Open dataset · Free to cite

2026 Strategy Consulting Cost Comparison.

11 firms ranked by price, timeline, and what you actually walk away with. Compiled from public engagement disclosures, RFP responses, and operator interviews.

Published Jun 2, 2026 · By Alex Lamb · Free to cite + share

The 11 firms

McKinsey & Company
Bain & Company
Boston Consulting Group
Deloitte Consulting
Accenture
KPMG Advisory
PwC Strategy&
EY-Parthenon
Boutique strategy firms
Independent strategists
LoopWorker (us)

Firm	Cost range	Timeline	Output	Best for
McKinsey	$250K – $2M+	8–16 weeks	Polished deck	F500 transformation
Bain	$300K – $1.5M+	10–14 weeks	Deck + change plan	PE portfolio strategy
BCG	$400K – $2M+	10–14 weeks	Deck + framework	F500 + multi-quarter
Deloitte	$150K – $800K+	8–12 weeks	Deck + roadmap	Digital transformation
Accenture	$200K – $1M+	12–20 weeks	Strategy + delivery	Tech-stack migration
KPMG	$150K – $600K+	10–14 weeks	Advisory deck	Audit-adjacent advisory
PwC Strategy&	$150K – $700K+	10–14 weeks	Strategy deck	M&A diligence
EY-Parthenon	$150K – $500K+	10–14 weeks	Strategy deck	Tax-linked strategy
Boutique firms	$50K – $250K	6–12 weeks	Custom (varies)	Industry-specific work
Independent strategists	$10K – $80K	4–10 weeks	Custom (varies)	Single-decision work
LoopWorker	$750 – $25K	48h – 30 days	PDF decision brief	Single decision · founder-led

01 · Top tier

McKinsey & Company

The default brand for board-level strategy. Their pedigree is the deliverable as much as the deck. Most McKinsey value is in the optics, the analyst pool, and the partner who shows up in stakeholder meetings.

Cost

$250K–$2M+

Timeline

8–16 weeks

Team size

3–8 + partner

Your time

50–100 hours

Best forF500 transformations · M&A · board-level repositioning where the McKinsey name on the deck is part of the goal.

Skip ifYou're a founder, the decision is single + tactical, you need it under 8 weeks, or you don't have stakeholder politics to manage.

02 · Top tier

Bain & Company

Results-focused reputation. Especially strong in PE portfolio work and operating models. Slightly more delivery-heavy than McKinsey, less brand-heavy than BCG.

Cost

$300K–$1.5M+

Timeline

10–14 weeks

Team size

3–6 + partner

Your time

40–80 hours

Best forPE diligence + portfolio work · operating model redesign · multi-quarter strategy.

Skip ifYou're early-stage, founder-led, or need the answer in weeks not months.

03 · Top tier

Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

Framework-heavy and brand-prestigious. Strongest in growth strategy and digital transformation. BCG X division pushes into AI/tech delivery.

Cost

$400K–$2M+

Timeline

10–14 weeks

Team size

3–8 + partner

Your time

40–100 hours

Best forF500 growth strategy · digital transformation w/ AI/tech delivery · multi-quarter rollouts.

Skip ifYou want speed over framework · founder-led · single tactical decision.

04 · Big 4

Deloitte Consulting

Largest Big-4 consulting practice. Strong in digital transformation, ERP migrations, and audit-adjacent advisory. Bigger team pool than top-tier firms.

Cost

$150K–$800K+

Timeline

8–12 weeks

Team size

4–12 + lead

Your time

30–60 hours

Best forEnterprise digital transformation · regulated industries · audit-bundling.

Skip ifYou're under 500 employees · need strategy not implementation · founder-led.

05 · Big consulting

Accenture

Strongest in tech-stack implementation. Consulting arm increasingly delivery-focused (Accenture Song = marketing transformation). Heavy on analysts + offshore delivery.

Cost

$200K–$1M+

Timeline

12–20 weeks

Team size

5–20 + lead

Your time

60–150 hours

Best forEnterprise SAP/Oracle/Salesforce migrations · digital transformation · ad agency-scale creative work.

Skip ifYou need pure strategy · founder-led · under 100 employees.

06 · Big 4

KPMG Advisory

Audit-firm credibility for sector benchmarks. Less prestigious than McKinsey/Bain/BCG, but useful when audit + advisory bundling matters.

Cost

$150K–$600K+

Timeline

10–14 weeks

Team size

3–8 + lead

Your time

40–80 hours

Best forRegulated industries · audit-adjacent advisory · sector benchmarks for boards.

Skip ifYou're founder-led · need tactical answer · not in regulated industry.

07 · Big 4

PwC Strategy& (formerly Booz)

Big-4 strategy arm with the legacy of Booz & Company. Strongest in M&A diligence and deal advisory. Brand credibility matters for board-level work.

Cost

$150K–$700K+

Timeline

10–14 weeks

Team size

3–8 + partner

Your time

40–100 hours

Best forM&A diligence · deal advisory · audit-adjacent strategy.

Skip ifYou're founder-led · need single decision · not deal-adjacent.

08 · Big 4

EY-Parthenon

EY's strategy consulting arm. Strong in tax-linked strategy + healthcare/life sciences. Smaller and more focused than other Big-4 advisory practices.

Cost

$150K–$500K+

Timeline

10–14 weeks

Team size

3–6 + partner

Your time

40–100 hours

Best forTax-strategic work · healthcare + life sciences · audit-adjacent strategy.

Skip ifYou're founder-led · not in regulated industry · need it fast.

09 · Alternative

Boutique strategy firms

Specialist firms with 5–50 consultants. Often industry-focused (e.g., healthcare, financial services, SaaS). More agile + cheaper than the top tier. Quality varies wildly.

Cost

$50K–$250K

Timeline

6–12 weeks

Team size

2–4

Your time

20–60 hours

Best forIndustry-specific depth · mid-market companies · founders who want named senior people on the work.

Skip ifYou need the brand pedigree · org-wide change management · multi-stakeholder alignment.

10 · Alternative

Independent strategists

Solo consultants — often former Big 3 partners, agency strategy directors, or in-house leaders. Highest signal-to-noise. Direct access to senior brain. Limited bandwidth.

Cost

$10K–$80K

Timeline

4–10 weeks

Team size

Your time

15–40 hours

Best forSenior advisory · trusted second opinion · founder-aligned thinking partner.

Skip ifYou need a team · need brand credibility · need delivery capacity.

11 · The honest pitch

LoopWorker

Founder-led market intelligence sprints. We pull public signals across 10 competitors, hand back a PDF decision brief with ranked actions. 48 hours to 30 days, depending on scope. Designed for founders who want the answer without the consulting overhead.

Cost

$750–$25K

Timeline

48h–30 days

Team size

1 (Alex)

Your time

2 × 30-min calls

Best forSingle big decisions — pricing, positioning, channel, launches, repositioning · founder-led or growth-stage companies · operators who want evidence over opinion.

Skip ifYou need org-wide transformation · F500 board-level work · M&A diligence · audit-firm credibility.

See the Sprint ladder →

Methodology

Cost ranges aggregated from public RFP responses, ex-consultant interviews, LinkedIn job descriptions, ConsultingMag salary disclosures, and operator self-reports from 2024–2026 engagements.

Timelines based on standard engagement scope per firm (phase length, not multi-phase total). Team sizes reflect typical mid-market engagement; F500 work scales up.

"Your time" estimates assume cooperative engagement (workshops, interviews, document reviews, weekly check-ins). Actual time can vary significantly.

Cite this dataset Free to reference with attribution. Suggested citation:

Lamb, A. (2026). 2026 Strategy Consulting Cost Comparison. LoopWorker. https://www.loopworker.com/2026-strategy-consulting-cost-comparison.html

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