Free calculator
AI agents vs. hiring: what does the work actually cost?
Enter your own roles, salaries, and overhead. We compare the yearly cost of hiring against running those functions on AI agents — using your numbers, not industry averages. Nothing is assumed or fabricated; it's plain arithmetic you can check.
Your numbers
e.g. a marketer, an SDR, a support rep, a bookkeeper.
Gross annual pay for one of those hires, in your market.
Taxes, benefits, software, equipment, space — on top of salary.
For your numbers, per year
Hiring 2 people
€8,960/mo fully loaded
€107,520
Axiom
€49/mo, AI usage included
€588
Difference
€106,932
This compares the cost of the work, not the value of a person. AI agents cover the functions you can't afford to staff — the follow-up nobody sent, the weekend ticket, the monthly report. Keep humans for judgement-heavy, high-stakes calls.
Start free →See full pricingHow the math works
Cost to hire = roles × average salary × (1 + employer overhead). Overhead covers the real extras on top of salary — payroll taxes, benefits, software, equipment, space — which is why a hire costs well above their headline pay.
Cost with Axiom = your plan price × 12, with AI usage included. That's the whole comparison. Every figure traces to something you entered or to Axiom's published plan price — there are no hidden assumptions.
The honest part: this compares the cost of the work, not the value of a person. A great hire makes judgement calls an agent shouldn't. AI agents earn their keep on the volume and repetition a small team can't afford to staff — and on a propose-then-approve loop, you still sign off on anything that touches money, customers, or contracts.
Questions
How does the AI agents vs. hiring cost calculator work?
It uses your own numbers. The hiring cost is roles × average salary × (1 + your employer overhead). The AI cost is your chosen Axiom plan × 12 months. Nothing is assumed, averaged from elsewhere, or fabricated — change any input and the comparison updates instantly.
Is it cheaper to use AI agents than to hire?
It depends entirely on your numbers, which is why this calculator uses yours rather than industry averages. AI agents win on cost for repetitive, high-volume functions that run around the clock; a human hire wins on judgement-heavy, high-stakes, relationship-driven work. Most lean teams use both.
What does an AI agent actually replace?
Usually the functions that go unstaffed at a small business — the 11pm lead follow-up, the weekend support ticket, the monthly report nobody had time to write — not your best people. This calculator compares the cost of that work, not the value of a person.
How much do AI agents cost for a small business?
It depends on the pricing model: usage-based tools bill per action or token, while platforms bill per seat or per tier. Axiom's plans — Starter, Pro, and Scale — bundle the AI usage in, so there's no separate metering to track. Rather than a single sticker price, the figure that matters is the one this calculator gives you: what the work costs as agents versus as hires, on your own numbers.
Next step
Axiom gives a small business a full team of AI agents — sales, support, marketing, ops, finance — on a propose-then-approve loop. Available now, free to start.