Guide · CRM & customer operations
HighLevel's free AI explained: who still pays?
Some HighLevel AI tools are included. Others still cost money. Here is how staff, client logins and usage limits affect the bill.
HighLevel now includes some AI use in its paid plans. Some tools have no extra charge for agency staff. That is useful. It does not mean every person can use every AI tool for free. The bill depends on three things: which tool you use, who signs in and how much they use it.
What HighLevel actually says
In its October 27 Founder Plan guide, HighLevel says: "AI assistants are free on every HighLevel plan." Think of a phone plan. Some things come with the monthly bill. Other things cost extra. Here, free means certain AI tools come with a paid plan.
There is a real change behind the news. HighLevel is ending its old $20 agency AI Assistant plan. It will stop renewing at the end of the current billing cycle. Agency staff keep their included access. Existing AI Employee plans are not being canceled.
Sources: HighLevel Founder Plan guide, updated October 27, 2026 · HighLevel agency AI Assistant plan retirement, updated October 28, 2026
The person signing in matters
An agency user is a person on the agency's team. A sub-account user is a client using their own login. HighLevel treats these users differently, even inside the same client account.
Here is a made-up example. You run an agency and build a plumber's website through your agency login. Your AI Studio use may fit within your included allowance. Later, the plumber signs in through their client login to change the site. That use may need a paid AI plan or a usage charge.
Same tool. Same client account. Different person signing in. Different billing rules.
Sources: HighLevel agency and client AI billing, updated October 27, 2026
Which tools are included?
HighLevel's October 28 pricing page makes this split. Included tools still have usage limits.
| Tools | Agency staff | Client users |
|---|---|---|
| Ask AI, AI Studio, Creator Studio and Content AI | Included | Paid plan or usage charges |
| Funnel/Website AI, Email AI, Calendar AI and Layout AI | Included | Included |
| Knowledge Base and Workflow AI Builder | Included | Included |
Sources: HighLevel AI Product Pricing, updated October 28, 2026
Customer chat and phone agents still cost money
Conversation AI handles customer chats. Voice AI handles calls. Reviews AI helps reply to reviews. Managed Agents run tasks. HighLevel lists these as paid products.
AI Employee Growth costs $50 a month per client account. Unlimited costs $97. You can also pay based on use. Phone charges are still separate. Building a workflow with AI also does not make every AI action inside that workflow free.
Sources: HighLevel AI Product Pricing, updated October 28, 2026
There is still a $20 client plan
The old $20 agency plan and the $20 client plan are different products. The client plan is called AI Employee Starter. It gives a client account included access to Ask AI and AI Studio.
It costs $20 a month per client account. Your agency must be on the $497 Founder plan to offer it. That price is on top of the agency plan. It is one option, not a required fee for every client.
Sources: HighLevel AI Employee Starter plan, updated October 28, 2026 · HighLevel agency AI Assistant plan retirement, updated October 28, 2026
Included access has a limit
AI Studio tracks use in rolling five-hour periods. That is a moving window, not a new daily balance at midnight. A larger site, more images or more rounds of changes can use more of your allowance.
When you use up your allowance, access can pause. If Extra Usage is turned on, you can keep going at paid usage rates. Hosting an app is a separate cost too. There is a free entry tier, with charges for higher cloud tiers.
Sources: HighLevel AI Studio Pricing, updated October 27, 2026
No client card does not mean no bill
A client may be able to use Ask AI or AI Studio without adding a payment card. If that use creates a charge and client rebilling is not active, the agency wallet pays. The wallet is the agency's balance for usage fees.
A spending alert alone does not stop more use. To stop billable use at a set amount, turn on a spending limit and choose Block AI at the limit. Check each client's settings.
Sources: HighLevel agency and client AI billing, updated October 27, 2026
Does running your own AI tool save money?
Start with the bill you would actually pay. If your agency already has included AI use, that use has no extra charge within its limits. A client who needs a paid tool faces a different choice.
For a fair DIY check, count the model bill, hosting, setup and upkeep. Then compare the same job for the same number of users. Make a list of what each route includes before you compare the price.
Sources: HighLevel Founder Plan guide, updated October 27, 2026 · HighLevel agency AI Assistant plan retirement, updated October 28, 2026
Before you promise a client free AI
Check four things first.
- Who will use it: your staff or the client?
- Which exact AI tool will they use?
- What happens when the included use runs out?
- Who pays for extra use?
Sources: HighLevel agency and client AI billing, updated October 27, 2026 · HighLevel AI Studio Pricing, updated October 27, 2026
Sources & further reading
- HighLevel Founder Plan guide, updated October 27, 2026
- HighLevel AI Product Pricing, updated October 28, 2026
- HighLevel agency and client AI billing, updated October 27, 2026
- HighLevel AI Employee Starter plan, updated October 28, 2026
- HighLevel AI Studio Pricing, updated October 27, 2026
- HighLevel agency AI Assistant plan retirement, updated October 28, 2026