Market data and deal flow · No. 11 / 13
What should a bounded pilot cost—and what commitment are you really making?
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Separate a short evaluation period from the contract term. The following arithmetic uses published prices, not negotiated quotations or recommended package combinations.
Calculations dated 16 October 2026; taxes, staff time and separately agreed costs excluded.
| Budget item | Calculation | Result and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| OtterlyAI Standard, three monthly billing periods | $189 × 3 | $567 base subscription; required engine add-ons extra. (otterly.ai) |
| Scrunch Starter, three month-to-month periods | $300 × 3 | $900 base subscription. (scrunch.com) |
| Scrunch Starter annual-billing equivalent | $250 × 12 | $3,000 annually, not a $750 three-month cancellable purchase. (scrunch.com) |
| WebFX entry package over its stated minimum term | $3,000 × 6 | $18,000 of stated-term fees, even if the buyer reviews progress earlier. (webfx.com) |
| Omniscient’s published starting rate over three months | $10,000 × 3 | $30,000 arithmetic illustration only; availability of a three-month engagement was not verified. (beomniscient.com) |
Do not automatically add a separate monitoring subscription to an agency proposal: WebFX, for example, already includes visibility software in its offer. Confirm what is included and whether the buyer retains access to underlying evidence. (webfx.com)
What should the approval checklist contain?
The desk recommends these gates before committing budget:
- Problem: document the repeated shortlist gap or accuracy issue, rather than a single screenshot.
- Coverage: approve the buying questions, engines, locations and collection schedule.
- Evidence: require separate mention, citation and recommendation measures, with raw-answer access.
- Action: name the person responsible for technical, content or communications changes.
- Economics: record total contractual commitment, internal effort and overlap with existing retainers.
- Review: agree in advance what would justify continuation, rescoping or stopping.
A supplier’s activity report should not be the sole renewal criterion. Ask whether its work produced usable evidence, completed agreed implementation and supported a better commercial decision.
Sources cited on this page
- otterly.ai otterly.ai/pricing/
- scrunch.com scrunch.com/pricing
- webfx.com www.webfx.com/seo/pricing/ai-seo/?utm_source=openai
- beomniscient.com beomniscient.com/blog/best-ai-marketing-agencies/
- webfx.com www.webfx.com/seo/pricing/ai-seo/