29% of UK SMBs plan to spend nothing on AI this year
Summary of IONOS (research by YouGov), 5 May 2026Source read
YouGov surveyed 1,001 UK decision-makers at organisations of up to 250 staff for IONOS. 29% plan no AI spending in 2026, cost is the largest obstacle to going digital at 46%, and lack of time follows at 43%. A quarter would use only free tools, and few would pay above about £43 a month.
- 29%
- plan to spend nothing on AI in 2026
- 43%
- cite lack of time as a barrier
- £43
- the monthly price most paying buyers stop at
What it means for a small firm
Small firms are price-sensitive and time-poor. A fixed-fee diagnosis that costs one afternoon fits that; an open-ended programme does not.
Original source
Nearly a third of UK SMBs set no AI budget in 2026
IONOS (research by YouGov)
This page is our own summary, written 23 October 2026. The figures belong to the publisher. We checked them against the publisher’s page on the date above.