Quick Answer
Self-serve AI receptionists start around $49–$129 a month for small volumes. Done-for-you services run about $500–$2,500 a month. The billing unit matters most: per-minute plans punish long calls, per-caller plans punish busy months, and per-call plans with a flat monthly cap are the easiest to budget.
Every vendor publishes a low entry price. What you actually pay depends on your call count, how long your calls run, and who does the setup.
The three billing models
Find out which one a vendor uses before comparing headline prices.
- Per minute (Rosie, Ruby, AnswerConnect): fair for short calls, expensive when intake calls run 6–10 minutes.
- Per unique caller (Goodcall): cheap for few callers, climbs fast in a busy season.
- Per call with a monthly allowance (Smith.ai, Sockly): you know your bill from your call count alone.
The math for a 300-call month, 4 minutes a call
That's 1,200 minutes. Per minute, Rosie's $149 plan covers 1,000 minutes, so you move up to the $299 plan. Ruby has no published plan that large; you get a sales quote. Smith.ai's $810 plan covers 90 calls, plus 210 extra calls at $10.50 each, about $3,015. Sockly Starter covers up to 500 calls for $997 with $0 setup.
Hidden costs to ask about
Setup fees, overage rates, extra charges for after-hours or bilingual calls, calendar integration fees, and whether you or the vendor writes and maintains the call script.
Published entry prices
| Service | Type | How it bills | Published entry price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Human receptionists | Per minute | $250/mo for 50 minutes |
| Abby Connect | Human receptionists | Per minute | $164/mo for 50 minutes |
| AnswerConnect | Human, 24/7 | Per minute | $350/mo for 200 minutes (+$49.99 setup) |
| Smith.ai | Human + AI | Per call | $300/mo for 30 calls |
| Goodcall | AI, self-serve | Per unique caller | $79/mo for 100 callers |
| Rosie | AI, self-serve | Per minute | $49/mo for 250 minutes |
| Sockly | AI front office, set up for you | Per call, never per minute | $997/mo for up to 500 calls, $0 setup |
Prices from each company's own pricing page, checked October 29, 2026. Prices change; confirm on their site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free AI receptionist?
Some tools have free trials or tiny free tiers. For a business line that brings in revenue, expect to pay; a missed call usually costs more than a month of service.
Does Sockly charge per minute?
No. Sockly bills by calls with a monthly allowance (Starter: up to 500 calls for $997), $0 setup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Take last month's call count and average call length, run them through each billing model, and compare what you'd actually pay.
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Related Resources
Published: November 4, 2026
Last Updated: November 4, 2026