AI chatbot pricing: what you pay, what the AI provider charges, and what is free
HeliumSol prices a chatbot in two parts: the build and the running costs. For businesses accepted into the Founding Partner Program the build has no upfront fee, and hosting, chatbot API usage and email are free for the first month, then billed at cost. Outside the program, builds are quoted after a short discovery conversation, and the running costs work the same way.
What are you actually paying for?
Every cost, side by side. Nothing here is discovered after launch; the written terms before work begins repeat it.
| Item | Founding Partner Program | Standard project |
|---|---|---|
| Chatbot build | No upfront fee for the agreed scope | Quoted after discovery |
| Website build, if you need one | No upfront fee for the agreed scope | Quoted after discovery |
| Hosting of the site and chatbot | Free for the first month, then at cost | At cost |
| Chatbot API usage | Free for the first month, then at cost, with a monthly cap | At cost, with a monthly cap |
| Email on your domain | Free for the first month, then at cost | At cost, if we set it up |
| Your domain name | You buy it and own it | You buy it and own it |
| New features after launch | Scoped and quoted separately, only if you want them | Scoped and quoted separately |
What does "billed at cost" mean?
It means you pay what the underlying services charge for your site, without a margin on top. The AI provider charges per token, which is roughly per word processed; hosting and email are monthly services. Before your free month ends, you get the rate for your setup in writing, so the first bill is never a surprise.
For a sense of scale, the published per-token prices put a typical customer conversation on a small model at a fraction of a cent. The full breakdown, with the providers’ own pricing pages linked, is in what does an AI chatbot cost.
How is this different from a monthly chatbot plan?
Some businesses compare a built chatbot with a subscription tool. The model here is different in four ways.
- You pay for usage, not for seats or plan tiers. A quiet month costs less than a busy one.
- The chatbot runs on your website’s hosting, and its knowledge base is plain text you keep.
- The rules it follows are written for your business and approved by you, not picked from a template.
- Handoff to a person and lead delivery to your inbox are part of the build, not an upgrade.
How is the running cost kept predictable?
- A monthly token cap. When it is reached the chatbot stops calling the model and shows a contact form instead, so a runaway bill cannot happen.
- A per-visitor rate limit, so one person or one script cannot run up hundreds of conversations.
- A small model by default. Routine questions about your business do not need an expensive one, and upgrading later is a setting, not a rebuild.
- A usage report from the transcript log, so you can see what you are paying for.
Start at no build cost
The Founding Partner Program is selecting a small number of businesses for a free chatbot build, with a website and email on your domain if you need them. One five-minute form, and a person replies within one business day.
Apply for a founding placeFrequently asked questions
Is there a setup fee for the chatbot?
Not for founding partners: the build has no upfront fee for the agreed scope. For standard projects the build is quoted after a short discovery conversation, because the work depends on how much of your knowledge is already written down and what the chatbot connects to.
How much does a chatbot cost per month to run?
It depends on how many conversations it handles and which model it runs on. On a small model, the published API prices put a typical conversation at a fraction of a cent. Hosting and email are small monthly costs. Your exact rate is given in writing before the first month ends.
Do you charge per conversation or per user?
Neither as a plan. You pay what the AI provider charges for the usage, at cost, and the monthly cap stops it at a limit you agree.
What happens when the monthly cap is reached?
The chatbot stops calling the AI model and shows visitors a contact form, so enquiries still reach you. The cap resets the next month, and you can raise it if your traffic needs it.
Why do you not publish build prices?
Because an honest figure depends on the project. A business with clear service pages and an FAQ is quick to prepare; one where the answers live in the owner’s head needs a writing phase first. The founding program removes the build fee altogether for the businesses selected.
Is the free build really free?
Yes, for the agreed scope. What we ask in return is honest feedback and, only if you are happy with the result, permission to show the project. The only costs after the first month are hosting, API usage and email at cost, plus your domain.
Related pages
- What does an AI chatbot cost?Per-conversation costs with the providers’ published prices.
- Free AI chatbot for your websiteWhat the free build covers and how to apply.
- What the free chatbot includesKnowledge base, rules, lead capture and limits.
- AI chatbot developmentWhat every HeliumSol chatbot build includes.
Start with a free website and chatbot
HeliumSol will build and host your website, add a knowledge-base chatbot trained on your business, and set up email on your domain. Hosting, chatbot API usage and email are included for the first month. One short form, and a person reads it.
Why free? It is part of the Founding Partner Program: a small number of businesses, honest feedback in return, everything in writing first.