Honest comparison
Thresia vs. everything else.
We're not the only option. Here's the direct read on how hiring an AI team compares to the three real alternatives — hiring in-house humans, using consumer AI tools, and hiring a traditional marketing agency. Where they win on something, we say so.
| Dimension | Option 01 Thresia AI team 12-30 employees with titles | Option 02 Hiring in-house Receptionist + marketer + analyst | Option 03 ChatGPT / consumer AI The prompt window | Option 04 Traditional agency PatientGain / Cardinal / etc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 30 days | 6-18 months | Instant | 60-90 days |
| Year-1 cost | $20-53K | $200-300K+ | $20-200/mo | $36-60K |
| Number of jobs covered | 12-30 employees | 1 person = 1 job | 1 (the prompt) | 1-3 (ads + reviews) |
| After-hours coverage | 24/7 | Pay 2x for it | Doesn't answer phones | Not their job |
| Trained on your operator voice | Jove (Voice Guardian) | After 6 mo of training | No | Their agency voice |
| Compliance gates (CAN-SPAM/FTC/FDA) | Axiom (Compliance Officer) | If you hire counsel | No awareness | Hit-or-miss |
| KPI lift guarantee | Day 30 or extend free | Hope for the best | None | Typically none |
| Cancel anytime | 6-mo min, then 30-day notice | Severance + benefits | Yes (it's a chat) | 6-12 month minimum |
| You own the operations | Yes — your dashboard | You manage humans | Yes (and the prompts) | Agency keeps the keys |
| Reports + insights | Slack channels per employee | Weekly meeting (maybe) | If you ask | Monthly PDF |
| Scales without re-hiring | Add employees a-la-carte | Re-open a req | Limited by the human | Renegotiate scope |
StrongCaveat / hit-or-missWeak / blocker
When to pick which option
Hire the AI team if…
- You want operations + marketing + reporting + compliance running 24/7 without 5 new salaries
- Your current bottleneck is operational (missed calls, dead leads, content-without-conversion), not creative
- You want a measurable KPI guarantee, not 'we'll try our best'
- You'd rather scale by hiring another employee at $300/mo than re-opening a req
Pick in-house if…
- You have $200-300K/year of margin to absorb headcount before they pay back
- You enjoy hiring, training, and managing humans more than running a business
- You're at $5M+ where dedicated functional leaders genuinely make sense
Pick ChatGPT if…
- You have one specific task that doesn't need integration with your CRM, scheduler, or ad accounts
- You're comfortable being the human in the loop for every conversation
- You don't need compliance gates, voice training, or after-hours coverage
Pick a traditional agency if…
- Your operations + booking flow + CRM are already perfect and the only gap is more top-of-funnel ad spend
- You're fine with a 6-12 month commitment and a monthly PDF report
- You don't mind that 80% of the agency value goes to overhead, not your account
Still on the fence?
Run the audit. See your specific numbers.
60 seconds, 10 questions. We score your operation and tell you whether an AI team actually fits — or if one of the alternatives above is the better call.