AI receptionist cost: compare pricing and monthly usage

Compare what each provider counts

Start with the billing unit. Ten returning customers calling twice can cost differently from twenty customers calling once, even when the total conversation time is identical.

• Per customer: Goodcall Starter lists $79 per month for 100 unique customers, then $0.79 per additional customer. It defines a customer by phone number within the month and does not charge by the minute.
• Per call: Smith.ai Pro lists a $150 monthly option with 75 calls. Its feature table lists $2.50 for an extra real call at that tier. Other call-volume tiers and a free plan are also available.
• Per minute within an operating platform: Relay is $99 per month for the company, with unlimited users and 100 AI receptionist minutes included. Additional AI minutes are $0.50 each. The separate phone allowance is 1,000 calling minutes, then $0.04 per minute.

These are different packages, not equivalent feature bundles. Prices were checked November 4, 2026. Follow the linked pricing pages before buying, and confirm taxes, setup, human assistance, and any additional services in your quote.

A worked example: 100 calls lasting two minutes each

Suppose 100 different customers each make one billable call during a month, and every call lasts two minutes. That is 100 calls, 100 unique customers, and 200 minutes. Assume no other chargeable usage and that Relay's total calling usage stays within its separate phone allowance. This is an illustration, not a forecast or a negotiated quote.

• Goodcall Starter: $79. The 100 different customers fit its included allowance.
• Smith.ai Pro, 75-call option: $212.50. The calculation is $150 + (25 extra calls × $2.50). Compare its other tiers if your volume changes.
• Relay: $149. The calculation is $99 + (100 extra AI minutes × $0.50). This includes the field service platform; it is not a $149 standalone answering plan.

The example does not make Relay the cheapest answering option. Its relevance depends on whether you also need scheduling, customer records, estimates, invoices, and a business phone. An owner already happy with another system may reasonably prefer a separate answering service.

Now change the inputs. Longer calls increase a minute-based bill. Repeat calls from the same number may leave a customer-based allowance unchanged while consuming more calls or minutes elsewhere. Ask how transfers, abandoned calls, and spam are counted before treating your phone bill's call total as billable AI volume.

Include the software and handoffs you still need

Write down your complete stack: answering, phone service, scheduling, customer management, and any connector needed to put information into the system your team uses. Add only costs you actually incur. Replacing a subscription does not create savings if you must keep it for another essential workflow.

If you already use Jobber, its pricing page lists Receptionist on Plus and as an add-on on other plans. Housecall Pro's AI Team page identifies CSR AI call answering as a paid feature, with chat included. Ask each for the combined price for your team, your required features, and your expected usage.

Relay includes AI voice and SMS lead response in the company plan, subject to usage rates and configuration. Its booking workflow checks eligible availability before an appointment is confirmed. That matters if your alternative creates a message or a calendar entry that someone must then turn into a service job.

Other products can also book work. Evaluate the actual handoff rather than assuming that “AI receptionist” or “calendar integration” describes the whole process. Our Relay vs Jobber and Relay vs Housecall Pro comparisons explain the scheduling, maintenance, and field-work questions behind the feature lists.

Ask to see the result of a real service request

Bring one routine request to the demo: an eligible customer wants an HVAC maintenance visit next week. Have the provider show what becomes of the address, service type, available window, customer confirmation, and resulting job. Then ask for an appointment outside the service area or at a time the business cannot offer.

A useful result includes an honest next step for the exception. A receptionist should not promise a visit simply because an external calendar has an empty square. Ask who notices the unresolved request and how they can finish it from their phone.

Also bring an existing customer's parts question. A new-sales booking demonstration does not establish how the product handles work already underway. Relay's HVAC and plumbing receptionist pages show labeled product examples, including owner handoff and existing-job questions.

Build your quote from one normal month

Use a recent month of call records to estimate calls, average answered duration, and distinct callers. Separate genuine customer conversations from spam and check the provider's actual exclusions. Add the subscription, realistic overage, remaining software, and setup costs. Keep any claimed extra revenue separate until your own results support it.

• Ask for the total at normal volume and at a busier seasonal volume.
• Confirm what happens at the allowance: continued service, overage, a spending limit, or a pause.
• Establish who owns unanswered questions and whether the receptionist can create the records your operation needs.
• Check the cancellation terms, number arrangements, and data export before replacing your existing setup.

Choose the combination whose cost you understand and whose handoff your team can actually complete. For the difference between sending an automatic reply and booking work by text, read our SMS booking agent guide.