Cost

Answering Service Cost Calculator: Receptionist vs Service vs AI

There are three ways to make sure your phone gets answered, and they differ by more than an order of magnitude in price. Here is what each actually costs per month, what you get for it, and how to work out which is cheaper than the calls you are currently losing.

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What are missed calls costing you right now?

Compare this figure against the monthly costs above.

Your estimate

Calls missed per month: 65
Customers lost per month: 26
Revenue missed per month: $11,700
Revenue missed per year: $140,400

An estimate based on the numbers you entered, not a guarantee.

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Option 1: Hire A Receptionist

Wage at $20–$25/hour full time: roughly $3,400–$4,300 a month.
Add payroll taxes, benefits, equipment and paid leave — commonly 20–30% on top.
Coverage is business hours only, minus breaks, sick days and holidays.
Realistic total: $4,000–$5,500 a month for 40 hours of weekly coverage.

Option 2: A Human Answering Service

Typically priced per call or per minute, often with a monthly minimum.
Common small-business plans land somewhere between $200 and $600 a month.
Busy months — the good ones — cost more, and overages arrive after the fact.
After-hours and holiday coverage is frequently priced at a premium.

Option 3: An AI Receptionist

Flat $99/month Starter, $199 Growth, $299 Pro, plus a one-time setup fee.
Includes 250, 500 or 1,000 minutes of AI call time respectively.
24/7/365 coverage at no extra cost — nights, weekends and holidays included.
Unlimited simultaneous calls, so nobody hears a busy line during a rush.
No contract and a 7-day free trial, cancel anytime.

Cost Per Answered Call

At 40 answered calls a month, a $99 plan works out at roughly $2.50 a call. A $4,500-a-month receptionist answering the same volume during business hours only is over $110 a call — and answers none of the ones that arrive at 8pm on a Saturday.

The Number That Actually Decides It

None of these costs matter next to what you are losing. Run the calculator below with your real figures: if missed calls are costing more than the monthly fee, the decision is arithmetic rather than preference.

Simple pricing, no contracts

Every plan includes Nicole answering 24/7 and no contracts — cancel anytime. Starter comes with a 7-day free trial. Pick the call volume that fits your business.

Starter

$99/month

$99 one-time setup fee

Includes 250 minutes of AI call time each month.

7-day free trial · Cancel anytime

AI receptionist coverage
Lead capture and message taking
Basic FAQ handling
2 custom call-handling instructions
Automatic spam protection

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Frequently asked questions

What does an answering service cost per month?

Human services commonly run $200–$600 a month for small businesses on per-call or per-minute pricing. An AI receptionist is $99–$299 flat with call minutes included.

Is hiring a receptionist ever the better value?

Yes, when the role is much more than the phone — front desk, in-person greeting, admin and scheduling all at once. If the job is purely answering calls, it is hard to justify the cost gap.

Are there per-call fees with an AI receptionist?

No. You pay the monthly plan and use the included minutes; there are no per-call operator charges.

Keep reading

CostWhat Is a Virtual Receptionist and How Much Does It Cost?What virtual receptionists actually do, the pricing models you'll be quoted, and what small businesses really pay each month.CostAfter-Hours Call Value Estimator for Service BusinessesEvening and weekend callers are urgent, ready to buy and calling several businesses. Here's how to value the ones you're not answering.Q&A10 Signs You Need a Professional Call Answering ServiceIf three or more of these describe your week, your phone is costing you money. A ten-point checklist for small business owners.

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