AI Lead Generation Bot: Build vs Buy Guide for Startups

The Lead Gen Bot Spectrum

Level	What It Does	Cost	Setup Time
Level 1: Form Capture	Pop-up, email capture	$50-500/month	Same day
Level 2: Chatbot	Qualification questions, scoring	$300-2k/month	1-3 days
Level 3: AI Chat Agent	Natural conversation, CRM integration	$5k-8k pilot | $20k-35k prod	6-8 days
Level 4: Voice Agent	Outbound/inbound calls, qualification	$7k-9k pilot | $28k-40k prod	6-10 days

Build vs Buy Decision Framework

Buy Off-the-Shelf If:

• Simple use case (email capture, basic qualification)
• Budget under $5k
• Need live today
• Standard qualification questions
• Low volume (<1,000 leads/month)
• Text chat is sufficient

Platforms to Consider: Drift, Qualified, Intercom, HubSpot Chat

Build Custom If:

• Complex qualification logic (industry-specific)
• Budget $5k+
• Voice conversations needed
• Deep CRM integration
• High volume (1,000+ leads/month)
• Unique workflows
• Competitive advantage (your process is your edge)

Cost Comparison: Real Examples

Example 1: SaaS Startup (Early Stage)

Scenario: 200 website visitors/day, simple qualification

Drift: $1,200/month → Year 1: ~$14,500

Custom AI Chat: $25k production → Year 1: ~$31k

Winner: Drift (volume doesn't justify custom)

Example 2: Real Estate Brokerage

Scenario: 500 leads/month, need voice calls to qualify

Drift: Can't do voice

Custom Voice Agent: $32k → Year 1: ~$42k

Winner: Custom (only option for voice)

ROI: Replaced 2 FTE phone reps ($80k/year), payback in 6 months

Example 3: B2B Enterprise Software

Scenario: High-ticket ($100k+ ACV), complex qualification

Qualified: $2,400/month → Year 1: ~$29k

Custom: $45k → Year 1: ~$53k

Winner: Depends on volume

ROI Model: If custom increases qualification by 10% → 200 extra qualified leads/year → 40 extra deals → $4M revenue → 75x ROI

Platform Options: Off-the-Shelf

Drift

• Cost: $2,500/month (Pro)
• Best for: B2B SaaS, inbound chat
• Pros: Fast setup, ABM features, Salesforce integration
• Cons: No voice, expensive at scale

Qualified

• Cost: $3,500/month
• Best for: Enterprise, Salesforce-heavy
• Pros: Sales-first, signals, routing intelligence
• Cons: Expensive, Salesforce-centric, no voice

Intercom

• Cost: $499/month
• Best for: Support + sales hybrid
• Pros: Affordable, good CRM integrations
• Cons: More support-focused, no voice

Custom Build: What You Can Do

Voice Agent (Outbound)

Use Case: Call leads to qualify, book meetings

How It Works:

1. Lead comes in (web form, ad, list)
2. AI calls within 5 minutes
3. Asks 7-10 qualification questions
4. Handles objections, books if qualified
5. Logs to CRM, notifies sales rep

Cost: $7k pilot | $30k-35k production

ROI: Replaces 1-2 FTEs, 24/7 availability, 60-80% qualified by AI

Voice Agent (Inbound)

Use Case: Answer incoming calls, qualify, route

Cost: $6k-7k pilot | $28k-32k production

ROI: After-hours coverage, reduced phone staff, 100% answer rate

AI Chat Agent (Website)

Use Case: Website chat, intelligent qualification

Cost: $5k-7k pilot | $22k-28k production

ROI: Better qualification, higher engagement, 24/7 availability

ROI Calculation Framework

Formula: Annual Value = (Leads Qualified × Close Rate × ACV) - Total Cost

Example: B2B SaaS

Inputs:

• Leads/month: 500
• Bot qualifies: 70% (350/month vs human 40% = 200/month)
• Extra qualified: 150/month = 1,800/year
• Close rate: 15%
• Deals from bot: 270/year
• ACV: $25k

Revenue from bot: $6.75M/year

Costs: $50k (Year 1)

ROI: 134x

Voice vs Chat for Lead Gen

Choose Voice If:

• High ACV (>$25k)
• Personal touch matters
• Complex sale (B2B, multiple stakeholders)
• Older demographic (prefer phone)
• Outbound required

Choose Chat If:

• Lower ACV (<$10k)
• Younger demographic (prefer text)
• Simple qualification
• Inbound only (website visitors)
• Budget-conscious

Key Takeaways

• Buy platforms for simple use cases (<$5k budget, basic qualification)
• Build custom for voice, complex logic, high volume
• Voice agents: ROI 3-6 months (replace FTEs)
• Chat agents: ROI 6-12 months (incremental revenue)
• High ACV justifies voice investment
• Pilot first ($6k-9k) before production commitment