Updated: 30.09.2026
Short answer. Bringing AI into a small business costs from ₽500 for a system prompt to ₽235,000 for a staff of eight AI employees. In between are a chatbot with a neural network (AI connection to a bot from ₽5,000), an AI assistant for a profession (from ₽12,000) and launching one AI employee role (from ₽37,000). Prices follow the OM-Digital price list as of 30.09.2026, and the format is chosen by how many hours of routine need to be freed up.
Five formats — from simple to complex
| Format | What it solves | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A system prompt for ChatGPT or Claude | Consistent neural network answers for one employee's repetitive tasks | from ₽500 |
| An AI chatbot in Telegram | Answers to clients by your price list and rules, at any time | bot from ₽2,500 + AI connection from ₽5,000 |
| An AI assistant for a profession | A helper with the task list of your job and clear limits | from ₽12,000; for a team from ₽30,000 |
| A turnkey AI employee role | A whole area of the company's work by procedure | from ₽37,000 |
| An autonomous organisation | A staff of 8 roles with a coordinator and a shared task queue | from ₽235,000 in 30 days |
Source: om-digital.ru/ceny/, data as of 30.09.2026. «From» prices are for a typical scope; the exact amount is named before work starts.
What the data says about AI adoption in Russia
The study «Artificial Intelligence in Russia — 2025: trends and outlook» (Yakov and Partners and Yandex, published 08.12.2025) surveyed 150 technology directors of large companies from 16 industries. The key figures:
- 71% of large companies already use generative AI in at least one function;
- 78% get an economic effect from it;
- in leading industries AI takes 13–17% of the annual IT budget;
- in 2026 companies plan to increase investment in generative AI by 25% on average.
Large businesses already measure the return. For a small business it pays to go step by step: launch one format, measure the effect and expand.
How to tell which format you need
- One person needs help with texts, replies and documents — a system prompt or an AI assistant.
- Clients write in a messenger and expect a quick reply — an AI chatbot.
- Routine is spread across several employees — an AI employee role or a full staff.
The best question to start with: what in your week repeats almost unchanged? In OM-Digital's analyses such work took specialists 9 to 17 hours a week, depending on the profession. For a craftsman it is bookings and reminders, for an accountant it is processing source documents, for a site foreman it is recalculating quantities.
What the price is made of
- Number of tasks. An AI assistant includes five basic tasks, each additional one from ₽3,000.
- Working channel: messenger, email, spreadsheet or website.
- Limits and checks — which questions the AI passes to a person and how the result is checked.
- Integrations with a CRM, spreadsheets and the website.
- Staff training — from ₽5,000.
- Support: an assistant from ₽4,000 a month, a Telegram bot from ₽2,000 a month.
What costs follow the launch
Besides development, three items go into the budget. The first is access to a language model: the plan is chosen for the volume of tasks, and its cost is calculated at the estimate stage. The second is a server for the bot or app: an entry-level VPS costs around ₽200–300 a month (OM-Digital estimate). The third is support, if it is more convenient to hand edits to the contractor.
How to calculate payback
The formula is simple: monthly saving = hours of routine per week × 4 × the cost of an employee's hour. Compare it with the implementation price and the monthly costs, and you will see in how many months the investment returns. Take the hours from a real week rather than from memory: it is enough to write down for five working days what the time goes on.
How to start with minimal risk
- Break down your week: which tasks repeat and how many hours they take.
- Pick one task with a quick effect — for example, replies to first enquiries.
- Launch one format and run it for a week on real work, correcting the replies.
- Calculate the effect with the formula above and extend the system to the next tasks.
How much does an AI assistant for business cost?
Setting up one assistant for a profession starts at ₽12,000 and usually takes three to seven working days; an assistant for a team starts at ₽30,000.
Can ChatGPT or Claude be connected to a Telegram bot?
Yes. Connecting AI to a bot costs from ₽5,000, a basic bot from ₽2,500. The bot answers clients by your price list and rules.
Which pays off better: an assistant or a staff of AI employees?
An assistant helps one person with their tasks. A staff covers areas of work across the whole company. It is easier to start with an assistant or one role and build the staff once the effect is confirmed.
Is technical knowledge needed to use AI?
One person who knows their tasks is enough. The contractor does the setup and at handover shows how to edit the task list yourself.
Sources
- OM-Digital price list — om-digital.ru/ceny/, data as of 30.09.2026.
- Pages om-digital.ru/en/uslugi/ai-assistenty/ (updated 20.09.2026) and om-digital.ru/uslugi/mini-app/ (updated 21.09.2026).
- «Artificial Intelligence in Russia — 2025: trends and outlook», Yakov and Partners and Yandex — yandex.ru/company/news/08-12-2025-01, 08.12.2025.