What expert network calls
actually cost in 2026

There is no rate card

GLG's own usage policies say pricing lives in each client's commercial agreement. Guidepoint and Third Bridge publish no standard per-call rate. AlphaSense, which absorbed Tegus in 2024, is the exception: the expert's own rate plus a USD 75 transcription fee, bookable in 30, 45 or 60 minute blocks with no minimum. Everyone else quotes. Independent comparisons published in 2026 place GLG client-side calls at roughly USD 1,000 to 2,500 an hour and the wider industry at USD 700 to 1,500, varying with seniority, scarcity and geography. Treat these as market intelligence, not tariffs.

The costs that are not the hourly rate

Three costs matter more than the headline. First, commitment: Inex One describes prepaid credit purchases of USD 50,000 to 100,000 as common with legacy providers, and unused credits are a real cost. Second, premium experts: C-suite and scarce profiles consume more budget, sometimes multiples of the standard rate. Third, your team's time: every call requires selection, screening, preparation, the hour itself, notes and synthesis. At a senior associate's loaded cost, the internal time on a ten-call programme often exceeds the network fees.

A worked example

A ten-call diligence sprint at USD 1,000 to 2,500 a call is USD 10,000 to 25,000 in fees. Add two days of associate time per call for screening, preparation, the call and write-up, and the internal cost roughly doubles it. The output is ten sets of notes and no verification beyond the network's compliance screen. A Theory Signal Brief at USD 7,500 to 12,000 delivers six to eight interviews with participants Theory has recruited and verified itself, the interviews run by a sector researcher, synthesis, and a signed two-page recommendation with a provenance appendix, in ten business days.

Questions to ask any network

What is the all-in price per completed call, including facilitation, compliance and transcription. How does seniority change the price. Is there a minimum commitment, and what happens to unused balances. How is a short call billed. How is the expert's current role verified, and can I see the method. Can I run a pilot before committing.

When a network is the right answer

When you need one specific conversation quickly and will do the thinking yourself. When your team has the skill and time to run and interpret many calls. When procurement already has a contract in place. Networks are efficient at access. They do not sell judgment, verification beyond compliance, or accountability for the content.

When fixed-fee research is the right answer

When you need an answer rather than a set of calls. When the evidence must be defensible to a committee, lender or board. When the participants you need are not on a network. When you want someone to sign the recommendation. Compare the two models in detail: Theory vs expert networks.