# How much does a recommendation system cost?

_The AI Build Index, published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. USD._

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.

## 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 it includes

A recommendation system suggests products or content to each user based on behaviour and item data, to lift engagement or order value.

- 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 |

| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry level | Too few posts | 2 |
| Intermediate | $2,900 | 30 |
| Expert | $1,300 | 35 |

- Catalogue size and traffic
- Real-time versus daily updates
- How much behavioural data already exists

## Breakdown

| Industry | Median cost | Middle half | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| E-commerce | $1,700 | $500–$4,700 | 65 |

## Skills and 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

## 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.

## Source

The AI Build Index. "Recommendation system: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/recommendation-system

Method: https://aibuildindex.com/methodology