How much does an AI receptionist cost?

Here's the cheapest paid plan each of the 9 providers publishes, and what it includes.

Prices are each provider's own published monthly price in US dollars. Taxes, phone number fees and add-ons aren't included unless the provider includes them.

There are 3 common ways US providers charge, and the model matters more than the headline price:

Watch whether a plan counts minutes or calls. A minute allowance runs out faster when callers talk for a long time: 100 minutes is about 33 three-minute calls. A call allowance counts a two-minute call and a ten-minute call the same.

At 200 calls a month, the cheapest published option we found is $99 a month, and the most expensive entry plan comes to $385. Here's what each provider's published plans come to at two call volumes, using the cheapest plan or combination that covers the calls. Per-minute plans assume 3-minute calls. These are worked examples from the published prices, not quotes.

Per-minute and per-call plans are cheapest when you get few calls. Past about 100 calls a month, flat plans and the bigger bundles usually work out cheaper and are easier to plan for. Longer calls push per-minute plans up further.

Price isn't the only difference. Check what each plan actually does on a call, such as booking appointments or transferring urgent calls, because cheaper plans often leave these out.

An AI phone answering service costs the same as an AI receptionist, because they're the same product: $24.95 to $199 a month for an entry plan from the providers above. "AI call answering service", "AI phone answering service" and "AI receptionist" are different names for software that answers your business calls. Providers use whichever phrase their customers search for.

A live answering service costs about 6 times as much as an AI receptionist at 60 calls a month, on Smith.ai's published prices. Here's what that looks like next to an AI plan and the cost of employing a receptionist.

Benefits add a lot on top of pay. In June 2026, benefits made up 30.0% of what private-industry employers spent per hour worked, according to the BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation release.

A person can handle calls that need judgment, and some callers prefer it. An AI receptionist costs less per call and doesn't need cover for breaks, vacations or sick days. Our guide to AI receptionists vs answering services covers when each one fits.

Yes, 1 of the 9: Smith.ai has a free plan that covers 25 calls a month, then charges $3.00 a call. Goodcall lets you build and test a demo agent for free and charges when you connect a number. Everyone else offers a free trial instead:

A trial is the best way to judge the price. Call it yourself, then check what you get after the call.

For a handful of calls, Upfirst's Starter plan is the cheapest paid plan at $24.95 a month for 30 calls, and Smith.ai's free plan covers 25 calls a month. For more calls, it changes.

At 60 calls a month, Rosie's $49 plan with 250 minutes came out cheapest in our worked example. At 200 calls, Ringzel at $99 with unlimited calls was cheapest, followed by Goodcall at $129 and Rosie at $149.

The cheapest plan isn't always the cheapest choice. A missed booking or a caller who hangs up can cost more than the difference. Our guide to whether an AI receptionist is worth it shows how to work that out with your own numbers.

Check these 7 costs before you compare headline prices:

1. 1Extra calls or minutes. Check what happens when you go over your allowance: a charge per call or minute, a bigger plan, or nothing.
2. 2Minutes or calls. A minute allowance runs out faster when calls are long, and some providers round each call up, such as to the next 30 seconds.
3. 3Spam. Some providers don't bill spam or very short calls; others count every call.
4. 4Contract and notice. Most AI receptionists are month to month, but check notice periods. Smith.ai, for example, asks for 30 days' notice to cancel.
5. 5Setup fees. Check whether the provider charges to build or tune your agent.
6. 6What's on each plan. Booking, call transfers, website chat and integrations are often only on the higher plans.
7. 7Your phone bill. If you forward calls from your own number, check whether your carrier charges for forwarded calls on your plan.

Ringzel costs $99, $179 or $299 a month, with unlimited calls on every plan and no per-call or per-minute charges. Pay yearly and you get 12 months for the price of 10: $990, $1,790 or $2,990 a year.

Ringzel answers every call you forward, 24/7, in your business name, asks the questions you've set and, on Professional and Premium, books callers into your calendar and transfers calls. After every call you get the recording, the transcript, a summary and a check report. You keep your own number and forward the calls you can't take.

Ringzel isn't the cheapest option for a few calls a month. If you only get a handful of calls, a per-call or per-minute plan may cost less. If you want unlimited calls at one price and a record of how every call was handled, that's what Ringzel is built for.

14-day free trial. No card to start. Keep your number.