AgentLabs

Comparison

Choosing an AI agency: the questions to ask, and where we fit.

Most 'best AI agency' lists are written by the agency that ranks itself first, and this one is too, so read it that way. What it tries to do instead is help you choose: the real options described by their own public positioning, the questions worth asking before you sign, and a plain statement of where AgentLabs is not the right choice. If you are comparing shortlists, it should save you time either way.

What to look for

  • Do you own it afterward?

    When the engagement ends, does your team run and maintain the system, or does it keep depending on the vendor? Ask who holds the code, the models, and the documentation.

  • Is it maintainable?

    A demo runs while its builder is in the room. A system keeps running after. Ask what is documented, monitored, and tested, not just what was shipped.

  • Can leadership see cost and value?

    Ask whether you will see what a workflow costs to run and what it returns from the first week, or only a project invoice at the end.

  • Is a human in the loop by design?

    For work that carries risk, ask where a person stays accountable and where agents only assist. Fully autonomous is not always the goal.

  • Is it governed and auditable?

    Ask what the system enforces rather than recommends: who signs off, what gets logged, and whether you could show an auditor what an agent did and who approved it. Governance depth varies widely, and a policy document is not a gate.

  • Do the same seniors scope and build?

    Ask whether the people who scope the work are the people who build it, or whether it is handed to a separate delivery team after the sale.

  • Entry offer, speed, and pricing?

    Most studios lead with a named scan or audit and a stated duration; some publish fixed prices, most scope per engagement. Know which you are dealing with before the first call.

The main options

The Automation Group

Utrecht

Positions itself around building 'the AI Operating System of your organisation'; states 12 enterprise logos and 50+ AI projects in production, with published depth on governance: compliance tooling, per-agent token and cost monitoring, and EU AI Act guidance.

Entry offer
Free consultation.
Pricing
Not published.
Best for
Buyers who want an established Utrecht studio with a broad logo wall and a similar operating-system framing.

Codelevate

Amsterdam

Leads with measurable ROI on AI automation, and offers a 'no ROI, no cost' guarantee.

Entry offer
Free AI-audit.
Pricing
Fixed-price framing, not a public menu.
Best for
Buyers who want a results guarantee and fast, measurable automation in the MKB.

Crux Digits

Nieuwegein

Custom AI development; states the client owns the code, models, and documentation.

Entry offer
A paid AI Audit (states €2,500).
Pricing
Published fixed steps (states roughly €2.5k audit, €20k POC, €50k+ build).
Best for
Buyers who want published fixed prices and explicit ownership terms up front.

Aanloop AI

Rotterdam

An 'AI bureau' that leads on price and speed for smaller businesses.

Entry offer
Live demo and AI-scan, with a fast live date (states 'live in 7 werkdagen').
Pricing
Fully published menu (states from around €497/mo).
Best for
Smaller businesses that want a low monthly price and a quick launch.

Xebia

Netherlands / global

Enterprise consultancy that ships a platform it calls 'Agentic OS', with a broad partner ecosystem.

Entry offer
Enterprise engagement, not a fixed scan.
Pricing
Enterprise, not published.
Best for
Buyers who want a big-brand platform product and a broad partner ecosystem behind it.

Valcon

Netherlands / EU

Runs a managed agentic-AI service (Meridian) built around 'gradual ownership transition'; states that handover includes the governance framework.

Entry offer
Managed-service engagement.
Pricing
Enterprise, not published.
Best for
Enterprises that want a managed service with an explicit transition path.

Where AgentLabs fits.

We are the right choice when a workflow is complex, valuable, and currently held together by manual handoffs, and you want to own a maintainable system afterward rather than depend on whoever built it. Strategy and implementation are done by the same senior people, so there is no gap between the plan and the build. Company size is not the filter: we work with scale-ups and enterprises alike.

  • Complex operational workflows, from scale-ups to enterprises, not one-off point automations.
  • Teams that want documentation, an audit trail, cost visibility, and handover built in.
  • Human-in-the-loop systems where a person still owns the decisions that carry risk.

Where we are not the right choice.

  • A cheap monthly chatbot or a single point automation: a fixed-menu studio like Aanloop AI fits better.
  • A published fixed-price menu before the first call: Crux Digits publishes fixed steps.
  • A results guarantee such as 'no ROI, no cost': Codelevate offers one; we do not.
  • A shrink-wrapped platform product with a large partner ecosystem behind it: a big consultancy like Xebia fits better. We build and hand over custom systems; we do not license a platform. (Enterprise scale itself is fine; we do that.)

This page is published by AgentLabs, so read it as our point of view. We have described each studio from its own public positioning as we found it (researched July and August 2026); specifics like pricing and timelines change, so confirm the current details with each provider. Where we are not the right choice, we have said so.

Comparing shortlists?

Bring one workflow to a call. We will give you an honest read on whether AI creates real leverage there, and if another studio fits better, we will say so.

You speak with the people who would build the system. No sales pressure, and an honest read either way.