The AI Spend Report
The first industry benchmark for how companies are managing AI budgets and what they're actually paying, based on a survey of 172 finance and procurement leaders combined with proprietary spend data from 1,300+ companies.
AI spend control starts here.
AI budgets are blowing past forecasts. Nearly half of finance leaders still can't point to measurable ROI. And stacks are getting bigger, not smaller. Our data shows how finance and procurement leaders are navigating the shift as AI becomes a permanent part of the software stack.
AI spend is harder to manage than traditional software.
See how teams are evolving theirbudgeting and procurement strategies.
Companies are still trying to prove AI's value.
See where organizations are getting results — and where they're still waiting for value.
AI isn't replacing software. It's changing how you buy it.
Learn why and how AI is reshaping software procurement and vendor strategy.
Unpredictable AI spend
Consumption-based pricing, decentralized purchasing, and rapid adoption are making AI budgets far less predictable than traditional SaaS.
46
%
exceeded their AI budgets in 2025
For traditional software, only 37% exceeded their budget. The gap is modest but meaningful: AI spend is harder topredict than any other budget line.
81
%
expect AI budgets to increase in 2026
Finance leaders are increasing AI budgets much more aggressively than budgets for traditional software.
22
%
say no single person owns the AI budget
When no one owns the budget, it's more difficult to manage usage, forecast cost, and track and control AI spend.
“The Claude Effect”
Claude usage can be seen as a proxy for deep adoption and yields interesting insights:
users
The ROI gap
Organizations are investing aggressively in AI, but proving business impact is trailing
behind. The organizations further along in AI adoption are beginning to see measurable returns. Everyone else is still waiting for proof.
51
%
report measurable ROI
Nearly half say they haven't yet seen clear business impact or it's too early to tell in the early stages of AI adoption.
57
%
lack confidence they're paying a fair price
Knowing whether AI is delivering ROI starts with knowing whether you're paying a fair price. Real AI pricing benchmarks help finance leaders evaluate.
6
%
say AI has reduced finance headcount.
So far, teams are seeing ROI not by eliminating headcount but by redeploying team members to higher-value work.
The expanding stack
Rather than reducing software costs, AI is creating a new layer of spend on top ofexisting applications. As organizations expand their AI footprint, finance andprocurement leaders are rethinking vendor strategy, consolidation, and what belongsin the modern software stack.
7
%
say AI has reduced spending on traditional finance software.
AI savings are coming more from slowing software expansion than replacing existing applications outright.
65
%
identify AI-native tools as the biggest driver of software spend growth.
New AI investments have overtakenrenewal price increases as the primaryreason software budgets are growing.
76
%
are reconsidering existing vendor relationships because of AI.
AI is changing software evaluation from a periodic procurement exercise into anongoing reassessment of the entiretechnology stack.
The new triggers for switching vendors
AI capability gaps are now as likely to trigger a vendor switch as price or poor value.
Get the real numbers behind the noise
Access the complete report to see the full findings:
Real AI budget benchmarks: what companies are paying by size and industry
The Claude Effect: why one tool is blowing up budgets (and what it signals)
ROI reality check: which industries are seeing returns, and which aren't
Vendor strategy shifts: what triggers a switch and what teams look for next
Headcount truth: why AI is redeploying talent, not eliminating it
Barriers to adoption: why accuracy and expertise matter more than budget
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