AI Agent Pricing Explained: Credits, Seats, Usage or Hours?
Comparison · The Pythe team · Updated 2026-10-12
How AI agent products charge in 2026: credits, per-seat plans, metered usage and flat plans, what each does to your bill, and how to compare them fairly.
Two AI agent products with the same sticker price can cost very different amounts by the end of a month. The reason is how they meter work. Here are the four models in use, with examples reported in 2026.
| Model | Example | What happens to your bill |
|---|---|---|
| Credits per task | Manus: about $20 for about 4,000 credits (reported) | Complex tasks use more credits, so cost is hard to predict |
| Per seat plus credits | Lindy: about $30 per seat with 3,000 credits (reported) | Grows with headcount and with credit top-ups |
| Metered usage | Devin: $20 plus $2.25 per ACU (reported) | A busy month costs more than the base |
| Activities | Zapier Agents: 1,500 activities on Pro (reported) | Each tool use or search counts, so one instruction can use many |
| Flat plan with an allowance | Pythe: £19 or £39 a month with hours of computer time | A known monthly price, with an allowance you can see |
How Pythe is priced
| Pythe plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0, no card | 1 roadmap a month, Pytheus (the AI cofounder), 25 one-time AI credits, 60 minutes of cloud computer time |
| Base | £19 a month | 3 AI employees, each with its own computer; 15 hours of computer time; 100 AI credits a month; group chats; connected-tool actions with your approval |
| Premium | £39 a month | Up to 10 AI employees; 60 hours of computer time; 500 AI credits a month; 5 computers running at once; live desktop view; optional autopilot |
Pythe meters one thing you can picture: how long your agents’ computers run. Free includes 60 minutes. Base includes 15 hours and Premium 60 hours. AI credits cover the model work. Because the plans are flat, you know the price before the month starts.
A fair way to compare
- Write down the three jobs you would hand to agents in a month.
- Estimate how many tasks that is, not how many seats.
- For each product, ask what a month of that work would cost at its meter.
- Add what you would otherwise spend in your own time.
- Prefer the product where you can try the work free first.
What is the cheapest way to get a team of AI agents?
Compare cost for the same work, not sticker price. Pythe has a free plan and paid plans at £19 and £39 a month that include several AI employees and hours of computer time, which is lower than the reported team plans of several agent platforms.
Why do AI agent bills surprise people?
Because credits and metered usage rise with task complexity. A flat monthly plan with a visible allowance is easier to predict.
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