Answering Service Cost Calculator
See what a live answering service, an AI receptionist, and a staff receptionist would cost for your call volume.
Adjust the rates
Defaults are typical 2026 rates, not quotes. Swap in the numbers from any plan you're considering.
At this volume, an AI receptionist costs about $220 a month, $1,180 less than the cheaper answering service option.
One that books into your calendar, follows your rules, and hands off to your team. The consult is free.
How answering services charge
Live answering services price in a few ways. Most charge per minute, typically about $1.50 to $3.00 a minute in 2026, often sold as a monthly bundle of minutes with a higher overage rate once you go over. Premium receptionist services can work out to $3.50 to $5.00 a minute. Others charge per call, usually about $7 to $10 a call on human plans. AI receptionists are usually a monthly subscription plus a small per-minute or per-call charge.
The minutes on your bill are often more than the minutes on the phone. Many services round every call up to the next minute or 30 seconds, and some bill for the receptionist's wrap-up time after the call. That is why the calculator adds half a minute to every call for the live options.
Worked example
With the defaults, 200 calls a month at three minutes each costs about $1,400 a month with a per-minute answering service at $2 a minute (700 billed minutes, including rounding), and $1,800 with a per-call service at $9 a call. An AI receptionist at $100 a month plus 20 cents a minute costs about $220. A full-time receptionist on a $38,000 salary costs about $4,436 a month once taxes, benefits, and overhead are added, and only covers business hours.
After-hours answering service cost
If your team covers the phones during the day and you only need nights and weekends covered, enter just your after-hours calls. You pay for far fewer minutes, so after-hours coverage for a small business is often a few hundred dollars a month with a live service. Ask whether a provider charges more for nights, weekends, or holidays, since some do. Or see how an AI after-hours answering service covers nights and weekends for a flat monthly cost.
Live answering service or AI receptionist?
A live answering service puts a person on every call, which matters for upset callers, complicated situations, and anything sensitive. An AI receptionist costs far less per call, answers instantly at any hour, and can book appointments straight into your calendar, but it should hand anything unusual to a person. Many businesses use AI for the routine calls and keep people for the rest. See how the setup works for any small business, or for law firms, HVAC companies, plumbers, medical offices, dentists, and real estate agents.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an answering service cost?
Most live answering services charge by the minute, typically about $1.50 to $3.00 a minute in 2026, and premium services charge more. Per-call plans usually work out to about $7 to $10 a call. For 200 three-minute calls a month, that is roughly $1,000 to $2,000 a month.
How much does an after-hours answering service cost?
Less than full-time coverage, because you only pay for the calls that come in outside business hours. For a small business with light after-hours volume, it is often a few hundred dollars a month. Enter just your after-hours calls in the calculator to see your number.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually, at any real call volume. AI receptionist subscriptions are typically a monthly fee plus a small per-minute charge, so the cost per call is often a dollar or two instead of $7 to $10. A person is still better for sensitive or complicated calls.
Why do answering services bill more minutes than my calls last?
Many round each call up to the next minute or 30 seconds, and some bill for the receptionist’s wrap-up time after the call, like writing up the message. The calculator adds half a minute per call by default to cover this; change it to match your provider.
Is per-minute or per-call pricing cheaper?
Per-call plans favor longer calls, and per-minute plans favor short ones. At the calculator’s default rates, per-call pricing becomes cheaper once calls average more than about four minutes.
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