The short version
These are two different businesses. A small AI studio is built to ship working systems with a few senior people. A large consulting firm is built to run big, multi-team programs and to carry the credibility that boards and regulators sometimes require.
For most small and mid-sized companies, the studio model fits better: lower cost, faster delivery and the people you meet are the people who build. For enterprise-wide transformation, the large firm’s scale, change management and industry depth are worth what they cost.
Where an AI studio wins
Senior people do the work. In a small studio, the person who scopes your project usually writes the architecture and much of the code. Decisions are made by people who have built the same kind of system before.
Speed to production. A focused agent, automation or knowledge assistant can go from scoping to production in weeks. Our custom AI agent cost guide shows typical timelines and ranges.
Working software, not only slides. Studios are measured on systems that run. You leave with code and workflows in your accounts, documentation and a measurable result. Examples include our Shopify AI copilot and cross-vertical automation work.
Contained cost. Fees are tied to defined projects or a modest retainer, so a mid-sized company can get senior AI help without an enterprise-sized commitment. See what AI consulting costs for our published ranges.
Where a big consulting firm wins
Scale. A large firm can staff many teams across business units and countries under one contract. A studio cannot, and should not pretend otherwise.
Change management. When the hard part is redesigning roles, retraining thousands of people and changing how a whole organization operates, large firms have the methods and the people for it.
Industry and regulatory depth. Dedicated industry practices, benchmarks across many large clients and regulatory specialists are valuable in heavily regulated, complex enterprises.
Credibility and procurement. Some boards, auditors and regulators expect a recognized firm on a major program, and some procurement teams only approve vendors already on a list. That is a real constraint, not vanity.
What we recommend
If you are a small or mid-sized company, start with a studio. Pick two or three high-value use cases, get them into production and measure the result before considering anything larger.
If you are a large enterprise planning a company-wide AI program, a big firm is often the right lead for strategy, governance and change management. A studio can still be the faster, cheaper choice for specific builds inside that program, especially pilots that need to prove value before a wider rollout.
Lumeor is a small senior studio. We are a good fit for the first case and for focused projects in the second. If you are unsure which you need, our AI readiness assessment is a low-cost way to find out.