How much does an AI receptionist cost? (2026 pricing guide)

Last updated: 15 October 2026. Figures below come from our directory of AI receptionist and AI voice agent vendors on AI Front Desk List, normalized on 2026-10-15 from 98 listings. Where we cite a wage or answering-service benchmark, the source URL is linked inline. We do not invent prices.

If you are comparing tools by industry, start with AI receptionist for dental practices, AI receptionist for HVAC companies, AI receptionist for law firms, AI receptionist for medical offices and clinics, AI receptionist for salons and spas, AI receptionist for restaurants, or AI receptionist for real estate agents and brokerages.

Pricing models explained

Vendors rarely use one shared vocabulary. In our dataset we map published plans into a small set of models:

1. Flat monthly - One price per month for the AI receptionist package, usually with a fair-use or unlimited inbound policy.
2. Usage plus base - A monthly floor that includes a pool of minutes or calls, then overage. This is the most common published pattern among SMB tools in our file.
3. Tiered - Named plans (Starter, Growth, Pro) with different included capacity.
4. Per location - Price quoted per clinic, outlet, or site (common in dental, restaurants, and salons).
5. Per minute - Primary billing by minute (sometimes sold as minute packages).
6. Per call / per resolved interaction - Bundles of calls or tickets, with per-call overage.
7. Quote only - Demo or sales-led pricing with no public list (about 39% of the 98 vendors in our pricing snapshot).

Setup fees, annual discounts, and add-ons (SMS, chat, outbound) sit on top of those models. Always check whether the published number is the platform price or the AI receptionist line item. Some dental and field-service suites publish a CRM or FSM floor and keep the AI agent as a custom add-on.

What AI receptionist pricing looks like in our data

Sample: the 98 vendors in our pricing snapshot of the AI Front Desk List directory (checked 2026-10-15). 51 have a parsed starting monthly USD figure (including free $0 plans). 47 have a paid starting monthly greater than $0.

Per-minute overage or primary rates (14 vendors with a parsed rate): median $0.25/min, range $0.05 to $1.25/min.

Setup fees: only a minority publish a one-time fee in public copy. In our parse, 5 vendors list a positive setup (examples from about $199 to $585 at the low end of their own ranges). Many others are silent, so "no fee listed" is not the same as "no fee."

Free plans: a handful offer a true free tier (not just a trial), including Smith.ai and Phonely among the multi-industry tools we rechecked on 2026-10-15.

Illustrative starting prices from the directory

These are examples from normalized data, not an endorsement ranking. Follow each vendor page for current terms.

For full cards, browse vendor pages such as Marlie, Rosie, Smith.ai, Upfirst, and Phonely.

Cost vs a human receptionist

A full-time in-office receptionist is a wage and benefits decision, not a SaaS subscription.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the 2025 median pay for receptionists was $38,010 per year, or $18.27 per hour (BLS receptionists profile). That median is wages only. Employers typically also pay payroll taxes, benefits, training, and coverage for breaks, PTO, and after-hours, none of which appear in the BLS median wage table.

Indeed's U.S. receptionist salary page (updated 5 October 2026) reports an average of $17.94 per hour from job postings (Indeed receptionist salaries).

How to use those figures: an AI receptionist does not replace every duty of a front-desk hire (in-person greeting, paperwork, insurance forms). It does change the math for after-hours, overflow, and concurrent calls. Compare AI plans to the slice of coverage you would otherwise staff, not to a fully loaded salary by default.

Cost vs a traditional answering service

Live answering services usually sell minute bundles or per-minute plans with human agents.

A 2025 pricing breakdown from Responsive Answering describes typical live answering bands such as roughly $150 to $250/month for small business plans with about 100 to 150 minutes, $250 to $500/month for mid-tier bundles with about 250 to 500 minutes, and higher enterprise tiers, with overage often near $0.90 to $1.50/min depending on plan (answering service cost guide). The same article places many virtual receptionist packages roughly in the $150 to $600/month range depending on complexity.

AI plans in our directory often look cheaper per included minute than live agent bundles at similar capacity, especially on $49 to $150 SMB tiers. The tradeoff is different: AI quality varies by vertical, and some regulated or high-empathy calls still need a human path. Hybrid vendors (human backup plus AI) sit between the two.

Hidden costs to budget for

Public "from $X/mo" headlines omit several line items we see repeatedly:

• Overage minutes or calls after the included pool (often $0.18 to $0.70/min on minute plans, or $0.70 to $3.00 per extra call on call bundles).
• Setup, onboarding, or training fees (sometimes waived with annual terms).
• Per-location multipliers for multi-site groups.
• Add-ons: SMS, website chat, outbound campaigns, extra phone lines, CRM or PMS connectors.
• Annual vs monthly billing (many vendors discount annual; our mins usually use the monthly list price).
• Platform vs AI SKU: paying for a practice OS or field-service suite does not always include the AI receptionist.
• Compliance packages (for example HIPAA BAA) that appear only on higher tiers.
• Carrier or telephony pass-through on some usage products.

If a vendor is quote-only in our file, assume you need a scoped demo before you can forecast spend.

Cost by industry (from our dataset)

Paid starting monthly medians by industry group (2026-10-15 normalize). Counts are vendors tagged with that industry in our vendor data.

Industry deep-dives: AI receptionist for dental practices, AI receptionist for HVAC companies, AI receptionist for plumbing businesses, AI receptionist for law firms, AI receptionist for medical offices and clinics, AI receptionist for restaurants, AI receptionist for real estate agents and brokerages, AI receptionist for salons and spas, AI receptionist for veterinary clinics, AI receptionist for small businesses.

How to budget for an AI receptionist

1. Measure current call load for two to four weeks: calls per day, average talk time, after-hours share, and how many become bookings.
2. Pick a model that matches volatility. Steady volume fits flat or large minute bundles. Spiky seasonal trades may prefer call bundles or transparent overage.
3. Price the included pool, not only the headline. A $49 plan with 250 minutes and $0.35 overage can exceed a $149 plan if you routinely run hot.
4. Add hard extras: setup, second location, SMS pack, and any required integration tier.
5. Run a paid pilot during peak hours. Use a free plan or trial only to test voice quality and booking accuracy, not to forecast production spend.
6. Keep a human escape hatch for emergencies, accessibility needs, and complex complaints.
7. Revisit quarterly. Overage patterns tell you when to move up a tier.

FAQ

How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?

In our 15 October 2026 snapshot of 98 vendors, 47 publish a paid starting monthly we could parse. The median start is $165/mo, with published starts from $10 to $1,200. Many enterprise and dental platforms remain quote-only.

Is there a free AI receptionist?

Yes, a few vendors offer a free tier with tight limits (for example limited monthly calls or minutes). Free trials are more common than free plans. Confirm card requirements and what happens at the cap.

Is AI cheaper than hiring a receptionist?

Median U.S. receptionist wages were about $38,010/year in BLS 2025 data (source), before benefits. AI subscriptions in our directory are usually tens to a few hundreds of dollars per month. They cover different work. Use AI for coverage gaps; use hiring when you need a full in-person role.

How do AI prices compare to answering services?

Live answering guides often quote roughly $150 to $500+/month for common minute bundles, with per-minute overage near $1/min in many examples (example breakdown). AI SMB plans frequently start lower, with different quality and escalation tradeoffs.

Why do dental AI tools look more expensive?

Dental vendors in our set more often publish per-location practice platforms, recall products, or mid-market suites. The dental median paid start in our file is about $349/mo, versus about $64/mo for HVAC/home-services tools with published prices. Many dental AI products are still quote-only.

What is the usual overage rate?

Among 14 vendors with a parsed per-minute figure, the median is $0.25/min. Call-bundle products charge per extra call instead (examples in our file from under $1 to about $3 depending on tier).

Do AI receptionists charge setup fees?

Sometimes. Most public pages we checked omit setup. A minority list one-time onboarding or training fees. Ask during sales if the page is silent.

Methodology: Prices normalized from AI Front Desk List vendor data on 2026-10-15 (98 vendors). Forty-five vendor sites were rechecked the same day. Non-USD currencies are not converted unless the page states USD. Featured or sponsored placements, when present on the live site, are disclosed on those listings.