We assessed the top 18 answering services (both live and AI) for small businesses. Our recommendation will surprise you.
Every service is priced the same way: its cheapest plan for the month with any extra calls added, at three minutes a call. The numbers come from each company’s own pricing page, checked Nov 4 and 6, 2026.
Monthly cost, cheapest first
| Service | Cost a month |
|---|---|
 UpfirstAIPremium, 90 calls + 10 extra calls |
$69.95 |
 GoodcallAIStarter, 100 callers |
$79 |
 Small Business ChatbotAISelf Serve, 100 calls |
$99 |
 My AI Front DeskAIBusiness-in-a-Box, 200 minutes + 100 extra minutes |
$114 |
 DialzaraAIBusiness Pro, 220 minutes + 80 extra minutes |
$135 |
 RosieAIScale, 1,000 minutes |
$149 |
 Moneypenny AIAI100 calls |
$199 |
 Smith.ai AIAIPro, 75 calls + 25 extra calls |
$212.50 |
 ReceptionHQLive100 calls |
$275 |
 Go AnswerLive300 minutes |
$345 |
 Specialty Answering ServiceLive220 minutes + 80 extra minutes |
$384.20 |
 MAP CommunicationsLiveEnterprise, 250 minutes + 50 extra minutes |
$403 |
 PATLiveLive300 minutes |
$479 |
 PoshLiveLuxurious, 200 minutes + 100 extra minutes |
$630 |
| MoneypennyLive200 minutes + 100 extra minutes |
$661 |
 Abby ConnectLiveProfessional, 200 minutes + 100 extra minutes |
about $898.50 |
| Smith.aiLiveBasic, 90 calls + 10 extra calls |
$915 |
 RubyLive500 minutes |
$1,725 |
At 100 calls a month, the AI services cost $70 to $213 and the live services $275 to $1,725.
Most small businesses should pick an AI answering service over a live one. It costs about a quarter as much, and it answers every call at once.
Three to try first:
Small Business ChatbotAnswers your website chat and your texts as well as your phone.UpfirstThe lowest bill here at 100 calls a month.ReceptionHQThe lowest live bill here at 100 calls a month.To hear how an AI receptionist sounds on a call, call ours at (646) 759-1090.
The plan price is where the bill starts. Five things push it higher.
Ask for the price of an extra minute before you sign. If a company won’t give one, budget for the next plan up.
Eight are AI and ten are live.
AI answering services 8
Best for A low phone-only bill
Even Upfirst’s entry plan books appointments into your calendar, transfers calls and texts your callers.
Spam and calls under 15 seconds aren’t billed.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| Starter, 30 calls | $24.95 | $1.50 |
| Premium, 90 calls | $59.95 | $1.00 |
| Pro, 300 calls | $159.95 | $0.75 |
| Scale, 600 calls | $299 | $0.70 |
Upfirst’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Customers who call back often
Goodcall counts callers, not calls. A customer who calls five times in a month is billed once, and a long call costs the same as a short one.
| Plan | A month | Each extra caller |
|---|---|---|
| Starter, 100 callers | $79 | $0.79 |
| Growth, 500 callers | $129 | $0.26 |
| Scale, 2,000 callers | $299 | $0.15 |
Goodcall’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for One receptionist for your phone, website chat and texts
Small Business Chatbot’s AI receptionist, Sarah, books the appointment on the call, in the chat or by text. After every call she emails you a summary with the transcript.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| Self Serve, 100 calls | $99 | $0.75 |
| Managed, 500 calls | $249 | $0.50 |
Our pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for A self-serve bundle of voice, chat and texting
One plan covers phone calls, a website chatbot and texting. Extra minutes come out of a pool of credits that refills each month.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Business-in-a-Box, 200 minutes | $99 | $0.25 |
My AI Front Desk’s pricing page, checked Nov 6, 2026
Best for A low starting price, with texting and chat to add later
Booking and answering in Spanish start on Dialzara’s cheapest plan.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Business Lite, 60 minutes | $29 | $0.48 |
| Business Pro, 220 minutes | $99 | $0.45 |
| Business Plus, 500 minutes | $199 | $0.40 |
| Business Elite, 1,000 minutes | $349 | $0.35 |
Dialzara’s pricing page, checked Nov 6, 2026
Best for Lots of short message-taking calls
Rosie’s entry plan includes 250 minutes, the most of any per-minute entry plan here. It takes messages and texts the caller a booking link.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, 250 minutes | $49 | Not published |
| Scale, 1,000 minutes | $149 | Not published |
| Growth, 2,000 minutes | $299 | Not published |
Rosie’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for AI with a live team behind it
Moneypenny’s AI plans sit on the same pricing page as its live ones, and are billed by the call instead of the minute.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| 50 calls | $99 | $2.39 |
| 100 calls | $199 | $2.19 |
| 250 calls | $435 | $1.89 |
| 500 calls | $775 | $1.69 |
Moneypenny AI’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Fewer than 25 calls a month
Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is the only free plan on this page. Past 25 calls a month it bills by the call.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| Free, 25 calls | Free | $3.00 |
| Pro, 75 calls | $150 | $2.50 |
| Pro, 150 calls | $270 | $2.30 |
| Enterprise, 300 calls | $500 | $2.17 |
Smith.ai AI’s pricing page, checked Nov 6, 2026
Live answering services 10
Best for The cheapest way to have a person answer
ReceptionHQ bills by the call, so a ten-minute call costs the same as a one-minute one.
Transfers and Spanish are included, and calls under five seconds or from telemarketers are free.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $40 | $2.50 |
| 10 calls | $50 | $2.50 |
| 25 calls | $90 | $2.99 |
| 50 calls | $150 | $2.99 |
| 100 calls | $275 | $2.99 |
| 150 calls | $405 | $2.99 |
| 200 calls | $535 | $2.99 |
| 300 calls | $795 | $2.99 |
| 500 calls | $1,295 | $2.99 |
ReceptionHQ’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Around 300 minutes a month
Go Answer is the cheapest per-minute live service here at 100 calls a month. Extra minutes are billed by the second.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| 100 minutes | $175 | $1.75 |
| 200 minutes | $300 | $1.75 |
| 300 minutes | $345 | $1.50 |
| 500 minutes | $550 | $1.50 |
| 750 minutes | $825 | $1.50 |
| 1,000 minutes | $1,100 | $1.50 |
| 1,700 minutes | $1,870 | $1.40 |
Go Answer’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Short calls
A 70-second call costs 70 seconds at Specialty, not two minutes. It bills by the second.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | $44 | $1.54 |
| 100 minutes | $159 | $1.44 |
| 220 minutes | $269 | $1.44 |
| 500 minutes | $649 | $1.34 |
| 1,000 minutes | $1,199 | $1.29 |
| 2,500 minutes | $2,929 | $1.19 |
Specialty Answering Service’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Long calls at a low per-minute rate
Up to 500 minutes a month, MAP charges less for an extra minute than any other live service here.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $49 | $1.37 |
| Business, 125 minutes | $179 | $1.30 |
| Enterprise, 250 minutes | $339 | $1.28 |
| Premium, 500 minutes | $649 | $1.28 |
MAP Communications’ pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Nights and weekends with no surcharge
PATLive’s page says a person answers every call, with no AI. You can try any plan free for 14 days.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $49 | $2.99 |
| 50 minutes | $99 | $2.29 |
| 100 minutes | $189 | $2.09 |
| 200 minutes | $349 | $1.99 |
| 300 minutes | $479 | $1.89 |
| 500 minutes | $759 | $1.79 |
| 1,000 minutes | $1,499 | $1.69 |
| 5,000 minutes | $6,899 | $1.49 |
PATLive’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Every feature at one rate
Every Posh plan has the same features, so the only thing that changes with the price is the minutes. Its page says its prices took effect January 1, 2026.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Chïc | $65 | $2.30 |
| Vogue, 50 minutes | $130 | $2.20 |
| Elegant, 100 minutes | $215 | $2.15 |
| Luxurious, 200 minutes | $420 | $2.10 |
| Prestigious, 350 minutes | $700 | $2.00 |
| Lavish, 500 minutes | $975 | $1.95 |
| Exclusive, 1,000 minutes | $1,900 | $1.90 |
Posh’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Warm transfers and Spanish at no extra fee
Moneypenny answers around the clock on every live plan, with no contract.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes | $165 | $2.85 |
| 100 minutes | $265 | $2.65 |
| 200 minutes | $422 | $2.39 |
| 500 minutes | $985 | $2.09 |
Moneypenny’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Mixing live and AI answering on one plan
Abby Connect sells one pool of minutes for both kinds of answering. A minute answered by its AI counts as half a minute answered by a person.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| Starter, 50 minutes | $164 | about $3.28 |
| Essential, 100 minutes | $329 | about $3.29 |
| Professional, 200 minutes | $599 | about $3.00 |
| Growth, 500 minutes | $1,380 | about $2.76 |
Abby Connect’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for Long intake calls
A long intake call costs the same as a short one at Smith.ai, which bills by the call. That suits law firms and other businesses with long first calls.
| Plan | A month | Each extra call |
|---|---|---|
| Starter, 30 calls | $300 | $11.50 |
| Basic, 90 calls | $810 | $10.50 |
| Pro, 300 calls | $2,100 | $8.50 |
Smith.ai’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
Best for A full-service receptionist with no contract
Ruby is the most expensive service on this page at 100 calls a month. Scheduling, transfers and Spanish are included.
| Plan | A month | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes | $250 | Not published |
| 100 minutes | $395 | Not published |
| 200 minutes | $720 | Not published |
| 500 minutes | $1,725 | Not published |
Ruby’s pricing page, checked Nov 4, 2026
We read four more and couldn’t price them:
A live answering service costs about four times what an AI one does.
The middle bill in each group at 100 calls a month. Prices checked Nov 4 and 6, 2026.
Both pick up your business calls when you can’t. One puts a call-center receptionist on your line, the other an AI receptionist.
| Live answering service | AI answering service | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost at 100 calls a month | $275 to $1,725 | $70 to $213 |
| Who answers | A receptionist at a call center, reading your script | An AI receptionist, following the rules you set |
| Calls at the same time | As many as there are receptionists free | Every call, at once |
| Website chat and texts | A separate plan, where it’s offered | On some services, the same receptionist as the phone |
| Sticks to what you wrote | A different receptionist reads your script on each call | The same rules on every call |
| A call no script covers | A person decides what to do | Takes a message, or transfers the call to you |
| Nights, weekends and holidays | Usually included; some add a surcharge | Included |
| Books the appointment | On most plans, sometimes for a fee per call | On most plans, straight into your calendar |
| After the call | A message by text or email | A summary and transcript, and any follow-up you set |
With an AI receptionist, one brain can answer your phone, your website chat and your texts, and give the same answers about your business on all three. Check the plan first: on some services chat and texting are add-ons, and on some they aren’t offered.
A live answering service answers the phone. Where it offers chat, that is a separate plan with its own bill.
The same brain decides what happens next. Small Business Chatbot, our AI receptionist:
You write the rules once: what to ask, what never to promise, when to book. An AI receptionist follows them on every call, at 2 pm and at 2 am.
A live service works from your script too, but a different receptionist reads it on each call.
When hail hits a roofing company, or the first snow hits a snow removal company, the phone rings twenty times in an hour. An AI receptionist answers all twenty at once.
A live service answers as many calls as it has receptionists free, so in a storm some callers wait. Either way, the extra calls land on that month’s bill.
A storm month: 140 calls instead of your usual 100
The middle live bill goes up by$218
The middle AI bill goes up by$22
From the chart’s bills at 100 and 140 calls a month. Prices checked Nov 4 and 6, 2026.
An AI receptionist isn’t right for every business. Hire people when:
You can use both: a person during the day and an AI receptionist after hours.
It is when the calls you miss are worth more than the bill.
10 missed calls a month
10 missed calls × 1 in 4 books × a $300 job$750 of work
The middle AI bill at 100 calls a month$125
The middle live bill at 100 calls a month$555
Count your own: last month’s voicemails, how many of them would have booked, and what your average job is worth. The missed-call revenue calculator does the sum for you.
Small Business Chatbot is a multi-channel AI receptionist: Sarah answers your phone, your website chat and your texts.
I spent years at OneLocal helping service businesses with their marketing, and what cost them the most jobs was nobody picking up the phone. Your customers now call, text and use your website, often all three, so I’d pick the service that answers on all of them. That’s why Small Business Chatbot is my first pick.
An answering service picks up your business calls when you can’t, in your company’s name. It takes a message, books the appointment or transfers the call, then tells you what the caller wanted. A live service uses receptionists at a call center. An AI service uses an AI receptionist.
A live service costs about four times as much as an AI one. At 100 calls a month, the middle live bill on this page is $555 and the middle AI bill is $125 (prices checked Nov 4 and 6, 2026). The chart at the top of this page prices every service at your own call volume.
At 100 calls a month, ReceptionHQ is the cheapest with a real person and Upfirst is the cheapest AI. Under 25 calls a month, Smith.ai’s AI plan is free. The chart at the top of this page has every bill.
Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month, then bills by the call. Most of the others have a free trial: 14 days at Upfirst, PATLive and Specialty, and 7 days at ReceptionHQ, Rosie and Dialzara. Small Business Chatbot’s 7-day trial covers the website chat.
Per call when your calls run long, per minute when they’re short. Against the cheapest per-call live service on this page, the cheapest per-minute ones cost less when calls average under about two minutes, and more when they run longer. Time a few of your own calls before you choose.
Count last month’s missed calls and voicemails in your phone’s call log. Add the calls you answered yourself if you want the service to take those too. Set the chart’s slider to that number to see each bill.
Some do. Smith.ai, Upfirst, Goodcall, Go Answer and Small Business Chatbot don’t bill for spam. ReceptionHQ doesn’t charge for calls under five seconds or from flagged telemarketers. The other pricing pages don’t say.
None of the 18 lists a setup fee or a long-term contract. All bill month to month. Moneypenny asks for 30 days’ notice to cancel.
Most don’t. PATLive, Posh, Ruby, Smith.ai, Moneypenny and Go Answer include nights and weekends, and so does every AI service here. ReceptionHQ adds an after-hours surcharge it doesn’t publish, and MAP Communications says after-hours calls add to the bill.
Most can do all three, but check the plan. Smith.ai charges a fee per call for booking and for Spanish, Rosie keeps transfers for its higher plans, and Dialzara its warm transfers. Small Business Chatbot books on the call, transfers when the caller asks for a person, and answers in many languages.
Yes. You forward your existing number to the service, all the time or only when you don’t pick up. You can switch the forwarding off whenever you like.
Mostly the name. Many of the services on this page use the two for the same plans. Where a company separates them, the answering service plan takes messages, and the virtual receptionist plan also screens callers, transfers calls and books appointments. The chart’s bills cover both.
Yes. Ruby, PATLive, Smith.ai and Moneypenny all staff call centers around the clock. Several now sell AI answering beside their live plans, including Smith.ai, Moneypenny and Abby Connect.
See also: what a virtual receptionist is, and the four kinds.
Paste your website and Sarah, our AI receptionist, builds a preview from it. No signup.
Arthur Cockfield is the co-founder of Small Business Chatbot, which builds AI receptionists for small businesses. Before that he was an early employee and Head of Growth at OneLocal (YC S17), where he helped hundreds of service-based small businesses with their marketing.