How much does an AI receptionist cost?

The three ways AI receptionists charge

Almost every provider uses one of three pricing models, sometimes mixed together. Which one is cheapest for you depends on how many calls you get and how long they last.

1. A monthly plan with included minutes or calls

You pay a flat monthly fee that covers a set number of minutes or calls, then a per-minute or per-call rate after that. This is the easiest to budget for, as long as you pick a plan that fits your normal month. The catch is overage: a busy season can push you past the included amount, and the extra minutes are often priced higher than the plan's effective rate.

2. Pay per minute

You pay only for the time the AI spends on the phone. GetVoIP's guide puts most per-minute rates between five and thirty cents. This works well if you get a modest number of short calls. It gets expensive if your callers tend to talk for a while, or if spam and robocalls eat up minutes.

3. Pay per call

Some services charge a set price for each call, often with a small number included in a base fee. It's simple to understand, but short calls cost as much as long ones, so a day full of wrong numbers costs the same as a day of real customers.

What pushes the price up

• Call volume. The biggest factor by far. Ten calls a week and ten calls a day are different plans.
• Call length. On per-minute plans, a three-minute average and a six-minute average double the bill.
• Add-ons. Calendar booking, CRM connections, longer call recording storage and extra phone numbers are often priced separately.
• Setup fees. Some providers charge to configure the AI for your business. Others include it.
• Human backup. Plans that hand difficult calls to a live person cost more than AI-only plans.

AI receptionist vs. the alternatives

Cost ranges from GetVoIP's 2026 AI receptionist pricing guide. Your prices will vary by provider and call volume.

How to estimate your own cost

Pull up your phone's call log for a normal month and do this:

1. Count the calls. If your phone shows the length of each call, note the average.
2. Multiply calls by average minutes. 150 calls at 3 minutes each is 450 minutes a month.
3. Check that number against a plan's included minutes or calls, and work out the overage if you'd go over.
4. Add any setup fee spread over the first year, plus any add-ons you'd actually use.

That's your real monthly cost, not the number on the pricing page.

The other half of the math: what a missed call costs you

Cost only means something next to what you get back. If you miss five calls a week and even one of those would have become a $400 job, that's well over $1,500 a month walking to someone else. Try your own numbers in the missed-call calculator, then put the two side by side.

Questions to ask before you sign up

• What exactly is included each month, and what does it cost when I go over?
• Is there a setup fee or a contract?
• Do I pay for spam calls and wrong numbers?
• What do I get after each call: a recording, a transcript, a summary? How fast?
• Can I call a demo line and hear it for myself before I pay?
• What can't it do? A good provider will tell you straight.

What Maria costs

Maria is built and priced for small service businesses: plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers, tree services, electricians, salons and contractors. Call volume is different for every business, so we go over pricing on a short call. Tell us roughly how many calls you get and when you miss them, and we'll give you a straight number.

Ask about pricing →