How does Softblues pricing work?
We agree the price and scope before work starts, with a payback estimate based on explicit assumptions. We start with a paid first step that maps your use-cases or process, so the build price is grounded in your real numbers rather than a guess. Prices are quoted in GBP. Delivery milestones and any guarantee are agreed in the contract.
What are you paying for, and when?
Three parts, in order, so you always know the cost before the next step.
A paid, scoped first step
Every engagement starts with a short, paid Strategy and Roadmap or Process Discovery. We map the use-cases or the process and the cost of doing it by hand, so the build is priced against your real numbers, not a guess.
A fixed-price build with a payback line
The first step returns a fixed-price quote with a payback line, so you can assess the cost and estimated return before you commit. No open-ended billing, no surprises mid-project.
An optional retainer
After launch, an optional Continuous Partnership retainer keeps it healthy: evals, monitoring, an SLA, and new use-cases as you grow. You choose whether to take it.
If neither first step is obviously the right one yet, a generative AI consulting assessment decides which, and prices the build either way.
How does the payback line work?
Every build carries a payback line. It is not the price divided by a monthly figure: nothing comes back during the three months it is being built, we credit nothing for the three after that while people are still learning it, and the running cost goes out throughout. A £20,000 build returning £4,000 a month from month seven, with £700 a month to run from month four, crosses in month thirteen rather than month five. You can work your own numbers through it before we even speak.
See the payback monthPricing and payback: at a glance
- How it works
- A paid scoped first step, then a fixed-price build, then an optional retainer.
- First step
- A short, paid Strategy and Roadmap or Process Discovery that prices the build against your real process.
- The build
- Fixed price, quoted on a call, with a payback line. No open-ended billing.
- Guarantee
- Any guarantee applies only where it is included in the agreed scope and contract.
- Payback example
- A £20,000 build returning £4,000 a month from month seven, with £700 a month to run from month four, crosses in month thirteen.
- Currency
- GBP, quoted up front.
Common questions about pricing
How does Softblues pricing work?
In three parts: a paid, scoped first step (a Strategy and Roadmap or a Process Discovery), then a fixed-price build with a payback line, then an optional retainer for ongoing partnership. The first step grounds the build price in your real process.
What does it cost?
Every engagement is fixed price, scoped on a call, in GBP. We hold off on a number until the paid first step has mapped your use-cases or process, because that is what makes the quote accurate rather than a guess.
Why do you charge for the first step?
Because it produces real work: a process or use-case map, a prioritised plan, and a fixed-price quote with a payback line that you keep whether or not you build. It is discovery, not a sales call.
What is a payback line?
It is the month at which everything the build has returned in cash covers everything it has cost. It is not the price divided by a monthly figure: nothing comes back during the three months it is being built, we credit nothing for the three after that while people are still learning it, and the running cost goes out throughout. A £20,000 build returning £4,000 a month from month seven, with £700 a month to run from month four, crosses in month thirteen rather than month five. We put a payback line on every build we scope.
Is there an ongoing cost after launch?
Only if you want one. Continuous Partnership is an optional retainer covering evals, monitoring, an SLA and new use-cases. Many clients take it; it is not required to keep your system running.
What if the proof of concept fails?
Acceptance criteria and any refund terms are agreed in the contract. If the proof of concept does not meet those criteria, we follow the agreed terms before proceeding.
Want a number for your project?
Book a discovery call and we will scope the first step, then come back with a fixed-price plan and a payback line. We respond within 24 hours.
Last updated: June 2026