By Rich Benvin 
Ask five content services for a price and you will get five different numbers. That is not always a sign someone is overcharging. Article prices depend on five factors, and most quotes bundle them differently.
1. Length
Longer articles cost more, but not in a straight line. A 3,000-word guide needs more structure and research than two 1,500-word posts. Our Vault prices step up by length for that reason.
2. Expertise
A general lifestyle topic can be written well by a skilled generalist. Finance, health, law and technical B2B subjects need someone who understands the field, and mistakes there carry real risk. Expect to pay more per word for specialists.
3. Research and originality
Rewriting what already ranks is fast. Interviewing a source, testing a product or pulling original data takes time. The more original the material, the higher the price and usually the better the result.
4. The human edit
AI drafting has lowered the cost of a first draft. It has not lowered the cost of making that draft accurate, specific and readable. When a price looks too low to include a careful human edit, it usually does not include one.
5. Extras
Meta tags, FAQs, image selection, uploading to your site and rush delivery all take time. Compare quotes on what is included, not on the headline number.
How to budget
- Work out your monthly volume. How many articles do you need to publish consistently?
- Price your own time honestly. If you write them yourself, what is an hour of your time worth, and how many hours does one article really take?
- Compare options side by side. Our free Article Cost Calculator compares writing in-house, buying from the Vault, custom orders and a monthly plan.
Use the custom order form to see an instant price for any length, writer level and add-ons before you commit.
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