How much does AI document extraction cost? build and running costs

The short answer

A tool built for your document types starts at $500 and takes 1–3 weeks. After that, the AI model charges per page — usually a few cents, depending on the model and the length of the documents. A tool that processes a thousand pages a month typically costs tens of dollars a month to run.

How AI extraction works

1. Documents arrive — uploaded, emailed to a mailbox or dropped into a folder.
2. Scans and photos go through text recognition first.
3. The AI reads each document and returns the fields you need: supplier, date, totals, tax, line items.
4. Rules check the result — for example that line items add up to the total.
5. Doubtful values are flagged on a review screen next to the original.
6. Approved data goes to Excel, Google Sheets, a CRM or a database.

What drives the price

• Document types and how much their layouts vary.
• Scans and photos or clean digital PDFs.
• Where the data goes — Excel, Google Sheets, a CRM or a database.
• A review screen where the team checks results before saving.
• Volume and speed — a few documents a day or thousands at once.

Running costs per page

Example: an accounting firm processes 1,000 invoices a month, two pages each. At a few cents per page, the AI costs come to tens of dollars a month, plus a small server. Compare that with the hours someone spends typing the same invoices by hand — the difference usually decides the question.

How accuracy is checked

Before quoting, I run two or three of your documents (with personal data hidden) and show you the result. Then the tool gets rules that catch mistakes — totals that don't add up, dates in the future, missing tax numbers — and a review screen for anything uncertain. You see exactly how much checking the finished tool needs.

Ready-made services or a custom tool?

Ready-made extraction services work well for standard invoices and receipts and charge per page or per month. A custom tool makes sense when your documents vary a lot, the data must land in your own system in a specific format, or the documents must not leave your servers.

How a project goes

1. You send two or three sample documents with personal data hidden.
2. I run them through the AI and show what it extracts and where it struggles.
3. You get a fixed price and a timeline, usually 1–3 weeks.
4. The tool is built and tested on a larger set of your documents.
5. A one-week pilot on real daily work, then launch and a short guide for the team.

Examples

• Accounting: supplier invoices and receipts into a monthly spreadsheet per client.
• Recruitment: resumes into the agency's template — see the resume formatting tool.
• Logistics: waybills and CMRs into the dispatch system.
• Tenders: requirements and criteria from long documents, as in Tender View.

Questions