How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost? A Pricing Guide

Choosing the right AI receptionist for your business starts with understanding the costs involved. AI receptionist services typically range from $50 to $500+ per month, depending on your call volume, required features, and chosen pricing model.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about AI receptionist pricing so you can make an informed decision that fits your budget and business needs.

• Cost Overview
• Pricing Comparison
• How It's Priced
• What Affects the Pricing
• Hidden Costs to Watch For
• AI vs. Traditional Receptionist
• FAQs

AI Receptionist Cost Overview

Most businesses can expect to pay between $50 and $300 monthly for AI receptionist services, though costs vary significantly based on your specific requirements.

The price you'll pay depends on several key factors:

• Pricing model: Per-call, per-minute, credit-based, or flat-rate subscription
• Call volume: Higher volume typically means higher costs or the need for unlimited plans
• Features: Basic call answering vs. advanced capabilities like appointment scheduling and CRM integration
• Human backup: AI-only solutions cost less than hybrid services with human support
• Provider: Each vendor offers different pricing structures and value propositions

AI Receptionist Pricing Comparison

Here's how major providers structure their virtual AI receptionist pricing:

Prices and features are subject to change. Contact providers directly for current pricing specific to your business needs.

How AI Receptionist Services Are Priced

Unlike traditional phone systems that charge per user, virtual AI receptionist services use various pricing models based on usage and capabilities. Understanding these models helps you choose the option that aligns with your call patterns and budget.

Per-Call Pricing

Per-call pricing charges you a fixed rate for each call your AI receptionist handles, regardless of duration. This model typically costs between $1.50 and $3.00 per call.

This pricing structure works best for businesses with lower, predictable call volumes where conversation length varies significantly. Professional services like law firms and consulting agencies often benefit from this model since they handle fewer calls but need detailed conversations without worrying about per-minute charges adding up.

Smith.ai uses custom per-call pricing, allowing businesses to pay only for the calls they receive without committing to large monthly minimums.

Per-Minute Pricing

Per-minute pricing charges based on the total minutes your AI receptionist spends on calls. Rates typically range from $0.05 to $0.30 per minute depending on the provider and plan tier.

This model is ideal for businesses handling many short, routine calls like appointment confirmations, basic inquiries, or order status updates where conversations rarely exceed a few minutes.

Virtual Reception AI charges $0.25 to $0.30 per minute beyond included minutes, making it economical for high-volume, short-duration calls.

Credit-Based Pricing

Credit-based systems assign a credit value to different actions or time increments. A simple call might consume fewer credits than a complex interaction requiring appointment scheduling or CRM updates. Credits typically cost $0.10 to $0.20 each.

This model provides flexible usage that accounts for varying call complexity. It rewards efficiency since simple calls consume fewer credits, making it perfect for businesses with a mix of straightforward and complex customer interactions.

My AI Front Desk uses a credit system at approximately $0.12 per credit, with different interactions consuming different amounts.

Flat-Rate Monthly Subscriptions

Flat-rate or subscription pricing charges a fixed monthly fee, often including a set number of minutes or calls with additional usage charged separately. Base subscriptions typically range from $50 to $500+ monthly.

Businesses with high, unpredictable call volumes benefit most from this model since it provides budget certainty and eliminates surprises. This approach makes financial planning straightforward and often delivers the best value for companies handling 200+ calls monthly.

RingCentral AI Receptionist charges $50 per month with 100 minutes included, while Quo Sona offers a $49 monthly base fee with 50 calls included.

When Each Model Makes Sense

Choose per-call pricing if you handle 20 to 100 calls monthly with varying durations. Select per-minute pricing if you handle 100+ short calls (under 3 minutes) daily. Opt for credit-based pricing if your calls vary significantly in complexity. Pick flat-rate subscriptions if you handle 200+ calls monthly or have unpredictable volumes.

What Affects AI Receptionist Costs

Beyond the basic pricing model, several factors influence your total monthly AI phone answering costs. These include your provider, call volume, selected features, human backup options, and setup requirements.

Service Provider and Plan Features

Different providers target specific market segments with varying feature sets and price points. Budget-friendly options like Virtual Reception AI start at $14 per month for 50 minutes, while enterprise-grade solutions can exceed $500 monthly with comprehensive capabilities.

Typical plan tiers include:

• Entry-level: Basic call answering, message taking, and simple call routing
• Mid-tier: Appointment scheduling, CRM integration, and analytics
• Premium: Lead scoring, multilingual support, custom integrations, and dedicated account management

Brand reputation also impacts pricing. Established providers with proven reliability and larger support infrastructures generally charge higher rates for their consistency and uptime.

Call Volume and Duration

Your monthly call volume and average call length have a direct effect on total cost, especially with per-call, per-minute, or credit-based pricing.

• Businesses that receive 50 calls per month pay far less than those handling 500 or more.
• Most providers offer volume discounts that lower per-unit costs as usage increases. For instance, Virtual Reception AI charges $0.30 per additional minute on its basic plan and $0.25 per minute on its mid-tier plan with higher included minutes.
• Average call duration also plays a key role. In per-minute pricing, an 8-minute call costs four times more than a 2-minute call, which can make a significant difference over hundreds of calls each month.

Advanced Features and Add-Ons

Basic AI receptionist functionality covers call answering, routing, and simple inquiries. However, advanced capabilities that add business value often cost extra.

Common add-ons include:

• Appointment scheduling: Integrates with calendars to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments automatically ($10–$50 per month)
• CRM integration: Syncs calls with systems like Salesforce or HubSpot and triggers workflows ($20–$100+ per month)
• Lead qualification: Scores prospects and routes high-value leads, usually in mid to upper-tier plans
• Multilingual support: Handles calls in additional languages such as Spanish or French ($20–$100 per language per month)
• SMS and text messaging: Enables follow-ups beyond voice, charged per message or as a monthly add-on
• Custom workflows and integrations: Tailored routing or automation often requires premium or custom pricing

Human Backup and Escalation Options

Whether your AI receptionist includes human backup is one of the biggest pricing differentiators.

• AI-only solutions: Lower cost, but limited to automated responses. When the AI cannot answer, it records a message or schedules a callback.
• Hybrid models: Combine AI efficiency with human escalation for complex situations. Smith.ai, for instance, includes 24/7 human support when AI encounters advanced queries.

Adding human backup typically increases costs by $100 to $300 or more per month but significantly improves service quality for businesses that rely on personalized or sensitive interactions.

Customization and Setup

Initial setup and ongoing customization also affect cost.

• Setup fees: Range from $0 to $500 depending on complexity. Simple plug-and-play solutions like GoTo Connect often charge no setup fee, while enterprise deployments may require professional services.
• Voice customization: Some providers offer preset voices, while others like Synthflow allow custom or cloned brand voices under premium plans.
• Script and workflow design: Tailors how the AI handles different call types. Basic customization is usually included, but complex workflows may add extra cost.
• AI training: Involves uploading your business data, FAQs, and service details. Most providers include this in standard setup, but advanced tuning or ongoing optimization may require additional investment.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Beyond the advertised monthly fee, several additional costs can impact your total AI receptionist investment.

Setup and Onboarding Fees

While many providers advertise free setup, complex implementations may incur charges. Simple configurations requiring only basic information uploads are typically free, while custom integrations, advanced workflow design, or professional services can cost $200 to $500+.

Training and implementation time also represents a hidden cost in staff hours, even when the provider doesn't charge setup fees.

Overage Charges

Most plans with included minutes or calls charge for usage beyond the limit. These overage rates often exceed the effective per-unit rate of the base plan.

RingCentral includes 100 minutes at $50 monthly ($0.50/minute effective rate), but overage charges may be higher. Virtual Reception AI charges $0.30 per minute over the 50-minute limit on the basic $14 plan.

To avoid unexpected charges, monitor your usage during the first few months, set up usage alerts if available, and upgrade to a higher-tier plan before consistently hitting overages since higher tiers usually offer better per-unit economics.

Premium Feature Add-Ons

Features not included in your base plan typically cost extra.

Appointment scheduling integration costs $10 to $50 monthly when not included in your plan tier. Advanced CRM integrations run $20 to $100+ monthly for sophisticated two-way sync and custom field mapping.

SMS and text messaging involves either per-message charges (typically $0.01 to $0.05 per message) or monthly add-ons ($10 to $50). Payment processing incurs transaction fees of 2% to 3% when enabling the AI to collect payments.

Additional languages cost $20 to $100 monthly per language for multi-language support. Custom integrations can run hundreds to thousands of dollars for proprietary system connections.

Phone Number Costs

While most services include one phone number, additional numbers incur monthly charges.

Local numbers cost $0 to $10 monthly per additional number. Toll-free numbers run $5 to $15 monthly per number. International numbers range from $10 to $30 monthly depending on country.

Number porting fees to transfer existing numbers to your new provider typically cost $0 to $25 per number.

Storage and Call Recording

Call recording and transcript storage may be limited on basic plans.

Recording storage limits on basic plans might include 30 to 90 days of storage with extended retention costing $5 to $20 monthly. Transcript storage has similar limitations and costs for long-term transcript access.

Some providers charge for bulk data exports or API access to historical data.

Regulatory and Compliance Fees

Though less common for AI receptionists than traditional phone services, some providers charge additional fees.

E911 fees run $1 to $5 monthly per number for emergency service access. Regulatory recovery fees cost $5 to $15 monthly to cover provider compliance costs. Telecommunications taxes vary by state and service classification.

AI Receptionist vs. Traditional Options

Understanding how AI receptionist costs compare to alternatives helps justify the investment.

AI Receptionist vs. In-House Receptionist

An in-house receptionist costs between $53,000 and $65,000 annually, including salary ($38,000 to $45,000) and benefits (around $15,000). An AI receptionist typically costs $600 to $3,600 per year for most small and medium-sized businesses. This represents annual savings of approximately $49,000 to $64,000, even for premium AI services.
An in-house receptionist works 40 hours weekly, or about 2,080 hours annually. An AI receptionist provides 8,760 hours of coverage year-round with the ability to handle multiple calls at once.

Key differences:

• Handles unlimited simultaneous calls during peak times
• Requires no breaks, sick days, or vacation
• Provides consistent quality and 24/7 availability

Example: A law firm paying $55,000 annually for a full-time receptionist switches to an AI service costing $200 per month, plus $100 per month for human backup. The total AI cost is $3,600 per year, creating $51,400 in savings. If the AI helps capture one additional client each month worth $2,000, the firm adds another $24,000 in revenue. The total annual financial impact reaches $75,400.

AI Receptionist vs. Human Virtual Receptionist Service

Human virtual receptionist services cost between $200 and $3,000 or more per month, depending on call volume and service level. AI receptionists cost $50 to $500 per month for similar call volumes, typically 50% to 80% less.

Human virtual receptionists excel at:

• Managing complex or nuanced conversations
• Building personal relationships with clients
• Adapting to unexpected situations with empathy

AI receptionists provide:

• Instant responses and zero wait times
• Consistent, professional interactions
• Unlimited scalability during peak periods

Choose human virtual receptionists when your business relies on personalized service, complex client needs, or relationship-based communication. Select AI receptionists when cost efficiency, fast response, and reliability are priorities or when most calls involve routine interactions.

ROI Considerations

Beyond direct cost savings, AI receptionists often increase overall business efficiency and revenue. They help capture more leads, recover missed calls, boost staff productivity, expand availability, and maintain a consistent customer experience.

Never missing after-hours calls can increase lead capture by 20% to 40%. For example, a home services company with a $450 average ticket and 100 calls per week that captures 27% more calls could generate about $46,000 in additional annual revenue.

Additional ROI drivers:

• Reducing missed calls during nights and weekends
• Freeing staff for higher-value work in sales or service
• Expanding coverage from 40 to 168 hours weekly
• Ensuring every caller receives accurate, professional information

AI receptionists combine these savings and efficiency gains to deliver one of the highest returns among modern business automation tools.

FAQs