We pulled 48 real, sourced pricing data points from published rate cards, industry surveys (Backlinko, Clutch), and named studio pricing pages across three disciplines: AI-SEO/GEO retainers ($1,500–$50,000+/mo), brand identity projects ($249–$100,000+), and marketing automation builds ($500–$27,000+/yr all-in). No invented "typical ranges" — every figure links to its source.
Why we published our competitors' pricing too
Most agency pricing pages are theater: three tiers, no numbers, "Get a Custom Quote." That works until a prospect has three quotes in hand and no way to tell if any of them are reasonable.
So we did the research ourselves — pulled real figures from published rate cards, marketplace data (Clutch), and industry surveys (Backlinko's annual SEO pricing report), and built a sortable, filterable table of all 48 data points — including the ones that make us look expensive and the ones that make us look cheap.
AI-SEO / GEO: the retainer spread
Backlinko's provider survey puts $2,501–$5,000/mo as the "veteran, 7-10+ years experience" premium tier. GEO-specific sources note that a generative-engine-optimization retainer priced under $3,000/mo often reads as classic SEO relabeled rather than genuine AI-search work — full AEO/GEO engagements run $3,000–$25,000/mo mid-market, $25,000+/mo at the enterprise end.
Clutch's marketplace data shows the geography tax clearly: US/Canada/Australia agencies bill $100–149/hr, while offshore providers in India, the Philippines, and similar markets bill $25–49/hr for comparable scope — a 3-4x spread that has nothing to do with the quality of the strategy and everything to do with where the invoice originates.
Branding: priced per-project, spanning three orders of magnitude
Branding doesn't work as a monthly retainer — it's priced per-project, and the spread is enormous: a 99designs logo contest runs $249–$1,050 fixed-fee; a freelancer full identity system runs $1,000–$5,000; a mid-range boutique identity runs $5,000–$20,000+; and top-tier comprehensive branding (the Pentagram/Landor/Interbrand tier) runs $500,000 to several million.
The practical takeaway for anyone shopping branding: know which tier you're actually asking for. A $500 logo contest and a $15,000 boutique identity system are not the same product with different price tags — they're different products entirely.
Automation: cheapest to build, real upside in maintenance
Workflow automation is the most commodity-priced of the three: a simple Zapier-tier build runs $500–$2,000, moderate complexity (3-10 workflows) runs $2,000–$8,000, and a complex build with CRM sync runs $8,000–$20,000+. Freelance marketplaces price the low end even lower — Fiverr n8n gigs start around $30–$277 for narrow scope.
The number worth remembering isn't the build cost — it's the maintenance retainer: $200–$1,500/mo to keep workflows running as APIs change and edge cases surface. That's the honest recurring-revenue story in automation, and it's a small enough number that it fits naturally alongside any other retainer a brand is already paying.
How to use this against any quote you get
Three questions worth asking whoever just quoted you: Which tier is this — entry, mid-market, or enterprise — and does the scope match? Is this priced like classic SEO with "AI" added to the deck, or does it include real generative-engine work (structured data, citation tracking, answer-engine testing)? And for branding specifically: are you buying a logo, an identity system, or a full brand strategy — because those are three different price categories wearing the same name.
See the full sortable dataset for the complete source list, or see what we charge and why — it's built to sit inside the legitimate range for real GEO work, not the relabeled-SEO tier.
Questions people ask
Real market data shows entry-level retainers around $1,500-5,000/mo, mid-market GEO engagements $3,000-25,000/mo, and enterprise AEO/GEO programs $25,000+/mo. Retainers priced well under $3,000/mo often turn out to be classic SEO relabeled rather than genuine generative-engine optimization work.
It depends entirely on tier: a logo contest runs $249-1,050, a freelancer identity system runs $1,000-5,000, a boutique studio identity runs $5,000-20,000+, and top-tier comprehensive branding (Pentagram/Landor tier) runs $500,000+. Know which product you're actually buying before comparing quotes.
Simple workflow builds run $500-2,000, moderate complexity (3-10 workflows) runs $2,000-8,000, and complex CRM-integrated builds run $8,000-20,000+. Ongoing maintenance retainers to keep automations running typically cost $200-1,500/mo.
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