“AI subscription costs only $20 per month” – sounds cheap, right? Many entrepreneurs think exactly that when buying standard plans from global providers for their teams.
The problem appears only after a few weeks of use.
Suddenly it turns out that limits are too low, employees complain about “technical breaks”, and the actual cost of AI in the company is several times higher than expected.
Let’s check how much public cloud AI really costs in a company – and whether there’s a better alternative.
Standard Subscription: Apparent Savings
Market Price: $20/month (€18)
At first glance, a great offer. But the devil is in the details:
Typical Limits in Standard Plans:
- E.g., 40 queries every 3 hours to premium models
- Daily limit for intensive use
- No availability guarantee – during peak hours the service may be slower
- No priority access in the base price
What Does This Really Give You?
Let’s assume an employee works 8 hours a day:
- 40 queries / 3 hours = maximum ~13 queries per hour
- That’s an average of 1 query every 4-5 minutes
Sounds good? Let’s see how this looks in practice.
Case Study: Marketing Agency (5 Employees)
An agency buys 5 standard cloud subscriptions:
- Monthly cost: 5 × ~$20 = ~$100
What Happens in Practice?
Week 1: Everything’s great. Employees are thrilled.
Week 2: The copywriter complains that “it’s not working again” – exceeded the limit in the middle of the day.
Week 3: The graphic designer wants to analyze a client brief but has to wait for access to unlock.
Month 2: The company buys additional “backup” accounts for employees who regularly exceed limits.
Actual cost: 8 accounts × ~$20 = ~$160/month
And there are still access interruptions.
Cloud Team Plan: More Expensive, But Still Limited
Market Price: ~$25-30/user/month
Team plans usually offer:
- Higher limits (but still limited)
- Shared workspace
- Optional training opt-out
For a 5-person team:
Monthly cost: 5 × ~$30 = ~$150
Problem? Still limits. Still no full control. Still data goes to servers outside the EEA (usually the US).
Corporate Enterprise Plan: No Limits, But at What Price?
Enterprise plans are often the only option without strict query limits, but:
- Price undisclosed – negotiated individually
- According to industry sources: minimum $60/user/month
- Often requires minimum 50-100 users
- Annual contracts
For a small team (5 people):
Theoretically: 5 × $60 = $300/month In practice: Often unavailable for small companies due to minimum license requirements.
For a medium company (50 people):
50 × $60 = $3,000/month = $36,000/year
And that’s just the starting point for negotiations.
Hidden Cloud Costs Nobody Talks About
1. Cost of Downtime
When an employee hits the limit and has to wait:
- Hour of specialist work: ~$25-50
- Downtime: lost productivity
2. Mental Cost of “Limit Management”
Employees must:
- Check how many queries they have left
- Plan when to use AI and when not to
- Wait for access to unlock
This is not an efficient work environment.
3. GDPR Risk Cost
Data on servers outside the EEA:
- Potential fines: up to €20 million or 4% of annual turnover
- Audit and security implementation costs
4. Lack of Cost Control
Global operators can change pricing at any time:
- You have no guarantee of price stability in the long run
PrivatAI.pl: Predictable Costs, Zero Limits
Let’s look at the alternative:
Freelancer/Solo Plan
€16/month net (~€20 with VAT)
✅ 1 user ✅ Unlimited queries – zero downtime ✅ 24/7 access – no peak hours ✅ Document analysis – no size limits ✅ Data in Europe – GDPR compliant
For whom: Freelancers, one-person companies, solo entrepreneurs
Small Team Plan (RECOMMENDED)
€57/month net (~€70 with VAT)
✅ Up to 5 users ✅ Unlimited queries ✅ 24/7 access ✅ Document analysis ✅ Priority processing ✅ Fast deployment
For whom: Small companies, agencies, startups, law firms
Cost Comparison: Public Cloud vs PrivatAI.pl
Scenario 1: Freelancer / 1 Person
| Solution | Cost/month | Limits | EU Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Subscription | ~$20 | Yes (e.g. 40/3h) | ❌ |
| PrivatAI Solo | €20 | Unlimited | ✅ |
Verdict: Similar price, but PrivatAI.pl gives unlimited access and data security.
Scenario 2: Small Team / 5 People
| Solution | Cost/month | Limits | EU Data | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Subscription (5 accounts) | ~$100 | Yes | ❌ | Frequent |
| Standard Subscription (realistic 8 accounts) | ~$160 | Yes | ❌ | Frequent |
| Cloud Team Plan | ~$150 | Higher, but exist | ❌ | Rare |
| PrivatAI Small Team | €70 | Unlimited | ✅ | Never |
Verdict: PrivatAI.pl is 2x cheaper than Cloud Team Plans and has no limits.
Scenario 3: Medium Team / 20 People
Let’s assume 20 people regularly use AI:
| Solution | Cost/month | Cost/year | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Subscription (20 accounts) | ~$400 | ~$4,800 | Yes |
| Cloud Team Plan (20 accounts) | ~$600 | ~$7,200 | Yes |
| Enterprise Plan | ~$1,200+* | ~$14,400+ | No |
| PrivatAI (4× Small Team) | €280 | €3,360 | No |
*Estimated market price – Enterprise requires individual negotiations
Verdict: PrivatAI.pl costs ~40-75% less than competitors and has no limits.
What Do You Get with PrivatAI.pl That You Don’t Have in Public Cloud?
1. Zero Query Limits
You don’t have to count how many times a day you use AI. Work without restrictions.
2. Data Stays in Europe
Full GDPR compliance. No legal risks associated with data transfer outside the EEA.
3. Predictable Costs
You pay a fixed monthly amount. No surprises, no hidden fees.
4. No Downtime
Public clouds can be overloaded during peak hours. PrivatAI.pl works 24/7 without interruptions.
5. European Support
Got a problem? You get support in your language.
6. Scalability
Team growing? You add more accounts at predictable costs.
Real Story: Content Marketing Agency
Agency “ContentPro” (name changed) used standard cloud subscriptions for a year:
Original plan:
- 6 copywriters × ~$20 = ~$120/month
Reality after 3 months:
- 6 basic accounts + 4 “backup” = ~$200/month
- Copywriters still complain about limits
- During deadlines AI is unavailable (peak hours)
After switching to PrivatAI.pl:
- 2× Small Team Plan = €140/month
- All 6 copywriters + 4 backup people (10 total) have access
- Zero limits, zero complaints
- Savings: approx. $60/month (+ elimination of downtime)
Calculators: Check How Much You Can Save
Your team has:
3 people:
- Cloud Subscription: ~$60/month
- PrivatAI Solo (3×): €60/month
- You gain: No limits, EU data
5 people:
- Cloud Subscription: ~$100/month (realistically ~$160)
- PrivatAI Small Team: €70/month
- You save: approx. $30-90/month
10 people:
- Cloud Subscription: ~$200/month
- Cloud Team Plan: ~$300/month
- PrivatAI (2× Small Team): €140/month
- You save: approx. $60-160/month
20 people:
- Cloud Team Plan: ~$600/month
- PrivatAI (4× Small Team): €280/month
- You save: approx. $320/month = $3,840/year
Summary: Public Cloud or PrivatAI.pl?
Choose Public Cloud if:
- You’re testing AI as a hobby
- You don’t process sensitive or corporate data
- You accept limits and downtime
Choose PrivatAI.pl if:
- ✅ You want unlimited access to AI
- ✅ You care about data security (GDPR)
- ✅ You need predictable costs
- ✅ You don’t want to manage limits and wait for unlocking
- ✅ You’re looking for a solution for a team (not just yourself)
Don’t Overpay. Test PrivatAI.pl.
Before you buy another cloud subscription for your team, check how much you’ll really save with PrivatAI.pl:
- 🇪🇺 Data in Europe – full GDPR compliance
- 🚀 Zero limits – work without restrictions
- 💰 Lower costs – save even $300+/month
- 🔒 Full control – your data, your rules