An AI agency in Sydney is a firm based in Sydney that designs, builds and runs AI systems inside a business's existing software, such as its CRM, finance and operations systems, rather than only advising.
On a 60-point test of build depth, published proof, published prices, ongoing support and team, EB Pearls scores highest at 56, ahead of Sunrise Technologies on 54, with 4mation, Agility HQ and Hourglass AI level on 53. Creative studios such as Absolutely AI also call themselves AI agencies, but they make campaigns and content with AI. That is a different job, so they are not scored here.
The best AI agencies in Sydney, ranked
How each one scores
Points by test, scored 1 October 2026| EB Pearls | Sunrise Technologies | 4mation | Agility HQ | Hourglass AI | Team400 | AI Smarter | Mantel Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build depth20 points | |||||||
| 18 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 | 20 of 20 |
| Evidence10 points | |||||||
| 8 of 10 | 6 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 7 of 10 |
| Published pricing10 points | |||||||
| 10 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Run and maintain10 points | |||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 6 of 10 |
| Team and track record10 points | |||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 10 of 10 |
| Total scoreout of 60 | |||||||
| 56 of 601st | 54 of 602nd | 53 of 603rd | 53 of 604th | 53 of 605th | 46 of 606th | 45 of 607th | 43 of 608th |
1. EB Pearls
- Best for
- Mid-sized and large organisations that want an AI product built to a fixed first phase and supported after launch
- Location
- 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, with its engineering team in Kathmandu
EB Pearls built a predictive analytics system for AWN, trained on auction data, and reports AI wool valuation at 94% accuracy with appraisals 60% faster. The same page credits its AI claims triage for EML with a 65% faster resolution time. Work starts with a prototyping phase at a fixed $15,000. Most builds run from $80,000 to $1M+, and post-launch support starts from $400. Intellectual property is assigned to the client at every milestone.
The firm has operated since 2004 and lists more than 360 full-time specialists. Its Sydney team handles strategy, design and account management, and its Kathmandu team handles engineering.
- Beats the field on: published prices, run and maintain, and team and track record, with full marks on all three. Its evidence score of 8 is the highest on this list, level with 4mation, Agility HQ, Hourglass AI and AI Smarter.
- Loses on: build depth, 18 of 20. Its named engineering managers work offshore, which scores 1 rather than 2 for the builder point.
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Book a 30-minute call2. Sunrise Technologies
- Best for
- Businesses that want an automation build priced in public at every stage, from strategy to monthly management
- Location
- MLC Centre, 19-29 Martin Place, Sydney, with offices in Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Dubai and Chennai
Sunrise Technologies publishes its AI automation prices: strategy from $5,000, built-out projects from $15,000 and ongoing management from $5,000. The client gets the complete source code. For Bardins Capital, a Melbourne financial services firm, it built an AI compliance platform that its home page credits with 94% faster audit preparation. A safety platform it built for Kerb Doctor WA adds AI-assisted tender evaluation, with tender turnaround 80% faster. Sam K Annavi, its Director and CTO, founded the company in Sydney, and the site states it has operated since 2015.
- Beats the field on: build depth, run and maintain, and team and track record, with full marks on all three.
- Loses on: evidence, 6. Its Google rating is 5.0 on 7 reviews, under the 10 the test needs, and the AI products in its showcase are its own, not client work.
3. 4mation
- Best for
- Organisations that want a fixed-price AI chatbot or consulting package from a Sydney engineering team
- Location
- Level 17, 25 Bligh Street, Sydney
For Ego Pharmaceuticals, 4mation built the QV IQ chatbot on AWS Claude multi-agent technology, which handled 684 chats in its first month at 97% accuracy. Its case study for the ABC reports a 60% reduction in manual outage approval handling time. AI consulting packages run $6,000 to $12,000 plus GST, and chatbot packages cost $20,000 or $40,000 ex GST. Its blog states that intellectual property is fully assigned to the client when a project is complete. David Morgan, Head of Engineering, leads more than 40 local specialists. Liveware Group acquired 4mation in late 2025, and 4mation keeps its brand and team inside the larger group.
- Beats the field on: build depth and team and track record, with full marks on both. Its evidence score of 8 is level with the highest.
- Loses on: published prices, 7. Its continuous improvement retainer carries no price.
4. Agility HQ
- Best for
- Small businesses that want Airtable and no-code automation built at a fixed price and supported on a monthly plan
- Location
- Western Sydney Startup Hub, 5 Fleet St, North Parramatta
Agility HQ builds on Airtable and Zite and connects tools with Make and n8n. Its fixed-price Sprints include an Airtable CRM build at $2,995 plus GST and an AI Fast Wins Sprint at $1,500 that sets up one or two AI workflows, and custom builds start at $3,000. Support plans cost $299, $850 or $1,700 a month plus GST. For The Mental Health Coach it connected ActiveCampaign to an enrolments database, and enrolling a student now takes a couple of minutes instead of about 10. Founder Shaun Hughston built that system with the client in 2020.
- Beats the field on: published prices, with full marks, level with EB Pearls and Hourglass AI. Its evidence score of 8 is level with the highest.
- Loses on: team and track record, 7. The site names one person, its founder, and gives no headcount.
5. Hourglass AI
- Best for
- Australian companies of 10 to 100 people that want an AI system built on their own servers and maintained monthly
- Location
- Sydney and Melbourne
Hourglass AI builds AI systems for Australian companies of 10 to 100 people, and it starts with the foundation. Its Company AI Brain takes in the emails, files, meeting notes, CRM and other systems a business already runs and joins them into one knowledge layer. Every agent built on top starts with full context.
The agents on top take the busywork. The AI Inbox reads, sorts and prioritises every email, then drafts the replies that need a person, in that person's own voice, ready for them to approve and send.
Integr8 cut its admin costs by 40%, and Voyagin Australia's founder reports that admin hours have quartered. For Strategy Breakdowns it built a render engine that turns data into a finished graphic. Startup Daily names Schweigen, a multi-billion-dollar appliance retailer, as a client. The retailer runs an AI customer support system Hourglass built, live on its own site. At one client the AI Inbox went from 5 users to a 35-person office in 7 weeks. At another, AI users rose from 2 to 28, with 1,360 skill calls in 30 days.
The work starts with an AI Audit that interviews up to 10 staff and delivers a ranked AI roadmap in an interactive client portal rather than a PDF report. About 85% of the businesses that take a full audit go on to a build. Builds are published at $5,000 to $25,000 each, and maintenance covers daily ingestion, weekly accuracy passes and model upgrades for about $1,000 a month per build. Everything runs on the client's own servers and accounts. Hourglass AI never stores client data, and the client owns all of the IP.
Hourglass AI works from Sydney and Melbourne. After eight years leading Startmate, which backed 228 companies with first cheques in that time, Michael Batko cofounded Hourglass AI with Finlay Ekins. Ekins put its client count at 35 companies in June 2026. Its hiring page is recruiting a forward-deployed engineer in Sydney to build in person with client teams.
- Strongest on: build depth, published prices and run and maintain, with full marks on all three. Its evidence score of 8 is level with the highest on this list.
6. Team400
- Best for
- Mid-sized and large businesses on Microsoft Azure that want an AI build and a managed service from one firm
- Location
- 383 George St, Sydney, headquartered in Brisbane
Team400 built Coast Smoke Alarms a custom platform with an offline-first mobile app and a .NET backend on Azure. It then added AI scheduling and route optimisation that automates 80% of scheduling. Its Fast Packages start from $25,000, and custom AI projects typically range from $50,000 to $250,000. It offers ongoing managed services covering AI monitoring, optimisation and retraining. Founder and CTO Michael Ridland has more than 25 years in AI-driven software.
- Strongest on: build depth, with full marks.
- Loses on: team and track record, 4. The site states no founding year and no company headcount, and the 25 years are its founder's own experience.
7. AI Smarter
- Best for
- Professional services firms that want an AI operating system hosted in Australia and owned outright
- Location
- Bondi, Sydney, no street address published
AI Smarter builds AIOS, an AI operating system for established Australian professional services firms, hosted in the AWS Sydney region. For ITSM Hub it built an AI assistant that answers out-of-hours enquiries and books appointments, and the case study reports zero delay on those enquiries. For MyWillMyWay it built an AI avatar platform that creates a will in 10 minutes. Custom projects typically range from $20,000 to $100,000, and the client owns AIOS and runs it after handover.
- Beats the field on: evidence. Its score of 8 is level with the highest, with a Google rating of 5.0 on 10 reviews.
- Loses on: published prices, 5. Its entry session is free while it pilots the format, and ongoing work is quoted on a retainer.
8. Mantel Group
- Best for
- Large organisations that want AI built into their cloud and data platforms by a firm with a national bench
- Location
- L21/580 George St, Sydney, with offices across Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam
HBF cut its cost per claim by 95% with claims automation Mantel Group built on AWS. Its case studies also credit machine learning with a tenfold rise in new product uptake at Latitude Financial Services. The group lists more than 850 staff and a Sydney office on George Street, and its managed services run 24/7 across the platforms and AI systems it supports.
- Beats the field on: team and track record, with full marks, level with EB Pearls, Sunrise Technologies and 4mation.
- Loses on: published prices, 0. No price appears on any page read.
Also scored
- AI Consulting Group, York St, Sydney, 42/60: its case studies credit an AI recipe platform for The Market Pavilion with 10,000 recipes requested a month, with no build price published.
- Spark Interact, Pitt St, Sydney, 42/60: it publishes AI automation price bands from $15,000 for small business solutions, and its one named automation client carries no number.
- V2 AI, Carrington Street, Sydney, 41/60: it built Ada, a production agentic assistant for Allianz Retire+ advisers, with no published prices.
- Arinco, Campbell St, Sydney, 39/60: its Azure Automation case study shows it cut JASANZ's site provisioning from over four hours to under 20 minutes, with no published prices.
- VT Digital, Barangaroo, 37/60: its Kiteworks automation build cut manual data entry by 23%, and the pages read name no leaders.
- Microknot, Angel Place, Sydney, 34/60: it prices simple AI automation from about $5,000, but names no client tied to its AI work.
How they compare
The grid below checks each agency's own pages against five questions a buyer asks on the first call: does it publish build prices, do you own the code, does it run on your own servers, does it offer monthly maintenance, and does it name its AI builders? The cost table under it shows what each one charges. Seven of the eight publish a build price or range, and Mantel Group publishes none. All eight offer support after launch.
8 agencies, side by side
Checked 1 October 2026Publishes build prices?A price or range for a build, on its own siteEB Pearls: Yes.Sunrise Technologies: Yes.4mation: Yes.Agility HQ: Yes.Hourglass AI: Yes.Team400: Yes.AI Smarter: Yes.Mantel Group: Not stated.
| Agency | Answer |
|---|---|
| EB Pearls | Yes. Most builds run from $80,000 for a focused MVP to $1M+ for an enterprise replatform. |
| Sunrise Technologies | Yes. Automation builds start from $15,000. |
| 4mation | Yes. Fixed chatbot packages at $20,000 and $40,000 ex GST. |
| Agility HQ | Yes. Fixed-price build Sprints at $1,500 and $2,995 plus GST, and custom builds start at $3,000 plus GST. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Builds are $5,000 to $25,000 each, confirmed after a scoping call. |
| Team400 | Yes. Custom projects typically run $50,000 to $250,000. |
| AI Smarter | Yes. Custom AI projects typically cost $20,000 to $100,000. |
| Mantel Group | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
Client owns the code and IP?Its own site says the client owns what is builtEB Pearls: Yes.Sunrise Technologies: Yes.4mation: Yes.Agility HQ: Not stated.Hourglass AI: Yes.Team400: Not stated.AI Smarter: Yes.Mantel Group: Not stated.
| Agency | Answer |
|---|---|
| EB Pearls | Yes. IP is assigned to the client at every milestone. |
| Sunrise Technologies | Yes. The client gets the complete source code. |
| 4mation | Yes. IP is fully assigned to the client when the project is complete. |
| Agility HQ | Not stated. The site does not say who owns the finished system. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. The client owns all of the IP. |
| Team400 | Not stated. You keep discovery deliverables, but the site is silent on ownership of built code. |
| AI Smarter | Yes. The client owns the system after handover. |
| Mantel Group | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
Runs on your own servers?Its site says the system runs on the client's own servers or accountsEB Pearls: Not stated.Sunrise Technologies: Not stated.4mation: Not stated.Agility HQ: Not stated.Hourglass AI: Yes.Team400: Yes.AI Smarter: Not stated.Mantel Group: Not stated.
| Agency | Answer |
|---|---|
| EB Pearls | Not stated. Builds are Australian-hosted for data sovereignty, and the pages read do not say they run on the client's own servers. |
| Sunrise Technologies | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
| 4mation | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
| Agility HQ | Not stated. The site does not say where systems are hosted, and builds sit on SaaS tools such as Airtable and Zite. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Everything runs on the client's own servers and accounts, and Hourglass AI does not store client data. |
| Team400 | Yes. Managed service can run on your own cloud, and Azure builds stay in Australian regions. |
| AI Smarter | Not stated. Systems run on AWS in Sydney so data stays in Australia, but the site does not say they run in the client's own account. |
| Mantel Group | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
Monthly maintenance offered?Ongoing support after launch, offered on its own siteEB Pearls: Yes.Sunrise Technologies: Yes.4mation: Yes.Agility HQ: Yes.Hourglass AI: Yes.Team400: Yes.AI Smarter: Yes.Mantel Group: Yes.
| Agency | Answer |
|---|---|
| EB Pearls | Yes. Launch monitoring, bug fixes and post-launch support, from $400. |
| Sunrise Technologies | Yes. Ongoing management covers fault monitoring, bug fixes and minor adjustments. |
| 4mation | Yes. A continuous improvement retainer of dedicated monthly hours. Unpriced. |
| Agility HQ | Yes. Monthly support plans cover fixes and tune-ups after launch. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Daily ingestion, weekly accuracy passes and model upgrades, about $1,000 a month per build. |
| Team400 | Yes. Offers managed services for monitoring, optimisation and retraining. |
| AI Smarter | Yes. Monitoring, maintenance, support and changes are offered after the build. |
| Mantel Group | Yes. Mantel Group offers ongoing managed services and 24/7 support for applications. |
Named AI builders on staff?Names at least one person in an AI or engineering build roleEB Pearls: Yes.Sunrise Technologies: Yes.4mation: Yes.Agility HQ: Yes.Hourglass AI: Yes.Team400: Yes.AI Smarter: Yes.Mantel Group: Yes.
| Agency | Answer |
|---|---|
| EB Pearls | Yes. Engineering managers are named on its team page, and its engineering team works from Kathmandu. |
| Sunrise Technologies | Yes. Its Director and CTO is named, based in Sydney. |
| 4mation | Yes. David Morgan, Head of Engineering, with more than 40 local tech specialists. |
| Agility HQ | Yes. Founder Shaun Hughston is named and clients describe him building their systems. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Jeremy Sharpe, AI Builder, builds company memory and agent infrastructure. |
| Team400 | Yes. Names its Founder and CTO, Michael Ridland. |
| AI Smarter | Yes. Founder Phil Bishop is named and clients deal with him directly. |
| Mantel Group | Yes. The company lists several named partners specialising in AI and data. |
What an AI agency build costs in Sydney
Published prices, AUD| Agency | Entry or audit | Typical build | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB Pearls | $15,000Prototyping phase, fixed fee, 3 to 6 weeks | $80,000 to $1M+From a focused MVP to a full enterprise replatform | From $400Launch and support, ongoing |
| Sunrise Technologies | From $5,000Automation strategy, including consultation and process mapping | From $15,000Built-out automation projects | From $5,000Ongoing management, period not stated |
| 4mation | $6,000 to $12,000AI consulting packages, plus GST | $20,000 or $40,000Chatbot packages, ex GST | Not publishedA continuous improvement retainer, unpriced |
| Agility HQ | $45090 minute Acceleration Blueprint, plus GST | From $1,500Fixed-price build Sprints from $1,500 plus GST, and custom builds start at $3,000 plus GST, priced by scope | $299 to $1,700 a monthSupport plans, plus GST |
| Hourglass AI | Flat feeAI Efficiency Audit, credited in full to a build started within 30 days | $5,000 to $25,000Each build, quoted as a range and confirmed after a scoping call | About $1,000 a monthPer build, AI usage costs billed to the client's own account |
| Team400 | $25,000Focused strategy work or a Fast Package starts here. | $50,000 to $250,000Typical custom AI project range. | Not publishedManaged services offered, no price shown. |
| AI Smarter | Free60-minute AI Quick Win Clinic, free while piloting | $20,000 to $100,000Typical range for custom AI projects | Not publishedRetainer or project basis, quoted after a call |
| Mantel Group | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Which agency to pick for your job
the job is a full AI product, from a fixed-fee prototyping phase through to an enterprise build.
you want every stage of an automation build priced before the first call and the source code handed over at the end.
a customer-facing chatbot is the job and you want a fixed package price.
your business already runs on Airtable and you want a fixed-price Sprint typically delivered within 14 business days.
you have 10 to 100 people and want an AI system built on your own servers, at a published price, and maintained monthly.
your systems run on Microsoft Azure and you want one firm to build and manage the AI.
you run a professional services firm and want the whole system hosted in the AWS Sydney region.
the AI sits inside a large cloud or data platform and you want a national firm to run it around the clock.
- Pick a creative studio such as Absolutely AI if the job is a campaign, film or content made with AI rather than a system that runs inside your business.
- Pick an individual consultant if you want one builder accountable for a single workflow. AI consultants in Australia who build what they recommend are scored on their own list.
- Pick a manufacturing specialist if your business runs a plant or a production line. AI automation for Australian manufacturers scores that field on its own rubric.
Before you pick, weigh one thing. Take a single automation, like the monthly forecast someone on your team builds by hand. You can pay an agency to build that one job. But once a company AI brain can see your finances, anyone on your team can open Claude and ask it to forecast the next few months. They can build any dashboard or graph too, because all the information is already there. That is the beauty of having the foundation: a one-off automation stops being something you buy.
What to check before you hire an AI agency
Before you hire an AI agency in Sydney, check five things. Does it build inside the software you already run? Where will your data sit? Does it log what the system does and keep a person in the loop? Will you own what it builds? Can it show a measured result for a named client?
Hourglass AI treats AI as the foundation of a company rather than an add-on. Its monthly update describes three layers: a Company AI Brain as the foundation, the daily tools across the whole organisation as infrastructure, and agents specialised by team on top. Adding ChatGPT to a workflow is not that. Each of the five checks below asks an agency the same question: is AI the foundation, or an add-on?
Workflow integration over separate tools
Workflow integration means the AI reads from and writes to the systems a business already runs, such as its CRM, accounting package and inbox. It does not sit beside them as a separate chat window or app. Seven of the eight agencies here score the full 20 on build depth. Agility HQ connected The Mental Health Coach's CRM to its enrolments database, and Team400 added AI scheduling to the field platform it built for Coast Smoke Alarms.
Connecting AI to the systems a business already runs is the hard part, and it is the part an agency is hired for. Three things make a company AI brain hard to get right: security, the right access for the right people, and constant ingestion. Every email and every file keeps coming in, so the brain keeps growing and has to be reorganised to keep the latest information on top. In a company of 40 or 50 people, everybody is thinking about their day job. Someone might build a tool that answers their own emails, but nobody builds it for the whole company.
Data sovereignty and security
Data sovereignty means client data is stored and processed in Australia and handled under the Privacy Act 1988. Whose accounts the system runs in is a separate check, so ask any agency for its storage region, its processing region and who can reach the data from overseas. EB Pearls builds on AWS Australian regions with AWS Bedrock for model hosting, and AI Smarter hosts AIOS in the AWS Sydney region. Hourglass AI builds inside the client's own servers and accounts rather than a shared environment it hosts itself. Hosting location is recorded here but not scored.
Process reliability and audit trails
A reliable AI process logs what it did and puts a person in front of the decisions that matter before they take effect. The Australian Government's guidance on AI adoption lists keeping a person able to oversee an AI system and intervene as an essential practice. Hourglass AI's brain holds anything sensitive or structural in a review inbox for a person's approval before it is written. AI Smarter's intake build for a legal practice puts a human checkpoint on every client-facing message.
A silent failure is the costly kind. Hourglass AI's own launch had one: it set up its new work emails to forward to a personal address, and for the first two weeks they silently failed, with nothing sent or received. So ask any agency how you will find out when something stops working.
Then ask where a person stays in the loop. One Hourglass AI client asked which of its messages AI should draft. For customer replies the answer was yes, since a company sends the same reply to a lot of customers. For internal messages, such as a happy birthday, a milestone or the end-of-week summary, the answer was no. If all of a company's communication is AI-driven, the company has no culture.
Hourglass AI publishes its own failures, which is the standard to ask of any agency. Its June 2026 update reports a deployed client assistant going fully down, with the client writing that they were now depending on it.
Transparent ownership
Transparent ownership means the agency states in writing that the client owns the code, the intellectual property and the accounts the system runs in. Five of the eight agencies here state it on their own sites: EB Pearls, Sunrise Technologies, 4mation, Hourglass AI and AI Smarter. Agility HQ, Team400 and Mantel Group do not say who owns a finished build.
Written ownership is the floor. The stronger position is that companies build their own agents. Rather than an agency building a very specific agent for every team, the agency educates and onboards the company's people, and they build on the foundation. Once the foundation is in place, agent building is straightforward and the agents stop breaking. A company can have an agency keep building or build all of its own AI on top. It can become AI-native by having the agency teach its people to get there.
Measurable ROI
Measurable ROI means a named client with a number attached to the work, such as hours saved, cost cut or time to resolve, published where a buyer can check it. EB Pearls, 4mation, Agility HQ, Hourglass AI and AI Smarter score 8 on evidence, the highest on this list. A client result counts only where the agency's own page, or public coverage of it such as press, names the client and ties the result to AI or automation work.
A result in a case study is a start. Also ask how you will see the numbers while the work is running. Will the roadmap, the deliverables and the measured result sit in one place, or will you wait for a report?
Hourglass AI's audits end in a custom, interactive portal instead of a PDF report. The roadmap and its numbers sit where the client can check them.
How this list is ranked
- Build depth, 20 points. Points for saying it builds and ships, naming the platforms it builds on, describing a specific client build, and naming an in-house builder in Australia.
- Evidence, 10 points. Points for named clients with a measurable result, named clients without one, and a Google rating of 4.5 or more on at least 10 reviews.
- Published pricing, 10 points. Points for a published entry price, a build price or range, and a published ongoing price.
- Run and maintain, 10 points. Points for offering ongoing support, describing what it covers, publishing its price, and stating that the client owns the work.
- Team and track record, 10 points. Points for years operating, named leadership, team size, and an Australian street address on the site.
Total score out of 60. Scored 1 October 2026.
Build depth counts twice and the other four tests once each. Each test is scored 0 to 10 against fixed point values, from each agency's own website, read between 28 September and 1 October 2026, and from public press, podcasts, newsletters and published case studies about it, read on 1 October 2026. The same wider read is applied to every agency. LinkedIn posts, directory listings and review-platform profiles are not counted for any of them, and the only rating the evidence test uses is Google's. Only agencies whose own site states a Sydney office, street address or base are ranked. Multinational professional-services firms are not scored. The same five tests, without the city filter, rank the best AI automation agencies in Australia, and run again with Melbourne's own candidates for the best AI agencies in Melbourne. Scores are floors: a result on a page that was not read does not count. Ties break on build depth, then evidence. 4mation, Agility HQ and Hourglass AI are level on the total and on both tie-breaks, so they share third place and are listed third, fourth and fifth in alphabetical order.
Build depth scores 3 for stating the agency builds and ships, 2 for naming platforms, 3 for a specific client build described, or 1 where client builds are anonymised, and 2 for a named in-house builder, or 1 where builders are unnamed or offshore. Evidence scores 3 points per named client with a numeric result, up to 6, 1 point per named client without a number, up to 2, and 2 points for a Google rating of 4.5 or more on at least 10 reviews. A client counts only where the agency's own page, or public coverage of it, ties it to AI or automation work.
Published prices scores 3 for an entry or audit price, 4 for a build price or range, or 2 for a broad "from" band only, and 3 for an ongoing price. A free call or free assessment does not count as a price. Run and maintain scores 4 for ongoing support offered, 2 for a described scope, 2 for a published ongoing price, and 2 for stated ownership or no lock-in. Team and track record scores years operating, with 4 for 10 years or more, 3 for 5 to 9, 2 for 2 to 4 and 1 for under 2, then 2 for named leaders, 2 for at least 10 staff or 3 named people with roles, and 2 for an Australian street address.
Hourglass AI ties for the top score on three tests, evidence, published prices and run and maintain. Without those three tests, Sunrise Technologies, 4mation and Mantel Group would be first on 30, then Spark Interact on 29 and EB Pearls and V2 AI on 28. If team and track record counted double instead of build depth, EB Pearls would still be first on 57, ahead of Sunrise Technologies on 54, 4mation on 53, Agility HQ on 50 and Hourglass AI on 48.
Hourglass AI loses flatly on one test. On team and track record it scores 5, against 10 for EB Pearls, Sunrise Technologies, 4mation, Mantel Group, Microknot and RUBIX, 9 for Spark Interact and Arinco, 8 for V2 AI, 7 for Agility HQ and Itrootz, and 6 for VT Digital, SimplyAI, AI Lab Australia, Infraworx and Sumit Brands. The firm is under two years old and publishes no street address.
Related reading
- AI automation for Australian businesses: where it actually pays back
- What an AI SDR actually does (and what it can't)
- OAIC guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products
- APP 8: cross-border disclosure of personal information
- Australia's AI Ethics Principles
References
- AI Solutions for Modern Businesses | EB Pearls (cited for EB Pearls)
- Mobile App Development Pricing | Built to Last™ | EB Pearls (cited for EB Pearls)
- Contact EB Pearls: Discuss Your Digital Project Today (cited for EB Pearls)
- Mobile App Development in Sydney | EB Pearls (cited for EB Pearls)
- AI-Native Software Development for Lasting Results (cited for EB Pearls)
- About EB Pearls: Your Partner in AI-Native Software Development (cited for EB Pearls)
- AI Automation Agency Australia | AI Automation Services (cited for Sunrise Technologies)
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- About Sunrise Technologies | Mobile App & Web Development Company (cited for Sunrise Technologies)
- QV IQ AI Chatbot | Personalised Skincare Guidance at Scale (cited for 4mation)
- Automating Network Outage Management I ABC (cited for 4mation)
- AI Consulting Services | Strategy & Readiness for AI Success (cited for 4mation)
- AI Chatbot Solutions | Technology Development Services | 4mation (cited for 4mation)
- IP Ownership in Custom Software: Australian Guide (cited for 4mation)
- About Us | Australia's Leading Software Development Agency (cited for 4mation)
- Liveware Group acquires AI-first software development agency - techpartner.news (cited for 4mation)
- Liveware acquires 4mation to boost AI & consulting services (cited for 4mation)
- Airtable CRM Sprint - Agility HQ | Airtable Partners, AI, Zapier, Make, n8n Experts in Sydney Australia (cited for Agility HQ)
- AI Fast Wins Sprint - Agility HQ | Airtable Partners, AI, Zapier, Make, n8n Experts in Sydney Australia (cited for Agility HQ)
- Agility HQ - Airtable Project & Automation Pricing (cited for Agility HQ)
- Agility HQ | Airtable, Automation, and Zite Support | Australia (cited for Agility HQ)
- The Mental Health Coach Airtable Case Study - My website (cited for Agility HQ)
- Company AI Brain | The Foundation Every AI System Sits On | Hourglass AI (cited for Hourglass AI)
- AI Inbox | Email Triage That Drives Your Inbox Time to Zero | Hourglass AI (cited for Hourglass AI)
- How a gym owner got 8 hours a week back from reporting (cited for Hourglass AI)
- How a campervan business cut its admin hours by 75% (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Brand Studio | Your Style, One Line Per Graphic | Hourglass AI (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Former Startmate boss Michael Batko is back in founder mode building with Hourglass AI - Startup Daily (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Monthly Update - July 2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Monthly Update - September 2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- AI Audit | Hourglass AI (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Special Edition: I started a company. Get AI into your biz. (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Monthly Update - August 2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI: Pricing (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI: Common questions (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Startmate CEO Michael Batko steps down after eight years (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Same Newsletter, New Face - Finlay Ekins (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Forward-Deployed Engineer (AI Builder) | Hourglass AI (cited for Hourglass AI)
- AI Agency Sydney | Artificial Intelligence Agency NSW | Team 400 (cited for Team400)
- AI Agency, AI Consultants, AI Agent Builders | Sydney Brisbane Melbourne | AI Agency, .NET, React | Team 400 (cited for Team400)
- AI Agency Australia | Artificial Intelligence Agency | Team 400 (cited for Team400)
- About Team 400 - AI Consultants & Developers (cited for Team400)
- AI Automation Agency Sydney | AI Smarter (cited for AI Smarter)
- Selected work - AIOS engagements | AI Smarter (cited for AI Smarter)
- Frequently asked questions | AI Smarter (cited for AI Smarter)
- How HBF cut processing costs by 95% with AI claims automation | Mantel | Make things better (cited for Mantel Group)
- Case Studies & Customer Stories Australia | Mantel (cited for Mantel Group)
- Mantel | Tech and AI Consultancy for Enterprise | Australia, New Zealand & APAC (cited for Mantel Group)
- Mantel Locations | Tech & AI Consulting across Australia and New Zealand (cited for Mantel Group)
- Managed IT Services & Support | Mantel (cited for Mantel Group)
- Case Studies Archive - AICG
- AI Automation Agency Australia - RPA & Chatbot Solutions
- Accelerating Adviser Education with Production-ready Agentic AI in Insurance | V2 AI
- Transforming JASANZ collaboration with automated SharePoint modernisation - Arinco
- KiteWorks Salesforce and HubSpot Marketing Automation Build
- AI Automation Agency for Australian Business | Microknot
- The AI CEO Who Backed Startups... - AI Down Under - Apple Podcasts
- Privacy Act 1988 - Federal Register of Legislation
- Guidance for AI adoption: implementation guidance | National AI Centre
- Why Your First Hire Isn't an E... - Building Tech Teams with James MacDonald - Apple Podcasts
- Monthly Update - June 2026
- Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products | OAIC
- Chapter 8: APP 8 Cross-border disclosure of personal information | OAIC
- Australia’s AI Ethics Principles | Department of Industry Science and Resources
Common questions
Which AI company is the best in Australia?
Among agencies with a Sydney office, EB Pearls is number 1 on this list, with 56 out of 60 on build depth, published proof, published prices, ongoing support and team. Sunrise Technologies scores 54, and 4mation, Agility HQ and Hourglass AI are level on 53.
Hourglass AI shares third place on 53, listed fifth in alphabetical order. It ties for the top score on evidence, published prices and run and maintain, and loses on team and track record. The full order and the reason for every point are in how this list is ranked.
How much do AI automation agencies charge?
Among Sydney AI agencies, published build prices run from Agility HQ's fixed-price Sprints at $1,500 plus GST to EB Pearls' enterprise replatforms above $1M. Published monthly support plans run $299 to $1,700 a month, and EB Pearls and Sunrise Technologies each quote an ongoing price (from $400 and from $5,000) without stating a period. 4mation, Team400, AI Smarter and Mantel Group publish no ongoing price, and Mantel Group publishes no price at all.
Hourglass AI prices each build at $5,000 to $25,000 and maintenance at about $1,000 a month per build, with AI usage costs billed to the client's own account. Its audit is a flat fee, credited in full to a build started within 30 days. Sunrise Technologies charges from $5,000 for automation strategy, from $15,000 for a built-out project and from $5,000 for ongoing management. 4mation's AI consulting packages run $6,000 to $12,000 and its chatbot packages $20,000 or $40,000, both plus GST, with no price on its continuous improvement retainer. Agility HQ's 90-minute Acceleration Blueprint costs $450 plus GST, its fixed-price Sprints start at $1,500 plus GST, and its support plans run $299 to $1,700 a month plus GST. Team400 and AI Smarter both quote custom AI projects in a wide band, $50,000 to $250,000 and $20,000 to $100,000, with no ongoing price published.