Updated 2026-06-10 · every price below is linked to its source
Short answer: a traditional human answering service runs $250–$1,700+ per month depending on minutes, a per-call service runs roughly $10 per answered call, and AI answering services run $29–$249 per month flat. The long answer is below, with every number sourced and dated.
The pricing model matters more than the sticker price. Human services bill for agent time — per minute or per call — so your bill scales with your call volume, and a busy month is an expensive month. AI services answer in software, so the same plan covers the quiet weeks and the storm-week call floods.
| Model | How it bills | Typical entry price | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-minute (human agents) | You buy a block of receptionist minutes; overage is billed per minute. | $250–$400/mo for 50–200 minutes | Rounding up to the next minute, setup fees, and per-minute overage of $1.85–$2.50. |
| Per-call (human agents) | You buy a block of answered calls, regardless of length. | ≈$10/call ($292.50/mo for 30 calls) | Spam and wrong numbers can count as calls; overage per call costs more than in-plan calls. |
| Flat monthly (AI receptionist) | Software answers every call; plans include generous minutes. | $29–$249/mo | Whether it actually books appointments and transfers calls, or just takes messages. |
Sourced from each provider's published pricing — dates included, because pricing pages change.
| Provider | Type | Entry plan | Mid plan | Overage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny | AI | Free · then $29/mo · 60 min | $99/mo · 220 min | $0.40–$0.48 per min | Pricing |
| Ruby | Human | $250/mo · 50 min | $395/mo · 100 min | Not published | ruby.com/pricingas of 2026-06-13 |
| Smith.ai (live agents) | Human | $292.50/mo · 30 calls | $532.50/mo · 60 calls | $9.75–$11 per call | smith.ai/pricing/receptionistsas of 2026-06-13 |
| AnswerConnect | Human | $350/mo · 200 min (+$49.99 setup) | $395/mo · 300 min | $1.85–$2.50 per min | Vida — AnswerConnect pricing guideas of 2026-06-13 |
| Dialzara | AI | $29/mo · 60 min | $99/mo · 220 min | $0.40–$0.48 per min | dialzara.com/pricingas of 2026-06-13 |
Prices verified on the dates shown; providers change pricing without notice. Spot an outdated number? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Human receptionists are the cost driver — you're paying for staffed seats around the clock. That's why 24/7 human coverage starts around $300/month for under an hour of talk time, while AI coverage is 24/7 by default.
Per-minute plans punish chatty callers; per-call plans punish short wrong-number calls. Read the rounding rules — most human services round every call up to the next minute.
Message-taking is the cheap tier. Appointment booking, intake, and CRM updates usually cost more per minute or sit in higher plans — with AI services they're typically included.
The advertised price is the floor. If your call volume is seasonal — storm weeks, heat waves, tax season — model your worst month, not your average one, against the overage rate.
Penny answers every call and takes a message on every plan — paid plans add appointment booking, lead capture, your tool integrations, and more talk time. Start free on a real phone number, and only pay once Penny is earning her keep.
Billed annually — about ~17% less than month-to-month.
Includes 60 minutes/mo · billed annually
Includes 220 minutes/mo · billed annually
Includes 625 minutes/mo · billed annually
Penny answers any call night and day, handles your FAQs, and takes a message — then emails you the details the moment they hang up. No card.
Appointment booking & lead capture begin on Starter; integrations on Pro.
Start freeHigh call volume or many locations? We’ll build a custom plan around how you work.
Billed annually on a custom contract.
Talk to salesAll plans: no setup fees · keep your number · cancel anytime.
Still doing the math? Call Penny and ask her what she costs.
With human agents, 24/7 coverage starts around $250–$350 per month for a small block of minutes (Ruby's 50-minute plan is $250/mo; AnswerConnect's entry plan is $350/mo for 200 minutes, as of June 2026). AI answering services like Penny include 24/7 in every plan — Penny starts free (30 min/mo, messages & FAQ), then $29–$249/month.
You're paying for staffed seats: trained receptionists across shifts, nights, weekends, and holidays. That overhead is real, and it's why per-minute rates land between $1.50 and $2.50 — software doesn't have that cost structure.
Typically $29–$249 per month flat, with hundreds of minutes included. Penny starts free (30 min/mo, messages & FAQ), then $29–$249/month — the $29 plan adds 60 minutes and overage at $0.48/minute — and every paid plan answers 24/7, books appointments, and captures lead details.
Some human services charge setup fees (AnswerConnect lists a $49.99 setup on some plans, as of June 2026) and most bill month-to-month. Penny has no setup fee, no contract, and a free trial with no credit card.
Every missed call is a caller who can ring your competitor next. The math depends on your average job value and close rate — our industry pages include a calculator with sourced defaults so you can run your own numbers.
Penny is an HVAC answering service powered by AI — she answers every call in one ring, triages no-cool emergencies, and books the job. From $29/mo.
Penny answers tenant, prospect, and owner calls 24/7 — triages the 2am leak, dispatches your on-call tech, and books the tour. From $29/mo.
Penny is an AI plumbing answering service — answers every call in one ring, screens burst-pipe emergencies from quote calls, and books both. From $29/mo.
Give Penny your number and let her answer the next call. You’ll have her booking jobs before your coffee’s cold.