AI media buyer vs agency vs doing it yourself: what each one costs
Short answer
An agency usually charges 10 to 20% of your monthly ad spend, often with a minimum fee of $750 to $1,500, so the bill climbs as your budget does. Doing it yourself costs no management fee but takes hours every week, and a freelancer bills for those hours instead. An AI media buyer like Lazy Ads charges a fixed monthly fee ($99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually, on Starter) that does not change with spend.
In every option, your media budget is a separate cost paid to the ad networks.
The cost comparison
| Agency | Freelancer | Do it yourself | AI media buyer (Lazy Ads) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | % of ad spend, flat retainer, or a hybrid | Hourly | Your own time | Fixed monthly fee |
| Typical public range | 10–20% of spend; minimums of $750–$1,500/mo; flat retainers $1,000–$3,000/mo for small and mid-size accounts | Hourly; surveyed providers $50–$200/hr | No management fee; 10–20 hours to learn, then several hours a week | Starter $99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually; BYOA $24/mo, or $19/mo billed annually |
| Does the fee rise with spend? | Yes on % deals | Only if hours rise | No, but your hours do | No |
| Extra costs to ask about | Setup, tracking, creative, landing pages may be quoted separately | Scope beyond agreed hours | Mistakes while learning | Plan spend caps (Starter up to $3,000/mo spend) |
| Where the media goes | The ad networks | The ad networks | The ad networks | The ad networks |
Sources for every figure are in the verify log below. Ranges are published market ranges, not quotes.
What an agency costs
Most agencies bill as a percentage of what you spend. Pitchsite's 2026 guide puts it at "10–20% of monthly ad spend with a minimum floor of $750–$1,500." That floor matters most for small budgets: AdBot points out that an agency advertising 15% "often also has a $1,000 or $1,500 monthly floor," so a $3,000 spender pays far more than 15% in practice.
Flat retainers exist too. AdBot cites $1,000 to $3,000 a month for small and mid-size accounts. A survey summarized by Cresto Digital found retainer minimums "frequently sat between $1,000 and $3,000."
Read the scope line on any quote. Setup, tracking, creative production and landing pages are often priced separately.
Some agencies will not take you at all below a certain size. Pitchsite notes that "most boutique agencies won't take on accounts spending less than $2,500–$5,000/month in ad spend."
What a freelancer costs
A freelancer bills by the hour. In a PPC pricing survey cited by Cresto Digital, many providers charged $50 to $200 per hour.
Your monthly bill is the rate times the hours you agree on, so ask for a fixed monthly hour cap in writing.
What doing it yourself costs
The main cost is your time. AdBot estimates "10 to 20 hours learning the basics, then several hours every week on the ongoing work": search terms, negative keywords, new ad copy, bids, budgets and reading the data.
To price DIY honestly, multiply those weekly hours by what an hour of your time is worth to the business. That number belongs in the comparison even though no invoice shows it.
What an AI media buyer costs
Lazy Ads is a fixed monthly fee and never takes a percentage of your ad spend. Your media budget stays with Meta, Google, TikTok and the other networks you connect.
- Starter: $99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually. Lazy Ads AI builds strategy, copy, targeting and campaigns, with up to $3,000/mo in ad spend.
- Growth: $249/mo, or $199/mo billed annually, up to $20,000/mo in ad spend.
- Scale: $399/mo annually ($499 monthly), unlimited ad spend.
- BYOA: $24/mo, or $19/mo billed annually. Your own agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Hermes or any MCP client) runs the strategy; Lazy Ads is the bridge and dashboard, with no Lazy Ads AI.
Every paid plan covers nine networks: Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Apple, Bing, ChatGPT and Snapchat. Free covers onboarding and browsing public competitor ads. Full details are on pricing.
For how other AI ad tools bill, including ones that take a cut of spend, see how AI ad tools charge.
When each option fits
Pick an agency when the account is complex, spans many channels, and you want a senior strategist who is accountable for it. At higher spend the fee is a smaller share of the budget, and good human judgment on offers, creative and tracking can earn it back.
Pick a freelancer when you want a person on the account but your budget is below agency minimums. You get human judgment at a known hourly cost.
Do it yourself when your budget is small, your setup is simple and you have the hours to learn. You also build skills that stay with the business.
Pick an AI media buyer when you want campaigns built and managed across several networks without a fee that grows with spend. Lazy Ads is software, not a team: it will not run a brand workshop or shoot your creative. If that is what you need, an agency is the better buy.
FAQ
How much does an ad agency charge per month?
Published ranges put most agencies at 10 to 20% of monthly ad spend, usually with a minimum of $750 to $1,500 a month. Flat retainers for small and mid-size accounts commonly run $1,000 to $3,000 a month. Ad spend is paid on top.
Is it cheaper to run ads yourself?
There is no management fee, but you pay in time: roughly 10 to 20 hours to learn, then several hours a week. Whether that is cheaper depends on what those hours are worth to you.
How much does a freelance PPC manager cost?
Freelancers bill hourly. In one PPC pricing survey, many providers charged $50 to $200 an hour.
Does Lazy Ads take a percentage of my ad spend?
No. Lazy Ads is a fixed monthly fee. Starter is $99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually, and BYOA is $24/mo, or $19/mo billed annually. Your media budget goes straight to the ad networks.
Which ad networks does Lazy Ads run?
Nine: Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Apple, Bing, ChatGPT and Snapchat, on every paid plan.
When is an agency worth it over software?
When the account is complex or multi-channel and you need human strategy, creative direction and accountability. Software runs campaigns; it does not replace a strategist.