Short answer: most AI receptionists cost between $49 and $500 a month, metered by the minute or by the call, and a few are free up to a small number of calls. The alternative is to buy one once: Answello is $399, and after that you pay only the phone and AI usage on your own accounts. Which is cheaper depends on how many calls you get and how many numbers you run.
What the rented ones charge
Two well-known examples, from their own pricing pages on 26 September 2026:
| Plan | Monthly price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Rosie Professional | $49 | 250 minutes a month, message taking |
| Rosie Scale | $149 | 1,000 minutes, appointment booking, call transfers |
| Rosie Growth | $299 | 2,000 minutes, custom training, backup transfers |
| Smith.ai Free | $0 | 25 calls a month, then $3 a call |
| Smith.ai Pro | $150 | 75 calls a month, then $2 a call |
The pattern across the category is the same: a low entry price, then a meter. You pay for minutes or calls, and the plans that book appointments or transfer calls cost two or three times the entry plan.
The costs nobody lists on the pricing page
- Per number or per location. Run two brands and many services bill you twice. Ask this before anything else.
- Overage in your busy weeks. A metered plan costs most exactly when your phone rings most, which for trades is the first cold snap or heatwave.
- The upgrade you end up needing. Booking, transfers and CRM connections usually live on the higher plans.
- Leaving. Stop paying and the answering stops the same day, and your call history may stay behind.
Three years, side by side
Monthly prices feel small, so multiply them out. For one brand, at the entry plans:
| One brand, three years | Two brands, three years | |
|---|---|---|
| Rosie Professional | $1,764 | $3,528 if billed per number |
| Smith.ai Pro | $5,400 before any extra calls | $10,800 if billed per number |
| Answello | $399 once, plus your own phone and AI usage | $399 once, plus your own phone and AI usage |
Answello’s running costs are real, and they are yours: the phone company charges around $8 a month per brand, and the AI provider charges for what the calls use. Both bill accounts in your own name, and nothing comes to us. The full reasoning is in how to avoid monthly SaaS fees for call answering.
When renting is the better deal
Be honest with yourself about three things. If you need appointments booked or calls transferred while the caller is on the line, a rented service does that and Answello does not. If you get a handful of calls a month, a free or $49 plan may be all you ever need. And if nobody in the business will look after a server, factor in our $895 set-up or a monthly service.
Work out your own number
The price only means something next to what missed calls cost you now. Count last month’s missed calls, estimate how many were real jobs, and multiply by an average job. What a missed call actually costs you walks through it with four figures you already know. Then compare the options on the AI receptionist page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?
Most cost between $49 and $500 a month in 2026, metered by minutes or calls. Some have free tiers for a few dozen calls, with per-call charges after that.
Is there an AI receptionist without a monthly fee?
Yes. Answello is bought once for $399, or $895 installed for you. You still pay the phone company and the AI provider for usage, on your own accounts, but nothing to Answello each month.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a person?
For taking messages on missed calls, almost always. A person is still better at upset callers, complicated intake and dispatching an on-call technician.
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