Original research
The AI Tax, as a database
“AI included” means four completely different things on an invoice. This tracks which one each vendor actually means — filter by billing model to see who bundles AI free and who meters it by the credit.
| Tool | Category | AI feature | Billing model | What it means on your invoice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Conferencing | AI Companion | Bundled free | Included free on all paid plans | |
| Video Conferencing | Gemini AI notes | Bundled free | Folded into paid Workspace editions, no separate fee | |
| Video Conferencing | AI Assistant | Bundled free | Built-in noise removal, highlights & transcription on paid plans | |
| Team Communication | AI search, recaps, translation | Bundled free | Folded into Business+ tier; separate paid AI add-on discontinued Aug 2025 | |
| Team Communication | Copilot | Flat add-on | ~$18/seat/mo (promo price) on top of your base plan | |
| Project Management | AI credits | Metered | Bundled into every tier but capped — 1,000 credits on Basic, up to 3,000 on Pro | |
| Project Management | Brain / Brain2 | Flat add-on | Separate paid add-on — ~$9/seat, or “Everything AI” bundle ~$28/seat | |
| Project Management | AI Studio | Metered | Credit-based, embedded in workflows, starting near 50,000 credits/mo | |
| CRM Platforms | Breeze AI agents | Metered | Moved from flat inclusion to outcome/credit-based pricing in 2025–2026 | |
| CRM Platforms | Agentforce for Sales | Flat add-on | Included only in Max ($550/user/mo); a paid add-on from $125/user/mo on Core and Advanced; not offered on the Free, Starter or Pro Suites | |
| CRM Platforms | AI report/email drafting | Flat add-on | Gated behind Premium+ tiers | |
| Customer Support | AI resolutions | Metered | $0.99 per AI resolution — pure pay-per-use | |
| Customer Support | AI resolutions | Metered | Per-resolution AI bundled into opaque per-tier allowances | |
| E-Signature & Document Workflow | Intelligent Agreement Mgmt + Iris AI | Not published | New 2026 suite; full pricing breakdown not yet public | |
| E-Signature & Document Workflow | — | No major AI push | No major AI push disclosed as of this writing | |
| Cold Email & Sales Engagement | AI Reply Agent + AI Sales Agent | Metered | Included on mid/high tiers, credit-gated at scale | |
| Cold Email & Sales Engagement | AI reply/sales agent | No major AI push | Not positioned as a core feature | |
| Sales Engagement (Enterprise) | Omni conversational agent | Custom quote | Seat + AI-credit hybrid pricing, custom quote only | |
| Sales Engagement (Enterprise) | Sales Strategist Agent | Custom quote | Per-seat, custom quote only |
No rows match those filters.
How to read the four billing models
- Bundled free — AI is included in the plan you already pay for. The cost is real but hidden: it usually arrives as a higher base price at renewal rather than a line item.
- Flat add-on — a predictable per-seat surcharge. Easy to budget, and easy to underestimate when it applies to every seat rather than the few people who use it.
- Metered — billed by credit, resolution or action. This is the model that produces surprise invoices, because consumption scales with your customers' behaviour rather than your headcount.
- Custom quote — AI pricing is negotiated. Expect a seat-plus-credit hybrid and no published rate card.
Method
Each row records what a vendor publishes about AI pricing at the time of research, cross-checked against the comparison page where the tool is covered. Where a vendor does not publish AI pricing, the row says so rather than estimating — “not published” is a finding, not a gap. The narrative version of this research lives in The AI Tax.