Field report · November 2026

UK AI agencies compared: what they build and what they cost

We read the websites of 29 UK AI agencies and studios, from one-person consultancies to Accenture-owned Faculty, and wrote down who each one is for, what it builds with and what it charges.

Published build prices run from £8,000 proofs of concept to £550,000 platforms. Ours is £34,000.

See the price mapBrowse all 29

  • 29

    firms compared

  • 13/29

    publish a price

  • 21/29

    build in code

  • 13/29

    run a product of their own

By Zef Maxted, co-founder and CTO. Every fact about another firm comes from its own website, read on 11 November 2026, and we haven't ranked anyone.

Price map

What UK AI agencies charge.

This chart puts every published price on one scale. 13 firms, us included, say what a build or first step costs; the rest quote after a call. The scale is logarithmic, so each gridline is two to two and a half times the one before.

  • Cheapest paid way to start
  • Published build prices
  • "From" price, no top end published
  1. Pixelhop Us

    £6.5k–£34k+

    Two weeks at our day rate £6,500, six-week build £34,000Discovery week £3,250

  2. Pixelfield

    £8k–£50k+

    PoC from £8,000, production from £50,000Discovery from £2,000

  3. Logic Racks

    £8k–£80k+

    PoC from £8,000, AI platform from £80,000

  4. Magora

    £10k–£40k+

    MVP from £10,000, LLM app from £40,000Discovery from £3,000

  5. Ronins

    £12k–£30k+

    PoC from £12,000, production from £30,000Discovery £3,000 to £8,500

  6. Helium42

    £15k–£150k+

    PoC from £15,000, platform from £150,000Workshop from £2,500

  7. The AI Consultancy

    £15k–£40k+

    Pilot from £15,000, build from £40,000Readiness sprint from £3,500

  8. Softgen

    £18k–£45k+

    AI build from £18,000, SaaS from £45,000Discovery sprint from £4,950

  9. Scorchsoft

    £18k–£36k

    90-day programme £18,000 or £36,000Planning from £1,500

  10. Tenhaw

    £20k–£180k

    PoC from £20,000, 90-day programme up to £180,000Leadership day £8,500

  11. Quantum Craft

    £35k–£550k

    MVP from £35,000, platforms up to £550,000Specification sprint from £4,500

  12. Winder.AI

    £100k–£250k

    ML research and development £100,000 to £250,000

  13. OpenKit

    Quoted

    AI audit £10,000; builds quoted against scope

Prices as each firm publishes them on 11 November 2026. Pixelhop, OpenKit, Scorchsoft, Tenhaw and The AI Consultancy quote without VAT; most others don't say. Winder.AI's bar is its published machine learning research programmes; it also lists AI product work at £175 to £300 an hour.

Day rates

Four firms, us included, publish a day rate. Only Magora's is lower than our £650.

  • MagoraAbout £390 for a dedicated team
  • Pixelhop£650
  • The AI Consultancy£950 to £1,500
  • Tenhaw£950 to £1,560

Price on request

16 firms don't publish what a build costs and quote after a call or a discovery phase, including most of the large consultancies. That's normal for custom work, but it makes a shortlist harder to build.

Directory

29 UK AI agencies, one by one.

We're first because it's our page. The rest are alphabetical. Open any firm for what it builds, who does the work, its prices and the pages we read.

29 of 29

  1. 01Pixelhop That's usAI products, AI features and production agentsNewquay, CornwallCodeDiscovery week £3,250; six-week build £34,000
    Who it serves
    Founders, startups and SMEs building an AI product, or adding AI to an existing product or workflow.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    AI products and MVPs, AI agents, automations and AI integrations, plus the product design and software engineering around them.
    Built on
    Code. LLM-heavy workflows run on Mastra and our own code. We only suggest n8n, Zapier or Make when a job is simple enough that a platform is the cheaper option.
    Own products
    Chat Thing (an AI agent platform we have run since 2023) and Did It Though? (visual proof for coding agents). Trawley is in development.
    Who does the work
    A small senior team led by the two founders. You work with the people building it.
    Based
    Newquay, Cornwall. Works with clients across the UK remotely.
    Price and terms
    Discovery week £3,250. Six-week product cycle £34,000, which covers most builds. Smaller jobs at a £650 day rate. Support retainers from £600 a month. All plus VAT. Fixed price per six-week cycle, agreed before the build starts.

    More:How much AI development costs, Our products

  2. 02&above Embedded AI squads for scale-ups and enterprisesLondonCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Scale-ups and enterprises.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    AI workflow automation, agents that connect your tools and data, and AI-native web, mobile and internal software.
    Built on
    Code. Its engineers work in your codebase. No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    Agent Mesh, a framework for connected agents that it deploys for clients.
    Who does the work
    Small senior squads that it hires and manages, embedded in your team.
    Based
    Southwark, London.
    Price and terms
    Core AI builds not published ("get in touch for a scoped estimate"). Agent-run website rebuild from £25,000. Agentic sales engine from £9,500 a month on a 12-month term. VAT not stated. A fixed-scope workshop or proof of concept, then an embedded squad.

    andabove.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI agency, Agent-run websites

  3. 03Aivex Labs AI MVPs and voice agents for startupsLondonCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Startups and growing businesses.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    AI MVPs, AI voice agents, AI SaaS products and AI integrations, plus web and mobile apps.
    Built on
    Code. Its pages list Twilio and the OpenAI Realtime API for voice agents, and Next.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL and the Vercel AI SDK on a case study.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Headcount not stated. "You work directly with the engineers on your product."
    Based
    London (East Ham registered address). Clients in the UK, US and EU.
    Price and terms
    Not published. The contact form offers budget bands from under $5k to $50k+. Publishes an MVP timeline of 8 to 12 weeks from discovery to launch.

    aivex.coRead on 11 November 2026: aivex.co, AI MVP development

  4. 04Audacia Agentic AI for large organisations and the public sectorLeeds and LondonCode and no-code toolsPrice on request
    Who it serves
    Large enterprises and public sector bodies, from national public services to global enterprises.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Agentic AI systems that run multi-step workflows across your systems, and machine learning models taken from proof of concept to production.
    Built on
    Mostly code frameworks such as Microsoft Agent Framework, LangChain and Pydantic AI, plus Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    About 100 engineers, data specialists, AI practitioners and consultants.
    Based
    Leeds, with a London office.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Starts with a free consultation. Advice, delivery, team augmentation or managed support, in two-week sprints after a discovery phase.

    audacia.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: Agentic AI, audacia.co.uk

  5. 05Code23 AI features inside marketplaces and SaaSReadingCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    UK businesses building marketplaces and SaaS, or fixing operational problems with AI.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    Agentic systems with human review, RAG knowledge systems, grounded assistants, document processing and predictive models.
    Built on
    Code. "Experienced developers still make the decisions, review the code and own the result."
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    A small senior team of eight named people, with no account-management layer.
    Based
    Theale, Reading.
    Price and terms
    Not published. It says builds are a fixed price agreed up front. Discovery sprint, then fixed-price milestones with a 90-day warranty, then support subscriptions.

    code23.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI development, About

  6. 06Deeper Insights Custom machine learning and managed AICanterburyCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Organisations in healthcare, financial services, technology, manufacturing, retail and recruitment.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Custom machine learning models, including deep learning and NLP, plus AI consultancy and AI run as a managed service.
    Built on
    Code. "We train the model, you own the IP."
    Own products
    Floatingpoint, a platform it uses to train models that clients own.
    Who does the work
    Data scientists, engineers and AI experts. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    Canterbury, Kent, with offices in Europe and the US.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Project delivery, then AI as a managed service with contracted uptime.

    deeperinsights.comRead on 11 November 2026: deeperinsights.com, About

  7. 07Essential AI Multi-agent systems, mainly its own productsLondonNot statedPrice on request
    Who it serves
    Engineering teams, across sectors such as financial services, retail, logistics and healthcare.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Multi-agent systems and agentic products, mostly its own, plus custom AI builds for enterprises.
    Built on
    Not stated for client work. Its own products are software, some published on GitHub.
    Own products
    Seven products, four live, including Cogent, All2WIKI and Clone Detector.
    Who does the work
    A small team founded by people with PhDs in AI, physics and mathematics. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    London (Paul Street, EC2A).
    Price and terms
    Not published for services. Discovery call, then a pilot project, then production with ongoing support.

    essentialai.ukRead on 11 November 2026: About, Contact and FAQ

  8. 08Faculty High-stakes AI for government and large enterprisesLondonCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Government agencies and large organisations in defence, public services, health and financial services.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Custom AI systems built for performance and safety, plus AI strategy, infrastructure and operations.
    Built on
    Code: "Develop custom AI systems". No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    Faculty Frontier, a decision intelligence platform.
    Who does the work
    A PhD-heavy team of AI experts. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    London (Old Street). Owned by Accenture since 2026.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Engagement terms not stated.

    faculty.aiRead on 11 November 2026: AI services, Company

  9. 09Fourmeta Design-led AI products for startupsLondonCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Startups building AI products.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    AI product strategy and UX, AI SaaS, AI agents and workflows, RAG search, integrations, and taking AI-built prototypes to production.
    Built on
    Code. It also takes on products started in Lovable, Cursor, Bolt or Replit. No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    "21+" AI-native developers on its AI page; 75 team members on its about page.
    Based
    Mayfair, London. Its about page also mentions Tallinn.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Cost depends on stage, complexity, integrations and engagement model. A product sprint or audit, an embedded product team, or a full product build.

    fourmeta.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI development services, About

  10. 10Helium42 Consultancy and training, plus custom AI buildsLondonNot statedPoC £15,000 to £25,000; builds £50,000+
    Who it serves
    European mid-market companies.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    Custom AI agents, RAG systems, chatbots and generative AI apps, alongside AI training, strategy and an AI content service.
    Built on
    Not stated. It says it integrates GPT, Claude and open-source models.
    Own products
    The Content System, an AI content pipeline, and Salesman Sam, an AI sales agent.
    Who does the work
    Not stated. Two named founders.
    Based
    London (Uxbridge Road) and Germany. A trading name of White Hat SEO Limited.
    Price and terms
    AI proof of concept or MVP £15,000 to £25,000. Custom AI solution £50,000 to £150,000. Enterprise platform from £150,000. Retainers £3,000 to £15,000 a month. Workshops from £2,500. VAT not stated. Fixed price after discovery, delivered over 12 to 24 weeks, with an optional retainer.

    helium42.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI development, AI consultancy

  11. 11Iternal Production AI for public sector and regulated workBristolCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Public sector, health and regulated organisations moving AI from proof of concept to production.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Agentic AI systems, RAG on your own knowledge, chatbots, document processing and Slack, email and CRM automations.
    Built on
    Code. Names Anthropic's Claude as its main build platform, alongside OpenAI models.
    Own products
    Site Agent, an AI assistant for websites.
    Who does the work
    A small core team using its own agentic delivery tools. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    Bristol.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Starts with a free 30-minute call. A discovery workshop leading to a costed 90-day roadmap, then builds, sprints, retainers or a fractional Chief AI Officer.

    iternal.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: iternal.co.uk, About

  12. 12Kainos Large-scale AI for regulated sectorsBelfastCode and no-code toolsPrice on request
    Who it serves
    UK public and regulated sectors, including government, healthcare, defence and financial services.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Generative AI solutions, machine learning models, Microsoft AI solutions and Workday AI agents.
    Built on
    Both. Custom engineering on AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud, plus Copilot Studio and Power Platform.
    Own products
    Actonomy, its AI product business, with its own agent platform and packaged agents.
    Who does the work
    3,132 people across the company.
    Based
    Belfast, with a London registered office. Works in 18 countries.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Works as a combined team with yours, from strategy to managed service.

    kainos.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI and data, Actonomy

  13. 13Logic Racks Production AI features with published price bandsStoke-on-TrentCodeAI feature £25,000 to £60,000
    Who it serves
    UK businesses, from high-street retailers to regulated healthcare providers.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    RAG knowledge platforms, LLM customer support, document intelligence, computer vision and AI agents, alongside web, mobile and e-commerce work.
    Built on
    Code: React, Next.js, Node.js and Python, with OpenAI, Anthropic and open models.
    Own products
    Sixteen industry software products it licenses, such as RetailEdge POS and DentaClinic. Not AI-specific.
    Who does the work
    Senior developers, architects and designers based in Stoke-on-Trent. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    Stoke-on-Trent. Says nothing is outsourced offshore.
    Price and terms
    Proof of concept £8,000 to £20,000. Production AI feature £25,000 to £60,000. Full AI platform from £80,000. Discovery sprint price not published. VAT not stated. Paid discovery, then a fixed delivery plan in two-week sprints, then a monthly retainer.

    logicracks.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: AI software development

  14. 14Magora AI MVPs, RAG and LLM apps with published pricesLondonCodeDiscovery £3,000; MVP from £10,000
    Who it serves
    UK businesses from startups to enterprises, in sectors such as healthcare, fintech, property and logistics.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    LLM apps and copilots, RAG search, AI agents, document automation, machine learning and AI features in existing software.
    Built on
    Code. Lists Python, Node.js, LangChain and LlamaIndex, React and Flutter. No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    One senior in-house team in London, with the same engineers from prototype to handover.
    Based
    Shoreditch, London.
    Price and terms
    Free working prototype. Discovery from £3,000. AI MVP from £10,000. AI agents from £20,000. RAG pipeline from £30,000. Production LLM app from £40,000. Maintenance from £1,000 a month. VAT not stated. Fixed price quoted after discovery. Hourly and day rates for a dedicated team.

    magora-systems.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI and ML development

  15. 15OpenKit Audit-first AI, governance and Microsoft 365Cambridge and DurhamCodeAudit £10,000; from £5,000 a month
    Who it serves
    Teams that want a hands-on AI partner, in sectors such as financial services, legal, education and healthcare.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    AI audits, implementation, governance, private AI, Microsoft 365 AI, and agents, RAG and voice AI.
    Built on
    Code: "We build the system end to end and hand over the code we write." Also automations inside Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Two co-founders and a small team including a full-stack AI engineer.
    Based
    Cambridge and Durham.
    Price and terms
    AI audit £10,000 (AI Charter adds £3,000). Implementation from £5,000 a month. Builds are a fixed price against scope. All exclude VAT. Fixed-fee audit, monthly implementation, fixed-price builds.

    openkit.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, AI engineering

  16. 16Ortom A senior AI engineer for a startup teamManchesterCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Mostly startups and scaleups building AI into their product before they have an in-house AI team.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    Production agentic systems, RAG, structured data extraction and LLM integrations, plus AI due diligence and mentoring.
    Built on
    Code: "My core stack is Python, FastAPI and PydanticAI across AWS, GCP and Azure."
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    One consultant, an AI engineer based in Manchester.
    Based
    Manchester.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Usually a fixed fee for a defined project; day rate or retainer for fractional work.

    ortom.aiRead on 11 November 2026: ortom.ai, Services

  17. 17Pixelfield RAG, agents and private LLMs for scale-upsLondonCodeDiscovery £2,000; production from £50,000
    Who it serves
    Scale-ups and enterprises across the UK, Europe and the US.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Chatbots with grounded retrieval, RAG, agents that call your APIs, machine learning and private LLM deployments, plus mobile, web and games.
    Built on
    Code. Lists LangChain, LlamaIndex, custom pipelines, pgvector, OpenAI, Anthropic and open models.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Not stated. Names a director, a head of AI and development, and a head of product and design.
    Based
    London (City Road), with studios in Prague and Amsterdam.
    Price and terms
    Discovery from £2,000. Two-week AI consultancy from £5,000. Proof of concept or MVP typically £8,000 to £20,000. Production builds from £50,000, though its FAQ says production features start around £10,000. Support at 15 to 25% of the build a year. VAT not stated. Fixed-price phases from discovery to MVP, then a retainer or handover.

    pixelfield.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: AI development services, About

  18. 18Quantum Craft Startup MVPs and SaaS with published price bandsLondonCodeSpec sprint £4,500; MVP £35,000 to £80,000
    Who it serves
    UK companies and founders, including founders preparing a raise, and investors.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    MVPs, SaaS platforms, mobile apps and AI features inside existing products, plus fixing apps built with Lovable, Bolt or Replit.
    Built on
    Code. Names GCP, AWS and Azure. No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Small and senior. A senior engineer leads each build, with a PM, developers and QA per job.
    Based
    London.
    Price and terms
    Specification sprint £4,500 (one week) or £8,500 (two weeks). AI readiness assessment from £4,950. Single-workflow MVP £35,000 to £80,000 over 6 to 12 weeks, with larger platform bands up to £550,000. VAT not stated. Fixed-fee first steps, then fixed price against milestones, time and materials, or a retainer. Builds run in two-week cycles.

    quantumcraft.ukRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, About

  19. 19QuantumXL Custom AI, LLM and machine learning buildsLondon and ManchesterCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Founders, CTOs, business owners and enterprise innovation teams.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    Custom ML models, LLMs, AI agents, chatbots, AI apps and MVPs, plus websites and custom software.
    Built on
    Code: Python, TypeScript, PyTorch, React, Flutter, AWS and Azure.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Founded by three people. Six listed on its about page.
    Based
    London (City Road) and Manchester.
    Price and terms
    Not published. The contact form offers budget bands from under £10,000 to £100,000+. Free discovery call, then sprints. It says most projects take 8 to 20 weeks.

    quantumxl.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: quantumxl.co.uk, About

  20. 20Ronins Custom AI builds from a wider digital agencyLondon and GuildfordCodeDiscovery £3,000 to £8,500; PoC £12,000+
    Who it serves
    Businesses that want custom AI software. The wider agency also does SEO, paid media, web and apps.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    AI consultancy, automation, agents and custom AI products.
    Built on
    Code: "fully bespoke ai systems". It says it does not compete on £1,000 automations.
    Own products
    Sonae, which it calls its own agentic platform.
    Who does the work
    Five people at the core plus a network of over two hundred specialists.
    Based
    London (Covent Garden) and Guildford.
    Price and terms
    Discovery workshops £3,000 to £8,500. Proof of concept £12,000 to £30,000. Production automation from £30,000. VAT not stated. Fixed fee agreed before starting, with optional retainers.

    ronins.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: AI agency, AI software development

  21. 21Scorchsoft Fixed 90-day AI programmes and custom agentsBirminghamCode90-day programme £18,000 or £36,000
    Who it serves
    UK businesses needing custom software and AI agents, from planning and prototypes to full builds.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    AI-powered apps, AI agents, document processing, private RAG assistants and CRM automations.
    Built on
    Code. Its agent platform uses frameworks such as the OpenAI Agents SDK and LangChain.
    Own products
    AI Agent Engine, a platform for teams of AI agents, plus SalesChamp Live and StartupTools.
    Who does the work
    An in-house team in Birmingham. Headcount not stated.
    Based
    Birmingham (Jewellery Quarter).
    Price and terms
    AI planning from £1,500, discovery from £3,000 and strategy from £6,000. 90-day AI improvement programme £18,000 or £36,000. It says bespoke builds under £7,500 are rare. All plus VAT. Fixed-cost two-week sprints, with a decision point at day 90 and no auto-renewal.

    scorchsoft.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI agency, 90-day programme

  22. 22Scott Logic Agentic engineering for enterprises and governmentSix UK officesNot statedPrice on request
    Who it serves
    Large enterprises and government, especially in financial services and other regulated industries.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Agent-led workflows for software delivery and operations, and AI-accelerated legacy modernisation.
    Built on
    Not stated.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    More than 400 UK-based consultants.
    Based
    Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Bristol, London and Glasgow, plus Copenhagen.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Includes an eight-week "Agentic Fast Start" led by a forward deployed engineering team.

    scottlogic.comRead on 11 November 2026: Artificial intelligence, Who we are

  23. 23Softgen Fixed-price AI builds and MVPs for foundersLondonCodeAI build from £18,000
    Who it serves
    Startups, non-technical founders and scale-ups in sectors such as healthtech and fintech.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs
    What they build
    AI agents, copilots, RAG and LLM features, plus SaaS platforms, MVPs and web and mobile apps.
    Built on
    Code. Lists Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, Python, PostgreSQL, OpenAI, Anthropic and LangChain.
    Own products
    A small family of businesses run by its founder, which it says it builds and runs, including the AI dating app Lamp Dating.
    Who does the work
    Founder-led senior team. "The people who scope your build are the people who build it."
    Based
    London. Works remotely by default.
    Price and terms
    Discovery sprint from £4,950. AI build from £18,000 (3 to 6 weeks). MVP from £24,000. SaaS platform from £45,000. Dedicated squad from £12,000 a month. VAT not stated. Fixed price after discovery, paid in milestones. No open-ended day rates.

    softgen.co.ukRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, About

  24. 24Softwire AI at scale for regulated sectorsLondon and ManchesterNot statedPrice on request
    Who it serves
    Organisations in energy, financial services, government and insurance.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    AI solutions at scale, agentic automation, and AI evaluation and testing.
    Built on
    Not stated. A case study describes custom LLM work with prompt engineering and fine-tuning.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Not stated.
    Based
    London and Manchester, plus Cambridge and Abu Dhabi.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Engagement terms not stated.

    softwire.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI transformation, About

  25. 25Steer73 Custom agents and copilots for mid-sized firmsLondonCodePrice on request
    Who it serves
    Mid-sized and enterprise organisations, especially in manufacturing, construction, logistics, hospitality and retail.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    Task-specific AI agents, private copilots, semantic search and document AI, alongside apps and platforms.
    Built on
    Code, using Microsoft technologies where possible. No automation platforms named.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    More than 40 people.
    Based
    London (Great Portland Street). Remote team across the UK and six other countries.
    Price and terms
    Not published. Every project starts with a free discovery. Free discovery, then a roadmap, build and ongoing management.

    steer73.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI solutions, About

  26. 26Studio Graphene AI-native digital products, design to buildLondonNot statedPrice on request
    Who it serves
    Businesses of all sizes, in sectors from healthcare to financial services.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    AI-native digital products, including conversational and agent-driven systems and intelligent workflows.
    Built on
    Not stated.
    Own products
    Telsen, an AI operations assistant for hospitality built with Claude, and Pulse, an AI project intelligence tool.
    Who does the work
    More than 100 people.
    Based
    London, with studios in Delhi, Lisbon and Geneva.
    Price and terms
    Not published. The contact form offers budget bands from £10,000 to above £200,000. Strategy, design and build stages.

    studiographene.comRead on 11 November 2026: AI product development, Own IP

  27. 27Tenhaw Fixed-price 90-day AI programmes for large organisationsLondonCode90-day programme £120,000 or £180,000
    Who it serves
    Organisations of around 500 to 100,000+ people in financial services, retail, industry, energy and the public sector.
    Typical clients
    Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    One agreed workflow in production, such as workflow automation, AI agents or enterprise assistants, plus AI training and adoption.
    Built on
    Code. Builds code, integrations and evaluations in your repositories with your engineers.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    A partner plus contracted associates. Programmes use two or three practitioners.
    Based
    London (Shoreditch).
    Price and terms
    Day rates £950 to £1,560. Proof of concept £20,000 to £55,000. Readiness audit £44,000. 90-day programme £120,000 (two practitioners) or £180,000 (three). Continuation £70,000 to £85,000 a month. All plus VAT. Fixed fees, then optional month-to-month with 30 days' notice.

    tenhaw.comRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, 90-day programme

  28. 28The AI Consultancy Claude rollouts, strategy and consulting-led buildsLondonCode and no-code toolsSprint £3,500; builds from £40,000
    Who it serves
    UK SMEs, scaleups and enterprises adopting Claude and other AI tools.
    Typical clients
    Startups and SMEs · Scale-ups and mid-market
    What they build
    Claude deployment and training, AI strategy, chatbots, voice AI, agentic workflows and automation, and a fractional Chief AI Officer service.
    Built on
    n8n, Zapier and Make for standard integration work, and custom applications on Google Cloud where volume, compliance or complexity calls for it.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    A small core team plus a network of certified architects and subcontractors.
    Based
    Hoxton, London, and Chelmsford.
    Price and terms
    Readiness sprint from £3,500. No-code workflows £1,500 to £5,000. Discovery and pilot from £15,000. Build and embed from £40,000. Day rate £950 to £1,500. All exclude VAT. Fixed fee where scope is clear, paid 30/40/30. Fractional CAIO has a six-month minimum.

    theaiconsultancy.aiRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, Workflow automation

  29. 29Winder.AI Technically demanding LLM, MLOps and regulated workHarrogate, remote teamCodeAI product work £175 to £300 an hour
    Who it serves
    Startups to enterprises, including regulated sectors and public buyers.
    Typical clients
    Scale-ups and mid-market · Enterprise and public sector
    What they build
    LLM applications, RAG, fine-tuning, AI agents, MLOps platforms and machine learning.
    Built on
    Code, built inside your AWS, Azure or GCP account in a UK region.
    Own products
    None mentioned.
    Who does the work
    Not stated. A lean, remote team running since 2013.
    Based
    Registered in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Remote team, with engineers in the UK, Europe and the US.
    Price and terms
    Indicative rates from past projects: AI product development £175 to £300 an hour, MLOps consulting £20,000 fixed, ML research and development £100,000 to £250,000. VAT not stated. Mostly time and materials, sometimes fixed price. Can be bought through G-Cloud.

    winder.aiRead on 11 November 2026: Pricing, UK

Shortlist

Which kind of agency fits your project?

Start from what you're building. We grouped the firms by how each one describes its own work.

  • 01

    An AI product or MVP for a startup

    PixelhopThis is our main work. Most products and MVPs fit in one six-week cycle at £34,000, designed, built and launched by one small team.

    Aivex Labs, Code23, Fourmeta, Magora, Quantum Craft and Softgen lead with this too. Magora's MVPs start at £10,000, Softgen's at £24,000 and Quantum Craft's at £35,000.

  • 02

    An agent or AI feature inside a product your customers use

    PixelhopWe build these in code, in the same six-week cycle at £34,000. A small feature added to an existing product is quoted at £650 a day.

    Logic Racks prices a production AI feature at £25,000 to £60,000. Magora's agents start at £20,000 and Pixelfield's production builds at £50,000.

  • 03

    A fixed price to get one thing live

    PixelhopOur six-week cycle is a fixed £34,000, agreed before the build starts.

    Scorchsoft runs 90-day programmes at £18,000 or £36,000. Tenhaw's 90-day programmes for larger organisations are £120,000 or £180,000.

  • 04

    Help working out what to build

    PixelhopOur discovery week is £3,250 and ends with a fixed-price proposal for the build.

    The AI Consultancy focuses on Claude rollouts and training. OpenKit starts with a £10,000 audit and covers Microsoft 365. Helium42 pairs training with builds.

  • 05

    An embedded team for a scale-up

    &above, Steer73 and Studio Graphene embed squads or run full product teams. Softgen offers a dedicated squad from £12,000 a month.

  • 06

    A regulated or enterprise-wide programme

    Faculty, Kainos, Scott Logic, Softwire, Audacia, Iternal and Winder.AI are built for government, health, finance and large enterprises. Most quote after discovery.

  • 07

    A senior AI engineer alongside your own developers

    Ortom is one experienced AI engineer offering fixed-fee projects or fractional days.

The bit about us

When to pick Pixelhop, and when not to.

We're a good fit if you're building an AI product or an AI agent that customers or staff will rely on, and you want one small senior team to design, build and launch it. Most builds fit in one six-week cycle at a fixed price.

We've run our own AI product, Chat Thing, since 2023, so we've had to deal with what comes after launch: model updates, running costs and answers that need checking.

Go elsewhere if you need

  • One simple automation for a few hundred or a few thousand pounds. An n8n or Zapier specialist will be better value.
  • A regulated programme across a large organisation. Faculty, Kainos or Scott Logic are built for that scale.
  • AI inside Microsoft 365, with governance. OpenKit offers both.
  • Training a whole company on Claude. That's The AI Consultancy's focus.
  • An always-on AI assistant for your own team rather than a custom build. Our Hermes Agent setup is £2,500 + VAT, all in.

Before you sign

What to ask any AI agency.

Ask us too. A good agency will have a clear answer to each of these before you pay for anything.

  1. Who will build it, and will I speak to them?

    The firms here range from one engineer to more than 3,000 people. Neither is wrong, but you should know who writes the code and who answers when it breaks.

  2. Is it built in code or on n8n, Zapier or Make?

    Automation platforms are quick for linking tools you already use. Code costs more up front but you own it, and it suits a product your customers use. Ask which they would use, why, and who pays the platform fees.

  3. Have you run an AI system in production yourselves?

    A demo and a system people rely on every day are different jobs. Ask what broke after launch and what they changed.

  4. How will we know it works?

    Ask for test cases built from your real data, and a target the system has to hit before launch.

  5. What will it cost to run each month?

    Model, API, hosting and platform fees sit outside most quotes. Ask for an estimate at your real volume.

  6. Who owns the code, prompts and accounts at the end?

    If you part ways, you should be able to keep running what you paid for.

Method

How we picked.

On 11 November 2026 we asked ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude which UK firms to hire to build AI agents and AI products, with no budget, with a £30,000 to £100,000 budget and with a £150,000 to £500,000 budget. We also checked who ranks in Google UK for searches such as "ai agency uk" and "ai agent development company". We kept the firms that came up and that design and build AI software for clients.

We left out agencies whose main offer is low-cost no-code automation, because they solve a different problem from a product build, and firms whose websites didn't give enough detail to compare. Every fact about another firm comes from its own website, read on 11 November 2026 and linked in its entry. We left out ratings, reviews, awards and client results, for everyone including us.

We wrote this page and we're on it, so read it with that in mind. If anything is wrong or out of date, email info@pixelhop.io and we'll correct it.

FAQs

Choosing a UK AI agency.

How much does an AI agency cost in the UK?

Of the 29 firms here, 13 publish what a build or first step costs. Paid first steps run from £1,500 for planning (Scorchsoft) to a £10,000 audit (OpenKit). Published build prices run from £8,000 proofs of concept (Pixelfield, Logic Racks) to platforms of up to £550,000 (Quantum Craft), and 90-day enterprise programmes cost £120,000 to £180,000 (Tenhaw). Our six-week build is £34,000 + VAT. Our guide to how much AI development costs has real project numbers and running costs.

Which is the best AI agency in the UK?

It depends on what you are building and how big you are. For a startup product, look for a small team that builds in code and has run AI in production. For a regulated, enterprise-wide programme, a larger firm with public sector experience will fit better. The directory lets you filter by the kind of client each firm serves.

What is the difference between an AI agency and an AI consultancy?

An AI consultancy usually leads with strategy, audits, training and governance, and may build afterwards. An AI agency or studio usually leads with the build. Several firms here do both. If you already know what you want built, start with a build team and a short paid discovery rather than a long strategy engagement.

Should an AI automation be built in n8n or in code?

n8n, Zapier and Make are a good fit when the logic is simple and the tools already have connectors. Code makes sense when the work needs queues, retries, evals, a user interface or high volume, or when platform fees would grow with use. We build in code by default, and say in the proposal if a platform would be cheaper for your job. See AI automation for how we decide.

Why is Pixelhop on its own comparison?

We wanted a comparison that shows where every fact came from. We have described every firm, including us, from its own website, linked the sources and left out ratings and claims we could not check. If anything here is wrong or out of date, email info@pixelhop.io and we will fix it.

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