Answering Service Cost Calculator
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
An answering service costs a monthly base fee plus a per-minute or per-call charge once you pass the plan's allowance. For 150 calls a month averaging 2.5 minutes, published human answering plans we checked cost $492 to $1,725 a month. AI answering plans cost $119 to $449.
- Billable minutes per month
- 375
- Your plan, per call
- $4.65
- Human answering, published plans
- $492–$1,725
- AI answering, published plans
- $119–$449
Human answering services (cheapest plan for your usage)
- Specialty Answering Service: 220 Minute
- $492/mo · $3.28/call
- MAP Communications: Enterprise (250 min)
- $499/mo · $3.33/call
- PATLive: 300 min
- $621/mo · $4.14/call
- AnswerConnect: Standard (400 min)
- $668/mo · $4.45/call
- Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation): 200 min
- $756/mo · $5.04/call
- Abby Connect: Growth (500 min)
- $1,380/mo · $9.20/call
- Smith.ai (human receptionists): Basic (90 calls)
- $1,440/mo · $9.60/call
- Ruby: 500 min
- $1,725/mo · $11.50/call
AI answering services
- Goodcall: Starter (100 callers)
- $119/mo · $0.79/call
- My AI Front Desk: Business-in-a-Box (200 min)
- $143/mo · $0.95/call
- Rosie: Scale (1,000 min)
- $149/mo · $0.99/call
- Dialzara: Business Pro (220 min)
- $169/mo · $1.13/call
- Sameday AI: Launch (500 min)
- $449/mo · $2.99/call
150 calls at 2.5 minutes is about 375 billable minutes. Published human answering plans run $492–$1,725 a month for that; AI answering runs $119–$449. Prices checked 2026-10-12; confirm with the vendor before you sign.
Key takeaways
- Monthly cost = base fee + (billed minutes − included minutes) × overage rate. Some services bill per call instead.
- Billable minutes = calls × average call length, and some services round every call up to a full minute.
- For the same calls, published human plans ranged roughly 3–4 times the price of the cheapest; vendor choice matters.
- AI answering plans are typically a fraction of human per-minute pricing, but check what each one can actually do on a call.
- Prices change often. Every figure here was checked on vendor pricing pages on 2026-10-12.
How much does an answering service cost?
It depends on how many minutes you use and how the vendor bills. Most human answering services sell monthly plans with a bucket of minutes, then charge per extra minute. Smith.ai bills its human receptionists per call. AI answering services sell larger minute buckets for less. At 375 minutes a month, the cheapest published human plan we found was $492.20 and the most expensive was $1,725.
Monthly cost = Base + max(0, (C × D) − I) × O
- Base
- monthly plan price
- C
- calls per month the service answers
- D
- average billed minutes per call (rounded up per call if the vendor bills whole minutes)
- I
- minutes included in the plan
- O
- price per extra minute (overage)
- 1
Decide which calls go to the service.
After-hours only, overflow when you don't pick up, or every call. The fewer calls you route, the smaller the plan.
- 2
Find your average call length.
Your phone system's call log shows it. Calls where the service books a job and collects an address run longer than message-taking.
- 3
Check how the vendor bills.
Per minute or per call, rounding increments, setup fees, holiday and weekend charges, and whether spam calls count.
- 4
Compare at your real volume.
Enter your numbers above. The calculator picks each vendor's cheapest published plan for your usage and lets you price a quote you've been given.
What each service would charge for 150 calls a month
| Service | Cheapest plan for this usage | Monthly cost | Cost per call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Answering Service | 220 Minute | $492.20 | $3.28 |
| MAP Communications | Enterprise (250 min) | $499.00 | $3.33 |
| PATLive | 300 min | $620.75 | $4.14 |
| AnswerConnect | Standard (400 min) | $667.50 | $4.45 |
| Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation) | 200 min | $756.25 | $5.04 |
| Abby Connect | Growth (500 min) | $1,380.00 | $9.20 |
| Smith.ai (human receptionists) | Basic (90 calls) | $1,440.00 | $9.60 |
| Ruby | 500 min | $1,725.00 | $11.50 |
| Goodcall | Starter (100 callers) | $118.50 | $0.79 |
| My AI Front Desk | Business-in-a-Box (200 min) | $142.75 | $0.95 |
| Rosie | Scale (1,000 min) | $149.00 | $0.99 |
| Dialzara | Business Pro (220 min) | $168.75 | $1.13 |
| Sameday AI | Launch (500 min) | $449.00 | $2.99 |
Published answering service prices (October 2026)
| Service | Type | Plans: price/included (+ overage per unit) | Billing notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PATLive | Human | $49/0 min (+$2.99); $99/50 min (+$2.29); $189/100 min (+$2.09); $349/200 min (+$1.99); $479/300 min (+$1.89); $759/500 min (+$1.79); $1,499/1,000 min (+$1.69) | Bills only time receptionists are live on calls; plus taxes and fees. |
| AnswerConnect | Human | $350/200 min (+$2.50); $395/300 min (+$1.85); $575/400 min (+$1.85) | Rounds every call up to the next minute. Some plans add a $49.99 one-time setup fee. |
| MAP Communications | Human | $49/0 min (+$1.37); $179/125 min (+$1.30); $339/250 min (+$1.28); $649/500 min (+$1.28) | Billing increment not published. |
| Specialty Answering Service | Human | $44/0 min (+$1.54); $159/100 min (+$1.44); $269/220 min (+$1.44); $649/500 min (+$1.34); $1,199/1,000 min (+$1.29) | Billed by the second, no setup fee. Lists weekend and holiday fees; amounts not checked. |
| Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation) | Human | $165/50 min (+$2.28); $265/100 min (+$2.12); $422/200 min (+$1.91); $985/500 min (+$1.67) | VoiceNation's pricing page now redirects here. Billing increment not published. |
| Ruby | Human | $250/50 min; $395/100 min; $720/200 min; $1,725/500 min | No setup fees; 24/7 coverage. Overage rate not published, so the plan must cover your minutes. |
| Abby Connect | Human | $165/50 min; $329/100 min; $599/200 min; $1,380/500 min | No setup fee. Overage billed at the plan's per-minute rate (not stated in dollars), so the plan must cover your minutes here. |
| Smith.ai (human receptionists) | Human | $300/30 calls (+$11.50); $810/90 calls (+$10.50); $2,100/300 calls (+$8.50) | Billed per call, not per minute. Same price day or night. |
| Dialzara | AI | $29/60 min (+$0.48); $99/220 min (+$0.45); $199/500 min (+$0.40); $349/1,000 min (+$0.35) | AI answering. Monthly billing, no setup fees. |
| Rosie | AI | $49/250 min; $149/1,000 min; $299/2,000 min | AI answering. Overage rate not published, so the plan must cover your minutes. |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | $99/200 min (+$0.25) | AI answering. $99/month billed monthly; extra minutes are 25 credits ($0.25) each. |
| Goodcall | AI | $79/100 callers (+$0.79); $129/500 callers (+$0.26); $299/2,000 callers (+$0.15) | AI answering. Billed per unique caller, never per minute. Modeled here as one caller per call, the most expensive case. |
| Sameday AI | AI | $449/500 min; $789/1,000 min | AI answering built for home services. Overage rate not published, so the plan must cover your minutes. |
Hidden costs to check before you sign
- Rounding. Per-call rounding to the next minute (or 30 seconds) can add a fifth or more to short calls. AnswerConnect's pricing sheet says calls are rounded up to the nearest minute; Specialty Answering Service says it bills by the second.
- Setup fees. Ruby, Smith.ai, Abby Connect and Specialty Answering Service say they charge none; some AnswerConnect plans add a one-time $49.99 fee.
- Nights, weekends and holidays. Ruby, Smith.ai and Abby Connect say they don't charge more for off-hours calls. Ask every other vendor in writing.
- Spam and wrong numbers. Smith.ai says it doesn't bill spam on lines that pass caller ID. Others may bill every connected call.
- Taxes and fees. PATLive's prices are listed plus government taxes and fees.
- What the receptionist can do. Message-taking costs the same per minute as booking, but only booking turns the call into a job.
Answering service vs. AI receptionist: which costs less?
On published prices, AI answering is far cheaper per minute: at this volume the cheapest AI plan is $118.50 a month against $492.20 for the cheapest human plan. The right question is cost per booked job, not per minute. A human service that only takes messages still leaves you calling back, and some callers will have booked elsewhere by then. Compare all three options, including hiring, with the AI receptionist ROI calculator, and see AI receptionist vs. answering service.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an answering service cost per month?
Published plans we checked start around $44–$49 a month for pay-as-you-go access and run past $1,700 for 500 minutes. What you'll actually pay depends on your minutes: 150 calls at 2.5 minutes cost $492–$1,725 a month on published human plans.
How much does an answering service cost per minute?
Overage rates on the published human plans we checked range from about $1.28 to $2.99 per minute, falling as plans get bigger. Effective cost per minute is higher on small plans, because you pay for included minutes whether or not you use them.
Is an answering service cheaper than hiring a receptionist?
For after-hours and overflow, usually yes, because you pay only for the minutes used. A full-time receptionist costs wages plus payroll taxes and benefits whether the phone rings or not, but also handles other office work. The AI receptionist ROI calculator compares all three options.
Do answering services charge for short calls and hang-ups?
Many do. Check the billing increment and whether hang-ups, wrong numbers and spam are billed. Rounding every call up to a full minute can raise the bill by 20% or more when most calls are short.
What's the difference between per-minute and per-call pricing?
Per-minute plans charge for receptionist time, so long booking calls cost more. Per-call plans, like Smith.ai's, charge the same for every call, which suits longer calls. Run your average call length through the calculator to see which is cheaper for you.
How often do answering service prices change?
Often enough that you should check before you sign. Every price on this page was checked on the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-10-12, and the sources are linked below.
Related
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- AI Receptionist ROI Calculator: AI vs. Answering Service vs. In-House CSRCompare an AI receptionist, a human answering service and an in-house CSR on your own calls, using published 2026 prices and BLS wage data.
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- Ruby Receptionist Alternatives: Cheaper Live and AI Options for Trades BusinessesRuby receptionist alternatives ranked by real cost per minute: PATLive, Abby Connect, Smith.ai, Sameday, Frontdesk and BRIX, with October 2026 prices.
- Smith.ai Alternatives for Contractors: Live Receptionists and AI Answering ComparedSmith.ai alternatives for contractors: Ruby, PATLive, Abby Connect, Rosie, Goodcall, Jobber and BRIX compared on 2026 prices, live agents and booking.
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- AI Receptionist for Contractors That Books the Job, Not Just the MessageAn AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7, qualifies the caller and books the job, then carries it through quote, invoice and QuickBooks.
- HVAC Answering Service That Triages, Books and Pages Your On-Call TechAn AI answering service for HVAC that triages no-heat and no-cool calls, screens for gas smells and books the job instead of taking a message.
- Plumbing Answering Service That Gets the Water Off and the Plumber BookedAn after-hours answering service for plumbers that walks callers to the shutoff valve, sorts true emergencies from drips and books the plumber on the spot.
Sources
- PATLive pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- AnswerConnect pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- MAP Communications pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Specialty Answering Service pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation) pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Ruby pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Abby Connect pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Smith.ai (human receptionists) pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Dialzara pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Rosie pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- My AI Front Desk pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Goodcall pricing (checked October 12, 2026)
- Sameday AI pricing (checked October 12, 2026)