Guide · Prices checked 2026-11-09

How much an AI receptionist costs in 2026

By Brandon Baney. Built from vendor pricing pages; no tool here has been call-tested yet. How we check prices.

Prices by type of service

Entry price = the lowest published monthly plan for each tool. Median is across tools in that row that publish a price. Quote-only tools are counted but have no price.

Billing units: why the sticker price misleads

Two plans at the same price can cost very different amounts in a busy month. Of the 22 AI receptionists and answering services that publish a price, here is how they bill:

• Per minute (included minutes + overage): 12
  Rosie, Dialzara, My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk), NextPhone, Trillet, AgentZap, PATLive, Abby Connect, Posh, Retell AI, Vapi, Bland AI
• Per call: 3
  Smith.ai AI Receptionist, Upfirst, Markate Kate-AI Receptionist
• Per unique caller: 1
  Goodcall
• Flat monthly: 1
  Jobber AI Receptionist
• Credits: 1
  Lindy
• Other or not stated: 4
  Sameday AI, Allo, Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Ruby

The per-minute gap. Published per-minute rates (overage or pay-as-you-go): standalone AI receptionists $0.20–$0.85 per minute (Trillet, Dialzara, AgentZap); live answering services $2.30–$2.99 per minute (Posh, PATLive). Entry prices overlap; per-minute rates don't.

Per-minute plans favour shops with short calls. Per-call and flat plans favour long intake calls (emergencies, detailed quotes). If you don't know your average call length, check your phone provider's call log for last month before you pick a plan.

Cost at 50, 100, 250 calls a month

Only where the vendor publishes a per-call price, or included calls plus an extra-call rate. The math is shown on each tool's pricing page. Minute plans are left out because converting minutes to calls needs an assumed call length.

Minute plans: what's included and the overage rate

Costs that aren't in the headline price

• Overage. The per-minute or per-call rate after the plan cap (tables above).
• Phone numbers, setup and porting. Vendors that mention a number, setup or activation charge: Goodcall.
• Features on higher tiers. Calendar booking, warm transfer and bilingual answering are often not on the entry plan. Compare the plan you'd actually need.
• Annual vs monthly. Some headline prices are annual-billing rates. The plan notes on each pricing page say which.
• Your software. A receptionist built into Jobber or Housecall Pro needs that subscription too (built-in receptionists).

Trials and contracts

9 of 29 tracked tools state a free trial or free plan. Trials that take a card usually renew automatically, so note the cancel-by date when you sign up. See free AI receptionists and no-contract options.

Every published entry price

Sortable version with trials, contracts and integrations: AI receptionist pricing table. Plan with the lowest price: Smith.ai AI Receptionist (Free).

FAQ

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