 conversations/month with RAG + CRM.
| Run line item | Monthly cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LLM tokens (input + output) | 180 – 450 | ~0.12 – 0.30 EUR / conversation |
| Vector store / hosting | 120 – 250 | doc index + API |
| Quality supervision (human) | 200 – 500 | 3-6 h/month of an expert |
| Indexed base updates | 100 – 300 | doc reindexing |
| Total | 600 – 1,500 | for 1,500 conv./month |
2026 rule: budget 0.15 to 0.35 EUR per conversation all-in. Below 500 conversations/month, an AI chatbot rarely beats a static FAQ.
Mini case study
Marc runs support at a 30-person B2B SaaS SME in Nantes. His team handles 1,800 tickets/month, average handling cost 4.5 EUR/ticket, i.e. 8,100 EUR/month. Two of three agents spend the day on repetitive questions (password, billing, product docs).
He deploys a RAG + CRM chatbot for a 14,000 EUR excl. VAT setup and 900 EUR excl. VAT/month of run. After 3 months: 48 % of tickets deflected, i.e. 864 tickets absorbed × 4.5 EUR = 3,888 EUR/month saved. Net of run: 3,888 − 900 = 2,988 EUR/month. Payback: 14,000 / 2,988 ≈ 4.7 months, after which the team reassigns one agent to retention.
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FAQ
How much does an entry-level AI chatbot cost?
An AI FAQ without RAG starts at 3,000 EUR excl. VAT setup and 150 EUR excl. VAT/month. It deflects 15 to 25 % of simple tickets, enough for a volume under 600 tickets/month.
What does RAG change in the price?
RAG indexes your documents for sourced, reliable answers; it adds 3,000 to 8,000 EUR excl. VAT to setup and lifts deflection from 20 % to 40-55 %. It is the most profitable line for documented B2B.
What does the monthly run depend on?
Mostly volume: budget 0.15 to 0.35 EUR per conversation all-in. At 1,500 conversations/month, a realistic run is 600 to 1,500 EUR excl. VAT.
Do I need humans in the loop?
Yes. Quality supervision (3 to 6 hours/month of an expert) prevents wrong answers and sustains the deflection rate. An unsupervised chatbot loses 10 to 15 points of reliability in 6 months.
How fast is it profitable?
From 800 tickets/month at 4 EUR handling cost and 45 % deflection, net monthly savings exceed 1,200 EUR: a 12,000 EUR setup is repaid in about 6 months.
Let's scope your project. Share your monthly ticket volume, your document sources (FAQ, PDFs, CRM) and an indicative budget: we'll price setup + run and project your deflected tickets. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
