How much does a recommendation system cost?
A recommendation system typically costs about $1,850. Half of the 67 priced job posts we tracked fall between $560 and $4,700, and one in ten reaches $16,100 or more.
Band: 25th to 75th percentile of fixed budgets and hourly estimates. Line: median.
Key facts
- Typical cost: $1,850, with the middle half of posts between $560 and $4,700.
- That is 26% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
- Work expected to take under a month has a median of $780, against $450 for over six months.
- Fixed-price median $560; hourly estimate median $4,700.
- Hourly rates mostly run from $22 to $55 an hour.
- Most requested skills: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Python.
What the build includes
A recommendation system suggests products or content to each user based on behaviour and item data, to lift engagement or order value.
A typical scope
- Event tracking
- Item and user features
- A ranking model
- An API serving recommendations
- A/B testing
What drives the cost
Work expected to take under a month has a median of $780, against $450 for over six months. Part of that gap is built in, because hourly estimates are calculated from expected length. Fixed-price posts state a median of $560, while hourly posts work out at $4,700 on our estimate: 8.4 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work.
| Expected length | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 month | $780 | 13 |
| 1 to 3 months | $3,500 | 42 |
| 3 to 6 months | $23,400 | 5 |
| Over 6 months | $450 | 7 |
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a lower median ($1,300) than intermediate ones ($2,900). Seniority alone does not explain the price here. 46% of posts ask for experts.
| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | Too few posts | 2 |
| Intermediate | $2,900 | 30 |
| Expert | $1,300 | 35 |
What moves the price most
- Catalogue size and traffic
- Real-time versus daily updates
- How much behavioural data already exists
Cost by industry
| Industry | Median cost | Middle half | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | $1,700 | $500–$4,700 | 65 |
Skills and hourly rates
The skills named most often in these posts are Artificial Intelligence (35%), Machine Learning (34%), Python (34%) and Data Science (16%). Read this as the working stack for this kind of build, and as a checklist when assessing who should do it.
Hourly posts for this work typically offer $22 to $55 an hour, the middle half of posted rates. The median top of the range is $40 an hour across 33 hourly posts. These are rates in the open freelance market: agencies and in-house teams usually cost more.
Who is buying
46% of posts ask for expert-level talent. Buyers are most often based in the United States, India and the United Kingdom, with 32% in the United States. Among posts that state a company size, 97% come from companies of up to 10 people. A typical post draws about 11 applicants.
What to check before you commit
- Confirm you have enough traffic for the model to learn
- Start with a simple baseline to beat
- Measure revenue impact with a controlled test
Where the demand is
The countries with the most buyers for this build. Each page shows how that market compares.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a recommendation system cost?
A recommendation system typically costs about $1,850. Half of the 67 priced job posts we tracked fall between $560 and $4,700, and one in ten reaches $16,100 or more. That is 26% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
How long does a recommendation system take?
20% of posts expect the work done in under a month, 63% in one to three months and 17% over a longer stretch. Work expected to take under a month has a median of $780, against $450 for over six months.
Why do estimates vary so much?
Fixed-price posts state a median of $560, while hourly posts work out at $4,700 on our estimate: 8.4 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work. Scope matters most: catalogue size and traffic and real-time versus daily updates move the price the most.
What hourly rate should I expect?
Most hourly posts offer $22 to $55 an hour, with a median top rate of $40. Agencies and in-house specialists usually charge more than the open freelance market.
What skills does this work need?
Posts most often ask for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Python and Data Science.
Do I need an expert?
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a lower median ($1,300) than intermediate ones ($2,900). Seniority alone does not explain the price here. 46% of posts ask for experts.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 67 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 34 fixed budgets as stated and 33 hourly posts we costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They are what buyers offered, not signed contract prices.
About this data
These figures come from 67 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 34 fixed budgets as stated, and 33 hourly posts costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They show what buyers offered, not signed contract prices, and hourly figures assume the work runs its full length. Read the method
Cite this page. The AI Build Index. "Recommendation system: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/recommendation-system
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