Answering service pricing 2026
An independent, sortable database of 60+ human answering services, AI receptionists, hybrid services, and developer voice platforms. Filter by category, sort by entry price, and see overage mechanics and last-verified dates. Updated August 2026.
Human answering services start around $200 to $400/month for 50 to 100 minutes. AI receptionists start at $29/month with unlimited or generous allowances. Developer platforms cost $0.05 to $0.09 per minute plus model and TTS pass-through. AI is cheaper than human services at virtually any volume above 50 minutes/month.
60+ providers, one comparison
Filter by category (AI, human, hybrid, or developer platform), search by name or use case, and sort by entry price. Entry price is the lowest paid tier; overage is where human bills usually balloon. All rows verified August 2026.
| Provider | Category | Entry price | Overage / notes | Best for | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnCallClerkFeatured | AI | $29/mo | None on entry tier | Flat-rate 24/7 with calendar + CRM included | Aug 2026 |
| Pipecat | Developer | Free (OSS) | Self-host; you pay infra + models | Open-source builders | Aug 2026 |
| Dialpad Ai | AI | $15/user/mo | AI agents on higher tiers | Contact-center teams | Aug 2026 |
| Synthflow | AI | $29/mo | Minutes metered beyond plan | No-code voice agents | Aug 2026 |
| Specialty Answering Service | Human | $36/mo | Pay-per-minute, no contract | Lowest-cost human 24/7 | Aug 2026 |
| Answering Service Care | Human | $45/mo | Minute bundles | Medical, legal | Aug 2026 |
| MAP Communications | Human | $45/mo | Per-minute on top | Employee-owned, 24/7 | Aug 2026 |
| Echowin | AI | $49/mo | Credit-based usage | Workflow automation | Aug 2026 |
| Rosie | AI | $49/mo | Per-call over plan | Small service businesses | Aug 2026 |
| Simple Phones | AI | $49/mo | Per-call over plan | Call forwarding + AI | Aug 2026 |
| Solwees AI | AI | $49/mo | Per-call on higher tiers | Multilingual answering | Aug 2026 |
| AnswerFirst | Human | $50/mo | Per-minute usage | Pay-per-minute 24/7 | Aug 2026 |
| Go Answer | Human | $50/mo | Per-minute tiers | Legal intake, bilingual | Aug 2026 |
| Lindy | AI | $49.99/mo | Task-credit based | DIY AI employee builder | Aug 2026 |
| Goodcall | AI | $59/mo | Calendar behind paid tier | Local businesses | Aug 2026 |
| ReceptionHQ | Human | $59/mo | Pay-as-you-go minutes | Occasional overflow | Aug 2026 |
| VoiceNation | Human | $59/mo | Per-minute tier | Pay-as-you-go | Aug 2026 |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | $65/mo | 30 min; per-minute over | Solo operators | Aug 2026 |
| DialZara | AI | $80/mo | 50 min included; overage applies | Agencies, resellers | Aug 2026 |
| Slang.ai | AI | $99/mo | Per-answered-call tiers | Restaurants | Aug 2026 |
| Davinci Virtual | Human | $129/mo | 50 min live answering | Virtual office + reception | Aug 2026 |
| Posh | Human | $155/mo | Minute bundles | US-based virtual reception | Aug 2026 |
| PATLive | Human | $199/mo | 75 min; 14-day trial | General SMB | Aug 2026 |
| Smith.ai | Hybrid | $285/mo | 30 calls; $7-9/call over | AI + human receptionists | Aug 2026 |
| AnswerForce | Human | $309/mo | 100 min included | Trades, field service | Aug 2026 |
| Abby Connect | Human | $329/mo | Dedicated team of 5 | Premium receptionist team | Aug 2026 |
| AnswerConnect | Human | $329/mo | 50 min; $1.85/min over | 24/7 live answering | Aug 2026 |
| Ruby | Human | $329/mo | 50 min; $1.85/min over | Law firms, pro services | Aug 2026 |
| Air AI | AI | Enterprise | Custom only | Enterprise sales/support | Aug 2026 |
| Ambs Call Center | Human | Quote | Per-minute | Medical, business 24/7 | Aug 2026 |
| AnswerNet | Human | Quote | Per-minute | Inbound/outbound BPO | Aug 2026 |
| Bland | Developer | $0.09/min | All-in per-minute | Outbound + inbound at scale | Aug 2026 |
| Cartesia | Developer | Per-min | Usage-based | Ultra-low-latency TTS | Aug 2026 |
| Continental Message Solution | Human | Quote | Per-minute | Call center + answering | Aug 2026 |
| Convin | Hybrid | Quote | Usage-based | AI + agent-assist | Aug 2026 |
| Curious Thing | AI | Quote | Custom | Enterprise voice AI | Aug 2026 |
| Deepgram Voice Agent | Developer | Per-min | STT/TTS usage | Low-latency pipelines | Aug 2026 |
| ElevenLabs Agents | Developer | Per-min | TTS usage-based | Best-in-class voice quality | Aug 2026 |
| LiveKit Agents | Developer | Usage | Infra + model usage | Real-time media infra | Aug 2026 |
| Moneypenny | Human | Quote | Dedicated PA pricing | Premium dedicated reception | Aug 2026 |
| Nexa | Hybrid | Quote | Industry-specific | Human + AI, verticalized | Aug 2026 |
| Numa | AI | Quote | Custom | Auto dealers, franchises | Aug 2026 |
| OpenAI Realtime API | Developer | Per-min | Token + audio usage | Speech-to-speech agents | Aug 2026 |
| Phonely | AI | Quote | Per-minute | High-volume inbound | Aug 2026 |
| Play.ai | Developer | Per-min | Usage-based | Voice agents + TTS | Aug 2026 |
| Podium AI Employee | AI | Quote | Bundled with suite | Reviews + messaging + calls | Aug 2026 |
| Regal.ai | AI | Quote | Usage-based | Outbound + inbound agents | Aug 2026 |
| Retell AI | Developer | $0.07/min | Model costs separate | Custom voice agents | Aug 2026 |
| Signius Communications | Human | Quote | Per-minute | Nationwide, HIPAA | Aug 2026 |
| Sound Telecom | Human | Quote | Custom | Enterprise 24/7 | Aug 2026 |
| Stericycle Comm Solutions | Human | Quote | Custom | Healthcare, compliance | Aug 2026 |
| TeleDirect | Human | Quote | Minute packages | Scalable inbound | Aug 2026 |
| Thoughtly | AI | Quote | Per-minute | Sales & support agents | Aug 2026 |
| Twilio | Developer | Per-min | Telephony only; build the rest | BYO infrastructure | Aug 2026 |
| Vapi | Developer | $0.05/min | Plus model + TTS pass-through | Custom voice agents | Aug 2026 |
| VoiceLink | Human | Quote | Per-minute | Medical answering | Aug 2026 |
How to read these prices honestly
Sticker prices are misleading. The real cost is sticker plus expected overage plus integrations plus the operational tax of working around limits. We list entry prices for comparability and call out the major overage and gotcha mechanics in the notes.
AI vs human: when each makes sense
AI wins on cost, 24/7 coverage, integrations, and consistency. Human wins on relational sales, sensitive subject matter, and edge-case judgement. Most modern setups are hybrid: AI fronts every call, escalates the small fraction that needs a human. See AI receptionist vs human answering service.
Developer platforms: build vs buy
Vapi, Retell, and Bland are infrastructure for builders. They make sense if you have engineering capacity and a unique flow that off-the-shelf cannot serve. For most SMBs, the all-in cost of building beats the off-the-shelf alternative only at very high volume. See cheapest way to run a voice AI agent and is Vapi expensive?
Pricing tiers cheat sheet
- · Under 30 calls/mo: any flat-rate AI plan or SAS pay-per-minute.
- · 30-200 calls/mo: AI receptionist with calendar/CRM (OnCallClerk, Rosie, Goodcall).
- · 200-2,000 calls/mo: hybrid AI + escalation, or premium AI tier.
- · Over 2,000 calls/mo: dedicated platform (Vapi/Retell) or enterprise AI service.
What is not in this table
Setup fees, integration fees, bilingual premiums, after-hours surcharges, message-delivery fees, contract minimums, cancellation terms, and the cost of switching providers later. Always ask for an itemized estimate at your expected monthly volume before committing.
Methodology
Prices were collected from each provider's public pricing page and verified in August 2026. Where pricing requires a sales call, we mark it as "Quote." Where a vendor offers multiple tiers, we list the entry price plus the most relevant minute or call allowance. Per-minute developer platforms are shown at their published rate before model and TTS pass-through. We do not include free trials or promotional pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the typical price of an answering service?
Human answering services typically run $200 to $400/month for 50 to 100 minutes of live answering, with per-minute overage of $1.50 to $2.50. AI receptionists run $29 to $99/month with unlimited or much higher minute allowances. Developer platforms like Vapi/Retell/Bland charge $0.05 to $0.09 per minute plus model and TTS costs.
What is the cheapest answering service?
For low-volume occasional answering, SAS at $36/month or pay-per-minute services from MAP Communications and VoiceNation are the cheapest human options. For 24/7 unlimited answering, OnCallClerk at $29/month is the cheapest AI option in the market with no per-minute overage.
AI receptionist vs human answering service: which is cheaper?
AI is cheaper at almost every volume above ~50 minutes/month. A human service at $329/month for 50 minutes works out to $6.58/min. AI at $29/month with unlimited calls works out to fractions of a cent per minute at typical SMB volume. The break-even tips toward AI almost immediately. See the full breakdown.
What hidden fees should I watch for?
Per-minute overage (often $1.50 to $9 per call), setup fees ($50 to $500), bilingual surcharges, after-hours premiums, holiday pricing, message-delivery fees (per email/SMS), and CRM integration fees. The cheapest sticker price is rarely the cheapest actual bill at month end.
How should I choose between providers?
Start with monthly call volume. Under 30 calls: any flat-rate AI plan. 30 to 200 calls: AI receptionist with calendar/CRM integration. 200+ calls with complex flows: hybrid AI + escalation, or evaluate dedicated team services. Run the should-I-hire quiz for a guided answer.
How do prices scale as my call volume grows?
Human services scale linearly: more minutes = more dollars, often steeply. AI receptionists scale flat or in tiers, so unit economics improve with volume. Developer platforms scale per-minute, so they look cheap until you total monthly usage; then they often beat human services but lose to flat-rate AI at SMB volume.
Pay $29/month, not $329
OnCallClerk delivers 24/7 AI answering with calendar and CRM integration from $29/month flat. No per-minute overage on entry tier.