How Much Does an Answering Service Cost in 2026?
A human answering service costs about $250 to $300 a month at the entry level, for 50 minutes or 30 calls, and $700 to $2,100 a month for busier plans. AI answering services cost $0 to $500 and up a month for the plans we checked, with allowances of 25 calls up to 2,000 minutes. An in-house receptionist earned a median $38,010 a year in 2025, before payroll taxes and benefits. Every number here comes from a public page, checked November 9, 2026, and linked at the bottom.
Prices and sources checked November 9, 2026.
The Three Ways Answering Services Charge
Before comparing prices, check what you are paying for. Answering services bill in one of three ways, and the cheapest one depends on how your calls behave.
- Per minute. You buy a block of minutes. Short calls are cheap. Long calls eat the block. Ruby and Rosie both price this way.
- Per call. You buy a number of calls. Long calls cost the same as short ones. Smith.ai prices both its human and AI plans this way.
- Flat plan with an allowance. A fixed monthly price with a usage cap and a defined rule for what happens at the cap. Our own Front Desk plan works like this.
If your calls run long, for example detailed intake for a repair, per-call billing usually wins. If most calls are quick questions about hours or service area, per-minute billing usually wins.
Human Answering Service Prices
These are live receptionists answering in your business name. Prices are the monthly plans on each company's pricing page.
| Service | Plan | Monthly price | Overage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | 50 minutes | $250 | Not stated on the page |
| Ruby | 100 minutes | $395 | Not stated on the page |
| Ruby | 200 minutes | $720 | Not stated on the page |
| Ruby | 500 minutes | $1,725 | Not stated on the page |
| Smith.ai (human) | Starter, 30 calls | $300 | $11.50 per call |
| Smith.ai (human) | Basic, 90 calls | $810 | $10.50 per call |
| Smith.ai (human) | Pro, 300 calls | $2,100 | $8.50 per call |
Ruby's page says there are no extra fees for activation, onboarding or setup. Smith.ai's page says there are no setup fees, offers 10% off for a 12-month commitment, and lists add-ons per call, such as $1.50 to book an appointment and $1.00 for a dedicated Spanish line. It also describes a 30-day money-back guarantee up to $1,000 that does not cover overage.
AI Answering Service Prices
These are AI voice agents that answer, take details and route calls. The price gaps here are wide because what you get is wide.
| Service | Plan | Monthly price | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI | Free | $0 | 25 calls, then $3.00 a call |
| Smith.ai AI | Pro | $150 / $270 / $500 | 75 / 150 / 300 calls |
| Smith.ai AI | Enterprise | From $500 | 300 calls and up |
| Rosie | Professional | $49 | 250 minutes |
| Rosie | Scale | $149 | 1,000 minutes, adds booking and live transfers |
| Rosie | Growth | $299 | 2,000 minutes |
| Aplos | Front Desk | $199 + $349 launch | 300 inbound AI minutes, set up and monitored for you |
| Aplos | Revenue Desk | $399 + $699 launch | Front Desk plus follow-up and one booking connection |
Rosie offers a 7-day free trial and two months free on annual billing. Its page lists English and Spanish on every call. Smith.ai's AI can transfer a call to one of its live receptionists. Our plans are one location each, month to month, and the first 14 days are free: cancel before day 15 and you pay nothing. We are also new: one paying client so far, no managed-plan customers yet and no reviews.
What an In-House Receptionist Costs
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the 2025 median pay for receptionists at $38,010 a year, or $18.27 an hour. That is wages only. Payroll taxes, benefits, paid time off and the hours nobody is at the desk, such as nights, weekends and lunch, all come on top.
A person at the desk is still the best answer for some businesses: walk-in customers, complicated scheduling, or callers who need someone who knows them. If the job is mostly answering the phone, an answering service usually costs a fraction of that.
Three Worked Estimates
These are estimates, not quotes. We assumed no add-ons and used each page's listed plans. Where a page does not state overage terms, we used the next plan up.
| Monthly volume | Rosie | Smith.ai AI | Smith.ai human | Ruby | Aplos Front Desk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 calls, 2 min each (60 min) | $49 | $15 (Free tier + 5 calls) | $300 | $395 | $199 |
| 100 calls, 3 min each (300 min) | $149 | $270 | $915 | $1,725 | $199 |
| 300 calls, 3 min each (900 min) | $149 | $500 | $2,100 | Above the largest listed plan | Above the 300-minute allowance; larger plan agreed first |
Aplos also charges a one-time launch fee: $349 for Front Desk. At very low volume, Smith.ai's free tier is the cheapest option on this list. At high volume, Rosie's minute blocks are hard to beat on price.
The monthly number is only half the comparison. Ask every vendor what happens at the cap, which calls count, and who writes the rules the service follows.
Costs That Do Not Show Up in the Headline Price
- Overage. Per-call overage on human plans runs $8.50 to $11.50 at Smith.ai. Some pages do not state overage at all. Ask before you sign.
- Add-ons. Booking, Spanish, call recording, CRM entry and extra transfer numbers are often priced separately.
- Spam. Check whether robocalls and wrong numbers count against your allowance. Smith.ai's human plans say they do not charge for spam. Its AI plans let you remove up to 10% of calls as spam each cycle (source: Smith.ai pricing pages, listed below).
- Setup time. Self-serve plans are cheaper because you do the setup. Count the evenings you will spend writing answers and testing calls.
- Commitment. Annual discounts are real savings, but only if you are sure.
How to Pick
Pull two weeks of call logs from your phone provider. Count the calls, the average length and how many came after hours. Then:
- Few calls and a tight budget: start with a free or $49 AI tier and see how callers react.
- Callers who need a person every time: a human service. Budget $250 to $900 a month for most small businesses.
- You want the setup, rules and monitoring done for you on one location: that is what our Front Desk plan is for.
For a side-by-side view, see Aplos vs Rosie vs Smith.ai vs a human answering service.
Sources
- Ruby virtual receptionist pricing: https://www.ruby.com/pricing/ (checked November 9, 2026)
- Smith.ai human receptionist pricing: https://smith.ai/pricing/receptionists (checked November 9, 2026)
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing: https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist (checked November 9, 2026)
- Rosie pricing page: https://heyrosie.com/pricing (checked November 9, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Receptionists (2025 median pay): https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/receptionists.htm (checked November 9, 2026)
- Aplos Front Desk plan (this site): https://aplosai.com/front-desk (checked November 9, 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a human answering service cost?
Entry plans we checked start at $250 a month for 50 minutes (Ruby) and $300 a month for 30 calls (Smith.ai). Busier plans run $720 to $2,100 a month. Prices checked November 9, 2026.
How much does an AI answering service cost?
From $0 to $500 and up a month for the plans we checked. Smith.ai has a free tier with 25 calls. Rosie starts at $49 for 250 minutes. Aplos Front Desk is $199 a month plus a $349 launch fee, set up and monitored for you.
Is an answering service cheaper than a receptionist?
On list price, usually. The BLS 2025 median pay for receptionists is $38,010 a year before taxes and benefits. Most answering service plans for a small business cost a few hundred dollars a month.
Per minute or per call: which is cheaper?
Per call wins when calls run long. Per minute wins when most calls are short. Pull your call log and check your average call length first.
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