How to Calculate the ROI of Your AI Agents

The ROI of an AI agent is calculated simply: (Cost of Chaos - Cost of the Machine) / Cost of the Machine. In practice, a well-targeted AI agent delivers an average ROI of +400% to +900% and pays for itself in 1 to 3 months. The key: identify a repetitive task, time its human cost, and compare with the cost of automation.

It’s the killer question at board meetings: “Your robots are nice and all, but how much do they actually bring in?”

In 2023, companies launched AI projects for “innovation.” In 2026, they launch them for profitability. If your AI agent project doesn’t pay for itself within 6 months, it’s poorly designed.

But how do you put a precise number on “time saved” or “better customer experience”? Grab your calculators - we’re doing math (simple math, promise).

The Magic ROI Formula

Forget the complex formulas from big consulting firms. For an automation project using AI Agents, here’s the only equation that matters:

ROI = (Cost of Chaos - Cost of the Machine) / Cost of the Machine

1. The Cost of Chaos (What You’re Currently Spending)

That’s the cost of the human doing the repetitive task. Formula: (Hours spent/month) x (Employee’s loaded hourly rate).

2. The Cost of the Machine (What AI Costs You)

That’s the total of: Software subscription (Make/n8n + Claude/OpenAI API) + Maintenance (1h/month).

To calculate your ROI in 2 minutes, use our AI ROI Calculator.

Real-World Example: The Customer Service Case

Let’s take an SMB, “Socks & Co.”

BEFORE AI (The Chaos)

• Sophie, Customer Success Manager, spends 3 hours per day answering “Where’s my order?” questions.
• Sophie’s loaded hourly cost: 40 euros.
• Monthly “Chaos” cost: 3h x 20 days x 40 euros = 2,400 euros/month.

AFTER AI (The Machine)

• Set up an AI Agent connected to Shopify (a conversational agent solution).
• Tool costs (Make + Claude API): 150 euros/month.
• Sophie’s supervision time (checking logs): 2h/month = 80 euros.
• Total Machine cost: 230 euros/month.

THE RESULT

• Gross savings: 2,400 euros - 230 euros = 2,170 euros saved per month.
• ROI: +943%.
• Bonus: Sophie recovered 60 hours per month to do upselling and call VIP customers.

The “Invisible” Gains (That Are Worth Gold)

The calculation above only accounts for “Hard ROI” (direct savings). But AI also delivers “Soft ROI”:

1. Scalability: If tomorrow you have 1,000 more orders, Sophie is overwhelmed. AI doesn’t sleep. It absorbs the spike without asking for overtime.
2. Speed: A customer who gets their answer in 30 seconds buys. A customer who waits 24 hours goes to the competition.
3. Data: AI structures everything. You know exactly why people contact you (something Sophie doesn’t have time to document).

Watch Out for Hidden Costs (Let’s Be Honest)

For your business case to be credible, don’t forget to include:

• Initial Setup: Building the agent takes time. Budget 2 to 5 person-days or an external service.
• Maintenance: An API that changes, a prompt that goes off the rails… AI isn’t “Set and Forget.” Plan for maintenance budget.

That’s why at Node6, every agent is delivered with documentation and maintenance included. It’s a product, not a prototype.

How to Present This to Your Management

Don’t say: “Let’s add AI, it’s cool.” Say: “We’re currently spending 28k euros per year answering basic questions. I propose we cut that to 3k euros and reallocate 25k euros of human time to sales.”

That will get the CFO’s attention.

Conclusion: The Cost of Inaction

In 2026, not automating means voluntarily choosing to be less profitable than your competitor. To start small and measure your first gains, begin with simple tasks like those described in our guide for Solopreneurs or for Recruitment.

Your Turn Take ONE repetitive task from your team. Time it for a week. Multiply by 52. That’s your budget for your first agent. Or use our ROI Calculator directly.