A live answering service costs about $100 to $800 a month for most small businesses. Per-minute plans start near $99 for 50 minutes. Per-call plans start at $300 for 30 calls. Which is cheaper depends on how many calls you get and how long they last. Prices are as of October 2026, in US dollars, from each provider's pricing page.
The numbers
Ruby, live receptionists, billed by minute:
- 50 minutes: $250 a month.
- 100 minutes: $395 a month.
- 200 minutes: $720 a month.
- 500 minutes: $1,725 a month.
Ruby says there are no fees for setup, onboarding or after-hours cover. It also sells website chat plans.
PATLive, US-based live receptionists, billed by minute:
- Pay as you go: $49 a month, $2.99 per minute.
- 50 minutes: $99 a month, then $2.29 per extra minute.
- 100 minutes: $189 a month, then $2.09.
- 200 minutes: $349 a month, then $1.99.
- 500 minutes: $759 a month, then $1.79.
PATLive lists a 14-day free trial and no contracts.
Abby, human and AI answering, billed in Abby minutes:
- Starter, 50 minutes: $164 a month.
- Essential, 100 minutes: $329 a month.
- Professional, 200 minutes: $599 a month.
- Growth, 500 minutes: $1,380 a month.
One Abby minute buys one minute of human answering or two minutes of AI answering. Abby is month to month.
Smith.ai, live receptionists, billed by call:
- Starter, 30 calls: $300 a month, then $11.50 per call.
- Basic, 90 calls: $810 a month, then $10.50 per call.
- Pro, 300 calls: $2,100 a month, then $8.50 per call.
Smith.ai says it does not charge for spam or unsolicited sales calls when caller ID is passed, and offers 10% off for a 12-month plan. Add-ons such as booking appointments are charged per call. Its AI receptionist is separate: a free tier with 25 calls, and a Pro plan at $150 a month for 75 calls.
Per minute or per call
Work it out from your own numbers. Here is a hypothetical.
Say you get 60 calls a month, and they average 2.5 minutes. That is 150 minutes.
- PATLive: the 100-minute plan at $189, plus 50 extra minutes at $2.09, is about $294.
- Abby: the 200-minute plan at $599.
- Ruby: the 200-minute plan at $720.
- Smith.ai: the 30-call plan at $300, plus 30 extra calls at $11.50, is $645.
Now say your calls are client intake at 8 minutes each, and you get 30 a month. That is 240 minutes. Per-minute plans move up a tier or two, while Smith.ai stays at $300 for 30 calls. Long calls favor per-call billing. Short calls favor per-minute billing.
Price is not the whole story. Compare how well each service handles your type of caller. PATLive and Abby list free trials, so test with real calls before you commit.
Questions that change the bill
- How do you round partial minutes?
- Do spam calls, wrong numbers and hang-ups count?
- What do transfers, appointment booking and text alerts cost?
- Is the overage rate the same at night and on weekends?
- Is there a setup fee or a minimum term?
Human or AI answering
Several services now sell AI answering next to live people, at a lower price. Smith.ai's AI receptionist starts free for 25 calls a month, and its Pro plan is $150 a month for 75 calls. Abby counts AI answering at half the rate of human answering, so the same plan covers twice the minutes.
AI answering suits simple, repeat calls: hours, location, booking a slot, taking a message. Live people suit callers who are upset, confused or about to spend real money. Many owners use a mix. The AI takes the simple calls and hands the rest to a person.
Test both with your own callers. Listen to ten recordings from each before you decide.
Do you need one at all
An answering service pays off when a missed call means lost work. Think of law firms, trades, clinics and agencies that win clients on the first call. It pays off less if most of your clients email, or if calls are rare and can wait for voicemail.
A quick test: count missed calls for two weeks. Estimate how many were new clients and what one new client is worth. Compare that with the monthly plan.
What to script
The receptionist follows your script. A good script is short and covers the common cases.
Greeting: Thank you for calling [business name], this is [receptionist name]. How can I help?
New client:
- Ask: name, phone, email, company.
- Ask: what do you need help with? [your two or three qualifying questions]
- If qualified: book a call in [calendar link], or transfer to [name] between [hours].
- If not a fit: thank them and suggest [alternative].
Existing client:
- Take name and the reason for the call.
- Urgent ([define urgent]): transfer to [number], or text [name].
- Not urgent: take a message, promise a reply within [time].
Sales calls and vendors: Take a message by email only. Do not transfer.
Never say: prices, legal or medical advice, promised dates.
Message format sent to me: Name, number, company, reason, urgency, what was promised.
- Give your top five questions with the exact answer you want read out.
- Define urgent in one line, so the receptionist does not have to judge.
- List who can be transferred to, and when.
- Review the first 20 call notes and adjust the script.
Related reading
To reply well to the messages you get, see customer service email templates. For a written process the receptionist can follow, use the SOP template. If you want to book calls straight into your calendar, compare Calendly alternatives. For the wider question of what to hand off, read how to delegate tasks.