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AI content is 4.7x cheaper than human content [+ New Research Report]
![AI content is 4.7x cheaper than human content [+ New Research Report]](https://i1.wp.com/ahrefs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AI-in-Content-Marketing-Social.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "AI content is 4.7x cheaper than human content [+ New Research Report]")
Jun
We examined 879 marketers to understand how generative artificial intelligence changes content marketing: work flows, costs, results … and risk.
In this article, we look specifically at the costs and budgets related to the content of AI. How much does AI content cost? Do companies invest more or less?
Read the full test report
Download and read the full PDF report here (does not require e -mail): state AI in content marketing.
It includes additional research and analysis of the performance and costs of AI content, comments from a dozen content of AI content and experts and a full research methodology.
Download here.
- The content generated by AI is 4.7x cheaper than the content written by man.
- Average cost on the blog generated by AI to USD 131, compared to USD 611 for posts written by people.
- Companies using AI I average $ 2,475 per month on the contentCompared to USD 2442 for users from outside AI.
- 51% of companies plan to augment their expenses on the content generated by AI.
- On average, companies simply spend USD 188 per month for AI tools.
- 38% of respondents report saving money on writers because of AI adoption.
- 64% of companies spend less than USD 500 per month for AI content tools.
We asked respondents how much they spend to create one blog post. It is not surprising that the content created by AI is much cheaper than the content written by man.
At the lowest end of the spectrum, 87% of AI users reported the cost of USD 0–100 for a blog post, compared to 39% of users from outside AI.
At the highest level of 11% of users outside AI, expenses greater than USD 1000 per post on a blog, compared to only 2% of AI users. 4% of users from outside AI report expenses over USD 5,000 for a blog post.
We used central points for each range to calculate the approximate average weighted cost. In the case of content generated by AI, the average cost amounted to USD 131; In the case of content created by people, it was USD 611, i.e. $ 4.7x.
| How much do you pay for the average blog post? | And | In AI |
|---|---|---|
| USD 0-100 | 87.15% | 39.02% |
| USD 101–500 | 8.52% | 30.49% |
| $ 501,000 | 2.23% | 19.51% |
| USD 1 001–2000 | 1.26% | 3.66% |
| USD 2 001–3000 | 0.42% | 2.44% |
| $ 3 001–4000 $ | 0.28% | 0.00% |
| $ 4 001–5000 USD | 0.14% | 1.22% |
| $ 5 001 USD+ | 0.00% | 3.66% |
Regardless of whether they operate AI, our respondents spend the same amount on content marketing strategies.
The average monthly expenses for content marketing were almost the same in AI and NI-AI segments: 2475 USD and USD 2442, respectively.
Considering the reduced marginal cost of AI content and the increased frequency of publishing it enables, it suggests that AI content is primarily a means of reducing costs, enabling companies to publish more content with the same budget-in the scope of the scope of radically up-to-date or different content strategies.
In the further distribution of data by the company’s size, the operate of artificial intelligence seems to save the most money for the smallest (micro) and the largest (enterprise):
What experts think
“It is fascinating that companies using artificial intelligence do not necessarily spend less – they produce more with the same budget. Although we are still in a challenging budget environment, companies are still investing to go from the constant struggle of creation to focus on strategy, audience insight and measuring the actual business impact. We saw the same at the focus – we saw in the bonfire. Q1, because we think that there are economics of scale for operate, which we could not generate before.
“One way to read this data: content budgets are similar to AI and NI-AI.
It is not surprising that almost none of our respondents plan to reduce their expenses on AI content.
More than half of the respondents plan to augment expenses for AI in the following year (17% “increases significantly” and 34% “growth”). 43% plans to maintain their expenses, while only 6% plan to reduce expenses (5% “decrease” and 1% “significantly reduces”).
Grouping of data by company size, Micro (1-9 employees) is the most likely that enterprises (over 1000 employees) will shorten their expenses:
AI tools are extremely budget-friendly. Almost two -thirds of our survey respondents (64%) spend less than USD 500 per month on content tools.
At the low end of the spectrum 47% of respondents reported the issue of USD 1-100 on AI tools per month, and 15% spent USD 101–250. Only 2.6% of respondents spend over USD 1000 per month.
By using the central points of each range, we can calculate the estimated average weighted expenses USD 188 per month.
What experts think
Generative artificial intelligence was partly so destructive due to its low cost. We have access to the Freemium Saas product, which can write articles, generate code and create images. API connections also become cheaper and cheaper, so even advanced users with complicated work flows can access artificial intelligence in the range of very low prices.
AI content assistant from Ahrefs
We have built a content tool that uses artificial intelligence in the right way: AI content assistant.
Ai content Helper marries human creativity with AI performance and AHREFS’s competitive intelligence. It has been designed to assist the content and SEO teams in scaling their production production and improving their search rankings – without sacrificing human creativity and skills.
AI content assistant functions include:
- Creating AI content. Ask the latest AI writing to write paragraphs, fill in the gaps in content and edit and improve the content of the articles.
- Content evaluation. Get the optimization of searching for content (and competitors) from 0-100 and get the recommendations for improving optimization for the target keyword.
- Subject optimization. Utilize artificial intelligence to identify “gaps on topics”: there is a lack of information to add to your article to answer their questions and Google Ranking of your content.
- Many intentions. Many Serp contains many intentions, so AI’s content helps you choose the exact articles you want to compare with.
- Competition observations. See the results of content, number of words, recommending domains and more for competitors’ articles, along with the full HTML of every competitive page-ideal page to see how the best articles are written.
Start with the AI content assistant or learn more here.
Although it seems possible that the AI content goes on the market for writing independent, our data suggest that the content of AI is far from wholesale exchange.
When asked how much money saved AI users a month, the most common response (45%) was that it was so NO saving money.
38% of respondents reported a reduction in expenditure on writers and independent writers as a result of the reception of AI. Only a very compact percentage (2.99%) reported saving over USD 5,000 per month.
The most frequently reported savings have fallen in the range of USD 1-500 and USD 501–1,000. By using the central points of each range, we can calculate the estimated weighted average saving $ 603.
What experts think
“AI has no replacement of content teams here – it is here to make them more effective, innovative and strategic.
Brands that invest in AI training will now have a clear competitive advantage, producing high -quality content faster while maintaining the authenticity and voice of the brand. “
“Something that we have seen in generative artificial intelligence is that it can unlock up-to-date types of consumer demand, instead of simply replacing the existing demand. So far, searching for artificial intelligence seems to be additive for conventional search – and the same can be true in the case of access to content marketing.
Do you want to find out how marketers operate artificial intelligence to create content or how good is in relation to the content written by people?
You can download and read our full PDF report HERE (does not require E -Mail): Artificial intelligence in content marketing.
![AI content is 4.7x cheaper than human content [+ New Research Report]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AI-in-Content-Marketing-Social.jpg "AI content is 4.7x cheaper than human content [+ New Research Report]")
