Insights · Comparison · June 2026 · 8 min read
How to compare AI agencies in Australia: the questions that matter
Since 2025, marketing agencies, IT firms and management consultants across Australia have started selling "AI consulting", and from the outside they look alike. Below are the five questions that separate them, the red flags to watch for, and how NOYS answers the same questions.
By Ed Steward, NOYS · June 2026
The question to ask is "what exactly is written down before I sign?" An agency that can't answer it has no real accountability for delivery.
The five questions to ask every Australian AI agency#
1. Do you publish your pricing?
Of the four Australian AI consultancies we checked in September 2026, none published a starting price. A published price tells you what the first step costs before you give up any time. If an agency won't tell you what it costs before a call, ask why.
2. What is the specific deliverable?
Ask for a written scope of what will be delivered, and in what form. "AI implementation" is too vague to hold anyone to. A scope reads more like this: "One tool that connects to your Xero and sends automated document chasing emails to clients at defined intervals until an invoice is paid, live in your production environment and tested against real data".
3. What happens if the outcome isn't what was agreed?
This is the most revealing question. Ask for the answer in writing. NOYS puts two guarantees in writing. If The Delete List doesn't find you 20 hrs per month, we refund the $999. Anything we build for you is live within 14 days, or we refund you. We also agree the scope and acceptance criteria in writing before the Build starts, so everyone knows what "done" means. If an agency won't put the scope in writing, they're not accountable for what gets delivered.
4. Who owns what's built?
AI automation can be built in two ways: in tools you own and control, or in tools the agency controls. If the automation runs in the agency's systems, you are dependent on them to keep it running. If it runs in n8n on your own server, or in Zapier on your own account, you own it. Ask for both the access and the documentation.
5. What ongoing costs are required?
Ask about: what the automation tools used cost to run, API costs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.), monitoring and maintenance fees, and whether the tool will stop working if you stop paying the agency. NOYS quotes the Concierge (two 45-minute working sessions a month plus direct access between calls) in your report and gives you full access to what we build, so you can manage it yourself if you choose.
Red flags to watch for#
- No published pricing, pricing only available after a sales call.
- Vague deliverables, "AI implementation" or "AI strategy" without a specific output.
- No written scope, deliverables are "estimated" not committed.
- Agency-controlled tools, automation runs on their accounts, not yours.
- Long retainers signed before any automation has been proved.
- Strategy-first, implementation-optional: you pay for advice with no prices and no hours attached.
How the NOYS model compares#
| NOYS | Typical AU AI agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | ✓ $999 for The Delete List; builds and Concierge quoted in your report | ✗ Request a quote |
| Specific deliverable | ✓ 3–7 tools in a written report, any build quoted at a fixed price | ✗ "AI implementation" or "AI strategy" |
| Written scope agreement | ✓ Agreed in writing before the Build starts | ✗ Estimated scope, nothing written down |
| Tool ownership | ✓ Runs on accounts you control | ✗ Often agency-controlled platforms |
| Written guarantee | ✓ 20 hrs per month found, or your money back. Live within 14 days, or we refund you | ✗ Rarely offered |
| Starting price | ✓ $999 (The Delete List, credited toward any build) | ✗ Often $10K+ minimum |
Common questions.
How do I compare AI agencies in Australia?
Compare five things: whether they publish a price, what exactly they deliver, whether the scope and the meaning of "done" are written down before you sign, who controls the tools afterwards, and what it costs to leave. Of the four Australian AI consultancies we checked in September 2026, none published a starting price.
What is the average cost of an AI agency in Australia?
Highly variable. Large consultancies: $50,000–$250,000+. Boutique agencies: $10,000–$50,000 per project (hourly billing, rates rarely published). Fixed-price specialists like NOYS: $999 for The Delete List (our AI audit), then builds and Concierge quoted at a fixed price in your report. With a fixed quote, you know the cost before you commit.
Should I use an Australian AI agency or an offshore one?
An Australian agency already knows the local software (Xero, MYOB, Employment Hero), the rules that apply (Privacy Act, AHPRA, AFSL, NCCP) and how Australian industries run their workflows. If your workflows touch regulated processes or Australian-only software, that saves you explaining it and lowers the risk of a build that breaks the rules.
Ask NOYS the same five questions.
A sentence is enough. We'll reply with a time for a free 15-minute call.
He replies within one working day.