WorkplaceAI Gizmos & Gadgets

Build vs. Buy: What a Custom Automation Actually Saves You

Stitching together two or three point-solution subscriptions adds up faster than it looks, and someone still has to maintain the connections between them. Enter what you're paying for off-the-shelf tools and see where a one-time custom build breaks even. Every calculation is shown below, so you can check the math.

Your off-the-shelf costs

Number of tool subscriptions — to cover this one workflow

Average monthly cost per tool — subscription price per seat or plan

Hours per month keeping tools connected — re-authing Zaps, fixing broken syncs, manual gap-filling

Fully-loaded hourly labor cost — whoever owns keeping this running

Time horizon to compare over — months

Off-the-shelf cost over your horizon

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Subscriptions (all tools, full horizon)$0

Maintenance labor (full horizon)$0

Maintenance hours (full horizon)0

Choose a custom build tier

These map to WorkplaceAI's actual Automation Workshop pricing. Pick the closest fit, or enter your own estimate below.

Connect Two Automations

From $500

Custom Workflow Build

From $2,000

Department Automation Design

From $5,000

Custom build cost (one-time) — adjust to your actual quote

Modeled saving over your horizon

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Show the math

Subscriptions = — Maintenance = — Off-the-shelf total = — Custom build (one-time) = — Saving = Off-the-shelf total − Custom build = —

Why maintenance labor is here: The subscription price is rarely the real cost of a multi-tool stack. Someone re-authenticates broken Zaps, chases down a sync that silently failed, and manually bridges the gap when two tools don't talk to each other cleanly. A custom build collapses that into one workflow you don't have to maintain across vendor boundaries.

Seeing a number worth acting on? WorkplaceAI's Automation Workshop builds exactly this: A custom workflow to your specification, tested and delivered as a working automation, not another subscription to maintain.

Inquire About Custom Automations →

This calculator is an estimate, not a quote. It uses only the numbers you enter. Actual results depend on your specific tools, workflow complexity, and how much manual maintenance your current stack really requires. WorkplaceAI shows the full formula above so you can check every step yourself.