💸 Cost comparison

Akus vs a marketing agency

The honest version: what you actually get, what it actually costs, and when a real agency is still the better call.

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Quick answer
A typical Australian marketing agency retainer runs $2,000–$5,000/month, takes 1–2 weeks to turn around a single request, and usually locks you into a 6–12 month contract. Akus is $50/month (or $500/year), generates a website, social posts, emails, ads, blog content, and Google review management in minutes, and you can cancel any time. The trade-off: an agency can do bespoke strategy and one-off creative work that software can't — Akus is built for ongoing, consistent execution, not a rebrand.
Side by side

What you actually get

AkusMarketing agency
Cost$50/month or $500/year$2,000–$5,000/month
Setup timeLive in 60 seconds2–4 weeks onboarding
Turnaround per requestInstantDays to weeks
ContractNone — cancel any timeUsually 6–12 months
Website includedYes, built and hostedOften a separate quote
Social posts, emails, adsUnlimited, personalised to your businessLimited by your monthly hours
SEO & Google reviewsIncluded — schema, rank tracking, real reviewsUsually a separate retainer
Bespoke brand strategyNot really Akus's jobYes — this is what agencies are for
A human who knows your businessNot yetYes, if you've got a good account manager
The honest take

Where an agency is still right

If you're about to raise a Series A, rebrand a 30-year-old business, or need someone to walk into a boardroom and defend a campaign strategy — hire an agency. That's genuinely not what Akus does, and any product that claims otherwise is overselling itself.

What most local businesses actually need month to month isn't strategy — it's consistent execution: a website that doesn't rot, social posts that go out on schedule, reviews that get responded to, and blog content that keeps showing up in Google. That's the part agencies charge $2,000+/month to do manually, and it's exactly what Akus automates for $50.

Who each is for

Pick based on what you actually need

⚡ Akus is right if you...

  • Run a local business or Shopify store and need marketing to just happen
  • Don't have $2,000+/month to spend before you've even started
  • Want a website live today, not in 3 weeks
  • Are fine with software doing the work instead of a human account manager

🏢 An agency is right if you...

  • Need a full rebrand, not just ongoing content
  • Have a marketing budget in the tens of thousands
  • Want a dedicated person managing a complex, multi-channel campaign
  • Are running paid media at real scale and need hands-on optimisation

Try the $50 version first

7 days free, no credit card. If it's not enough, you've lost nothing — and you'll know exactly what an agency needs to actually deliver to be worth the difference.

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