AI receptionist vs answering service
What 14 AI receptionists and 4 answering services cost, read from each vendor's own pricing page: the starting price, what they bill by, and what a month costs at 100, 300 and 1,000 calls. All prices are in US dollars.
Estimates assume 3-minute calls, the same default as the rest of the site. Answering services are not all the same product, so each one says what its prices cover. Commissions never change the order.
Prices checked: October 30, 2026.
Cheapest option at each volume
100 calls a month
- $64/mo, AI-Receptionist.com (Starter).
- $1,380/mo, Abby Connect (Growth).
- $213/mo, Smith.ai (AI Receptionist Pro).
300 calls a month
AI receptionist and answering service pricing table
| Vendor | Starting price | Bills by | 100 calls/mo | 300 calls/mo | 1,000 calls/mo | Prices checked | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI receptionists | |||||||
 Goodcall Verified | $79/mo | Unique callers | $79 | $129 | $259 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Rosie Verified | $49/mo | Minutes | $149 | $149 | No estimate | October 30, 2026 | |
 Upfirst Verified | $24.95/mo | Calls | $70 | $160 | $579 | October 30, 2026 | |
 AI-Receptionist.com Verified | $14/mo | Minutes | $64 | $199 | $699 | October 30, 2026 | |
 My AI Front Desk Verified | $99/mo | Minutes | $114 | $264 | $789 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Wakeman Verified | $49/mo | Minutes | $139 | $289 | $834 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Dialzara Verified | $29/mo | Minutes | $135 | $349 | $1,049 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Newo Verified | $299/mo | Calls | $175 | $449 | $1,499 | October 29, 2026 | |
 Ringly.io Verified | $99/mo | Calls | $199 | $597 | $1,990 | October 30, 2026 | |
 OnCrew Verified | $49/mo | Minutes | $248 | $745 | $2,824 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Sameday Verified | $449/mo | Minutes | $449 | $789 | No estimate | October 30, 2026 | |
 Sarah 24/7 Verified | $350/mo | Minutes | $530 | $890 | $2,150 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Phonely Verified | $50/mo | Minutes | from $50 | from $50 | from $50 | October 30, 2026 | |
 ServiceAgent Verified | $49/mo | Not published | Quote only | Quote only | Quote only | October 29, 2026 | |
| Answering services | |||||||
 Smith.ai Verified | $150/mo | Calls | $213 | $500 | $2,019 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Abby Connect Verified | $164/mo | Minutes | $1,380 | No estimate | No estimate | October 30, 2026 | |
 AnswerConnect Estimated | Quote only | Not published | Quote only | Quote only | Quote only | October 29, 2026 | |
 Ruby Verified | $250/mo | Minutes | $1,725 | No estimate | No estimate | October 30, 2026 | |
| Listed with hybrids, not compared as answering services | |||||||
 Trillet Verified | $49/mo | Minutes | $79 | $199 | $619 | October 30, 2026 | |
 Lindy Verified | $49.99/mo | Not published | Quote only | Quote only | Quote only | October 29, 2026 | |
When to pick which
An AI receptionist tends to fit when you want every call answered around the clock, most calls follow a predictable script, and you want a price that scales with volume.
A live answering service tends to fit when calls are complex or emotional, need judgment or empathy, or when your callers expect a person.
Some vendors sell both. Features differ by vendor: check the vendor pages above for what each one has verified.
How to read the estimates
- Each estimate prices every published plan at that volume and shows the cheapest one, with overage added at the published rate.
- Vendors that bill by the minute are priced at 3 minutes per call, so 100 calls is 300 minutes.
- “No estimate” means the volume is past every published plan and none lists an overage rate. We don't guess.
- “Quote only” means the vendor has no plan we can price at a volume. If it lists an entry price, that is in the starting price column.
- “From” means a monthly price is published but its included minutes or calls are not, so it is the plan floor, not a volume estimate. Floors never count as the cheapest option.
Some vendors need an extra assumption:
- Goodcall: This vendor bills unique customers, not calls. The estimate treats every call as a different person, so repeat callers make it high.
- Ringly.io: Spam, hang-ups, wrong numbers, and callers who only want a human are free on Ringly. The estimate treats every call as billable, so it can run high.
- Phonely: A monthly price is published, but the included minutes or calls are not in this seed, so this is not a volume estimate.
- AnswerConnect: Estimated. This figure was not read on the vendor's pricing page in the latest pass.
- ServiceAgent: AI voice agents for home-service businesses. The product page says it answers calls, books jobs, and can take payment. Plan math is credits, not a simple minute bundle, so it is not in the calculator.
The full method is on methodology. To price your own volume and call length, compare all vendors.
AI receptionist vs answering service, head to head
Answering services, head to head
More pricing guides
- AI receptionist pricing, with published overage rates.
- AI voice agent cost per minute for developer platforms.
- Best AI receptionist by industry, ranked by the features each one needs.
Report a wrong price
Vendors change plans without notice. If a number here doesn't match the vendor's page, report a wrong price. Confirm current pricing with the vendor before you buy.