Answering service pricing 2026
Independent comparison across 25+ human answering services, AI receptionists, and developer voice platforms. Entry prices, per-minute rates, hidden fees, and what each one is actually best for.
Human answering services start around $200 to $400/month for 50 to 100 minutes. AI receptionists start at $29/month with unlimited or generous allowances. Developer platforms cost $0.05 to $0.09 per minute plus model and TTS pass-through. AI is cheaper than human services at virtually any volume above 50 minutes/month.
Human answering services
Premium and value-tier human answering services. Pricing is per-minute or per-call on top of a monthly base. Overage charges are where the bill usually balloons.
| Provider | Type | Entry price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Premium human | $329/mo | 50 receptionist minutes; overage $1.85/min |
| Smith.ai | Premium human | $285/mo | 30 calls; overage $7-9/call |
| AnswerConnect | Human 24/7 | $329/mo | 50 minutes; overage $1.85/min |
| MAP Communications | Human 24/7 | $45+/mo | Per-minute on top; pay-as-you-go available |
| Davinci Virtual | Human + virtual office | $129/mo | 50 minutes live answering |
| AnswerForce | Human 24/7 | $309/mo | 100 minutes; trades focus |
| PATLive | Human 24/7 | $199/mo | 75 minutes; 14-day trial |
| VoiceNation | Human 24/7 | $59+/mo | Per-minute pricing tier |
| Sound Telecom | Human 24/7 | Quote | Custom enterprise pricing |
| SAS | Human 24/7 | $36/mo | Pay-per-minute, no contracts |
| Abby Connect | Premium human | $329/mo | Dedicated team of 5 |
| Posh | Premium human | $155/mo | US-based virtual receptionists |
| Nexa | Human + AI hybrid | Quote | Industry-specific pricing |
AI receptionist services
Off-the-shelf AI receptionists with calendar, CRM, and routing built in. Most charge a flat monthly rate; OnCallClerk is the only one with no per-minute overage on the entry plan.
| Provider | Type | Entry price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnCallClerkFeatured | AI receptionist | $29/mo | Flat-rate, unlimited calls, 24/7, calendar+CRM included |
| Rosie | AI receptionist | $49/mo | Per-call charges over plan |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | $59/mo | Free tier limited; paid for calendar |
| DialZara | AI receptionist | $80/mo | 50 minutes included; overage applies |
| MyAIFrontDesk | AI receptionist | $65/mo | 30 minutes; per-minute over |
| Solwees AI | AI receptionist | $49/mo | Per-call structure on higher tiers |
| Air AI | AI sales/support | Enterprise | Custom enterprise pricing only |
Developer voice platforms
If you have engineers and want to build a custom voice agent, these are the per-minute platforms. You will own integration, prompt engineering, telephony glue, and ongoing reliability.
| Provider | Type | Entry price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vapi | Voice AI platform | $0.05/min | Plus model and TTS pass-through costs |
| Retell | Voice AI platform | $0.07/min | Per-minute, model costs separate |
| Bland | Voice AI platform | $0.09/min | All-in per-minute |
| ElevenLabs | Voice + agents | Per-min | TTS quality leader; agents in beta |
| Twilio | BYO infrastructure | Per-min | Build it yourself; only telephony |
How to read these prices honestly
Sticker prices are misleading. The real cost is sticker plus expected overage plus integrations plus the operational tax of working around limits. We list entry prices for comparability and call out the major overage and gotcha mechanics in the notes.
AI vs human: when each makes sense
AI wins on cost, 24/7 coverage, integrations, and consistency. Human wins on relational sales, sensitive subject matter, and edge-case judgement. Most modern setups are hybrid: AI fronts every call, escalates the small fraction that needs a human. See AI receptionist vs human answering service.
Developer platforms: build vs buy
Vapi, Retell, and Bland are infrastructure for builders. They make sense if you have engineering capacity and a unique flow that off-the-shelf cannot serve. For most SMBs, the all-in cost of building beats the off-the-shelf alternative only at very high volume. See cheapest way to run a voice AI agent and is Vapi expensive?
Pricing tiers cheat sheet
- · Under 30 calls/mo: any flat-rate AI plan or SAS pay-per-minute.
- · 30-200 calls/mo: AI receptionist with calendar/CRM (OnCallClerk, Rosie, Goodcall).
- · 200-2,000 calls/mo: hybrid AI + escalation, or premium AI tier.
- · Over 2,000 calls/mo: dedicated platform (Vapi/Retell) or enterprise AI service.
What is not in this table
Setup fees, integration fees, bilingual premiums, after-hours surcharges, message-delivery fees, contract minimums, cancellation terms, and the cost of switching providers later. Always ask for an itemized estimate at your expected monthly volume before committing.
Methodology
Prices were collected from each provider's public pricing page in May 2026. Where pricing requires a sales call, we mark it as "Quote." Where a vendor offers multiple tiers, we list the entry price plus the most relevant minute or call allowance. We do not include free trials or promotional pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the typical price of an answering service?
Human answering services typically run $200 to $400/month for 50 to 100 minutes of live answering, with per-minute overage of $1.50 to $2.50. AI receptionists run $29 to $99/month with unlimited or much higher minute allowances. Developer platforms like Vapi/Retell/Bland charge $0.05 to $0.09 per minute plus model and TTS costs.
What is the cheapest answering service?
For low-volume occasional answering, SAS at $36/month or pay-per-minute services from MAP Communications and VoiceNation are the cheapest human options. For 24/7 unlimited answering, OnCallClerk at $29/month is the cheapest AI option in the market with no per-minute overage.
AI receptionist vs human answering service: which is cheaper?
AI is cheaper at almost every volume above ~50 minutes/month. A human service at $329/month for 50 minutes works out to $6.58/min. AI at $29/month with unlimited calls works out to fractions of a cent per minute at typical SMB volume. The break-even tips toward AI almost immediately. See the full breakdown.
What hidden fees should I watch for?
Per-minute overage (often $1.50 to $9 per call), setup fees ($50 to $500), bilingual surcharges, after-hours premiums, holiday pricing, message-delivery fees (per email/SMS), and CRM integration fees. The cheapest sticker price is rarely the cheapest actual bill at month end.
How should I choose between providers?
Start with monthly call volume. Under 30 calls: any flat-rate AI plan. 30 to 200 calls: AI receptionist with calendar/CRM integration. 200+ calls with complex flows: hybrid AI + escalation, or evaluate dedicated team services. Run the should-I-hire quiz for a guided answer.
How do prices scale as my call volume grows?
Human services scale linearly: more minutes = more dollars, often steeply. AI receptionists scale flat or in tiers, so unit economics improve with volume. Developer platforms scale per-minute, so they look cheap until you total monthly usage; then they often beat human services but lose to flat-rate AI at SMB volume.
Pay $29/month, not $329
OnCallClerk delivers 24/7 AI answering with calendar and CRM integration from $29/month flat. No per-minute overage on entry tier.