How much does an answering service cost in 2026?
Published by Penny · Updated · Sources and corrections
The live-receptionist plans below start at $250–$350 a month. Penny phone plans start at $29 a month billed annually, or $35 month to month, with 100 included minutes. The subscription is the starting cost. Add extra usage and any features your office needs.
Compare the subscription, included usage, overage, and required add-ons together. Use a normal month and your busiest month of call records, especially if weather or seasonal work changes your volume. The table links to each provider’s price page; Smith.ai’s row covers its live receptionists, separately from its AI offering.
Compare the billing unit before choosing a plan.
| Model | How it bills | Entry examples | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human receptionist minute blocks | A subscription includes minutes; extra minutes add charges. | $250/50 min or $350/200 min in the examples below | Call rounding, after-call work, extra-minute rates, and any setup fee. |
| Human receptionist call blocks | A subscription includes calls; extra calls and selected features add charges. | $300/30 calls in the Smith.ai live plan below | Which calls are billable and which features add a per-call fee. Smith.ai excludes qualifying spam. |
| AI receptionist minute blocks | A subscription includes minutes; extra minutes add charges here too. | Penny from $29/mo billed annually | Annual versus monthly price, included minutes, overage, phone-number fees, and feature tiers. |
What Ruby, Smith.ai, AnswerConnect, and Dialzara charge, dated.
Sourced from each provider’s published pricing, with the date we checked it, because pricing pages change.
| Provider | Type | Entry plan | Mid plan | Overage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny | AI | Chat free · phone $29/mo billed annually · 100 min | $99/mo billed annually · 375 min | $0.24–$0.29 per min | Pricing |
| Ruby | Human | $250/mo · 50 min | $395/mo · 100 min | Ask Ruby for the plan’s rate | Ruby plans and pricingas of 2026-09-07 |
| Smith.ai (live agents) | Human | $300/mo · 30 calls | $810/mo · 90 calls | $11.50/call Starter; $10.50 Basic; $8.50 Pro | Smith.ai live receptionist pricingas of 2026-09-07 |
| AnswerConnect | Human | $350/mo · 200 min (+$49.99 setup) | $395/mo · 300 min; no setup fee | $2.50/min Entry; $1.85 Growth/Standard | AnswerConnect services and plansas of 2026-09-07 |
| Dialzara | AI | $29/mo · 60 min | $99/mo · 220 min | $0.48/min Lite; $0.45 Pro; $0.40 Plus; $0.35 Elite | Dialzara pricingas of 2026-09-07 |
Prices verified on the dates shown; providers change pricing without notice. Spot an outdated number? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
What moves an answering service bill.
Decide whether callers need a human receptionist on every call or an AI receptionist with transfers to your team. Then compare plans that cover your actual hours and tasks.
Thirty calls is not thirty minutes. Use a month of call records to estimate both call count and duration. Ask each provider which time counts, how it rounds calls, and what it excludes.
Booking, bilingual answering, intake, and transfers may be included, tiered, or charged separately. Price the combination you need, rather than comparing two entry plans with different features.
Penny Starter includes 100 minutes. At 140 minutes, the extra 40 cost $11.60: a total of $40.60 on the effective annual monthly price, or $46.60 month to month. This is a usage example, not a quote for your business.
Free website chat. Phone answering from $29 a month.
Every paid plan comes with trade knowledge, your intake questions, and calendar booking. Bigger plans add minutes, on-call dispatch, integrations, texting, and reporting.
Billed annually, ~17% less than month to month.
100 phone minutes a month · $348 billed annually
- Everything in Free
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.100 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.29/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- The chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.Unlimited website chat without the Penny markThe chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.
- Penny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.Calendar booking in Google or Outlook, on phone and chatPenny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.
- Edit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.Your trade’s emergency rules and a transfer numberEdit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.
- Review call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.Call log with transcripts; Zapier and webhooksReview call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.
375 phone minutes a month · $1,188 billed annually
- Everything in Starter
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.375 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.27/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Set who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.On-call schedule and dispatch; warm transferSet who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.
- Send intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, HubSpot, SalesforceSend intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.
- Callers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.Text confirmations, missed-call text-back, photo-by-textCallers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.
- Several numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.Multiple numbers and locations; custom workflowsSeveral numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.
1050 phone minutes a month · $2,988 billed annually
- Everything in Pro
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.1050 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.24/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Call volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.Analytics and reporting; API and exportCall volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.
- Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.Compliance mode (PHI-minimized, retention, BAA)Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.
- Front-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.Priority support and guided setupFront-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.
Chat on your website. 100 conversations a month.
- One visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.100 chat conversations a monthOne visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.
- The free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.A small “answered by Penny” mark on the widgetThe free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.
- A visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.Appointment requests you confirmA visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.
- Penny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.English and SpanishPenny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.
- Penny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.Answers from your website and your trade’s knowledgePenny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.
- The details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.Lead capture, with an email after every conversationThe details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.
Phone answering, live booking, and call transfers begin on Starter.
Try Penny freeFrom $3,000 a year, with custom volume and a named account team.
- Everything in Business
- Minutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.Custom phone volumeMinutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.21/min after that, the lowest rateThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Chat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.Unlimited website chatChat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.
- A named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.A dedicated account team and SLAsA named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.
- Connectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.Custom integrations and onboardingConnectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.
Billed annually on a custom contract.
Talk to usNo setup fee. Keep your number and cancel from billing. Enterprise uses a custom annual contract.
Rounding, overage, setup fees, and the other bill questions.
Listen to the shared HVAC demo at (630) 297-4128, then compare the plans above.
The live plans in the table begin at $250–$350 per month with limited included usage. Penny answers 24/7 from $29/month billed annually or $35 month to month, with 100 minutes included and $0.29/minute beyond them. There is no separate Penny after-hours surcharge.
Estimate the cost against your own job margin.
Penny asks whether the furnace starts and quits or never starts at all, then puts the caller’s answer on the service ticket.
Penny records the property, unit, and access instructions together, so the maintenance coordinator can act on the request.
A slow-drain request includes which fixture is affected and whether other drains are backing up, so your plumber can prepare for the visit.
Give Penny a call before you forward yours.
Try the HVAC demo, then set up Penny for your business. Your account includes 14 days of Pro; Free keeps your website chat after the trial.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.