Prices verified October 2026
Every missed call is a customer calling someone else
A plumber who misses a quarter of their calls loses more in a month than a year of answering service costs. This site does two things: shows what missed calls cost you in real money, and lists what every AI receptionist and answering service actually charges. Prices come from vendor pages, with the date we checked them.
18 vendors with published pricing. No vendor pays to be ranked higher, and we say plainly when a price is quote-only.
- DialzaraAI receptionist $29/mo
- RosieAI receptionist $49/mo
- AnswrrAI receptionist $49/mo
- PATLivehuman answering $99/mo
What are missed calls costing you?
Change the four numbers to match your business. The maths is deliberately simple: the calls you miss, how many of those callers would have booked, and what a customer is worth to you. Nothing is sent anywhere.
You miss about 10 calls a week, and roughly 3 of those callers would have booked.
Next step: compare 24/7 live and hybrid answering services, or look at Smith.ai (AI with live agents behind it, live plans from $300 a month, price checked Oct 23, 2026).
Next step: test an AI receptionist for a month. Lowest paid entry prices we track: Dialzara from $29 a month, Answrr from $49 a month and RosieAd from $49 a month (prices checked Oct 21, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Or compare every AI receptionist we track.
Next step: see the cheapest answering options and free AI receptionist plans before paying for a full service.
The math is deliberately simple: missed calls x how many would have bought x what a customer is worth. Change any number to match your business. Nothing is sent anywhere, the calculation runs in your browser.
What does each vendor charge?
Sorted by the cheapest plan that actually answers a phone call. Filter by billing model, because that is where most people get caught: per-minute plans look cheap until a busy month, flat-rate plans look expensive until you count the minutes.
| Vendor | Type | Entry price | What you get for it | Billing model | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dialzara | AI receptionist | $29/mo | 60 minutes | Per minute | 7-day free trial on inbound voice plans |
| Vapi | Voice AI platform | $0.05/min | 4 concurrent calls, 1 phone number | Per minute | Free credits on signup |
| Rosie | AI receptionist | $49/mo | 250 minutes | Per minute | 7-day free trial |
| Answrr | AI receptionist | $49/mo | 250 minutes (4h 10m) | Per minute | free trial |
| Simple Phones | AI receptionist | $49/mo | 100 calls a month | Per call | 14-day free trial on every plan |
| Jobber AI Receptionist | Business suite add-on | $78/mo | 1 user | Credits | Free trial |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | $79/mo | 100 unique customers | Per customer | Free demo agent instead of a trial; you pay only when you connect a number |
| My AI Front Desk | AI receptionist | $99/mo | 200 voice minutes | Credits | 7-day free trial |
| PATLive | Human answering service | $99/mo | 50 minutes, about 20 calls | Per minute | 14-day free trial |
| Nextiva XBert | Business suite add-on | $99/mo | 100 interactions | Credits | No trial |
| Smith.ai | Hybrid (AI + human) | Free | 25 calls | Per call | 30-day money-back guarantee up to $1 |
| Abby Connect | Hybrid (AI + human) | $164/mo | 50 minutes | Per minute | Free trial on every plan |
| NextPhone | AI receptionist | $199/mo | unlimited calls | Flat rate | 7 days free |
| Ruby | Human answering service | $250/mo | 50 minutes | Per minute | Not mentioned on the pricing page |
| Bland AI | Voice AI platform | $0.14/min | 10 concurrent calls, 100 calls a day | Per minute | Start plan needs no credit card |
| AnswerConnect | Human answering service | $350/mo | 200 minutes | Per minute | Not stated in the pricing PDF |
| Slang.ai | AI receptionist | Quote only | per location, by quote | Per location | No free trial advertised; every plan is "Get a quote" |
| Retell AI | Voice AI platform | $0.07/min | 20 concurrent calls, $10 free credit | Per minute | $10 in free credits |
Entry price is the cheapest plan that actually answers phone calls. Every number comes from the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown on their comparison page.
Which of the three billing models suits you?
Almost every vendor in this market uses one of three models, and picking the wrong one costs more than picking the wrong brand.
Per minute
You buy a bundle of minutes and pay for overage. Cheap if calls are short and volume is steady. Dangerous in a busy month, when overage at $0.25 to $0.48 a minute adds up quickly.
Flat rate
One price, unlimited calls. Higher entry price, usually from $199, but the bill never surprises you. This is the right shape for high call volume.
Per customer or per call
You pay per unique caller or per conversation rather than per minute, so long calls cost nothing extra. Suits businesses that spend real time on the phone with each person.
Running a home-service business? Compare the software too
The same small businesses that lose calls on the job also juggle scheduling, quotes and invoices. Our field service software section compares 7 platforms (Jobber, Housecall Pro, Workiz, ZenMaid, ServiceTitan and more) with prices from their own pricing pages: from $19/mo for maid services and $29/mo on annual billing for a solo tradesperson, plus picks for cleaning, HVAC and plumbing.
Common questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Published plans run from about $29 a month for a starter tier with roughly 60 minutes, up to $599 a month for unlimited flat-rate answering. The realistic working range for a small business is $99 to $199 a month. Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page, checked in October 2026.
Is an AI receptionist better than a human answering service?
It depends on call value, not on technology. AI answers instantly, never sleeps and costs a fraction of a human service, so it fits high-volume, routine calls. A human service handles emotion, judgement and complex intake better, which matters when one client is worth thousands. Many businesses run AI first and transfer to a person when the call gets complicated.
How much revenue do missed calls actually cost?
Use the calculator on this page. Enter your weekly call count, the share you miss and what a customer is worth. Most small service businesses that miss a quarter of their calls are losing several thousand dollars a month, which is why a $99 answering plan usually pays for itself in the first week.
Why do these prices differ from other comparison sites?
Because most comparison pages are written by vendors about themselves, and because pricing in this category changes fast. We read each vendor pricing page, record the date, and quote the exact wording. When a vendor changes its model, we change the page.