AI receptionist pricing ranges from about $20 to a few hundred dollars a month, depending on how the vendor bills and what’s bundled in. Here’s how to read the pricing pages — and the math that matters more than the sticker price.
The three pricing models you’ll see
1. Flat monthly plans
A set price per month, usually with generous or unlimited call handling. This is the simplest to budget for and the most common model for AI-first products. Expect roughly $20–$100/month for small-business plans. Scheduley works this way: plans start at $29/month and include the AI receptionist, texting, your booking website, and the calendar behind all of it.
2. Per-minute or per-call billing
Common with services that evolved from human answering services. Rates often look small — a dollar or two per call or minute — but they scale directly with your call volume, so a busy month costs more than a quiet one. If your phone rings 10–20 times a day, do that multiplication before committing.
3. Tiered bundles with overages
A monthly base that includes a set number of calls or minutes, with overage charges past the cap. Fine if your volume is predictable; read the overage rate carefully if it isn’t.
What’s actually included at each price point
- Under ~$50/month: AI answering with your business info, usually a dedicated number, often SMS. The thing to verify at this tier is whether it books appointments into a real calendar or just takes messages — that’s the difference between a receptionist and a fancy voicemail.
- $50–$150/month: Multi-channel handling (calls + texts), call routing rules, integrations with scheduling tools, more customization of voice and script.
- $150+/month: Usually per-minute human-hybrid services, multiple locations, or enterprise features like CRM integrations and analytics.
The comparison that actually matters
The honest benchmark isn’t another AI product — it’s the alternatives you’d otherwise pay for:
- Traditional answering service: typically $1.50–$3 per minute or $200–$500+/month for modest call volumes. A human answers, but they read from a script, can’t see your calendar, and hand you a message to act on later.
- Part-time front desk hire: $1,500–$2,500/month for weekday coverage only — and the phone still rings on evenings and weekends.
- Full-time receptionist: $3,000–$4,500+/month with taxes and benefits, for roughly 40 of the week’s 168 hours.
Against any of those, a flat $29–$100/month for 24/7 coverage is a different category of expense. The fuller breakdown is in AI receptionist vs. answering service vs. hiring a receptionist.
One booked appointment usually covers the month
Here’s the simplest way to evaluate the spend: what’s one appointment worth to you? A $60 haircut, a $220 color service, a $350 HVAC repair — for most local businesses, a single booking the AI captures pays for the month, and everything after that is upside. Calls that come in after hours, during appointments, or while you’re on the other line are exactly the ones an always-on receptionist turns into revenue.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Is booking included, or is the AI just taking messages?
- Is the calendar included, or do I need to pay for a separate scheduling tool?
- Are texts included? A lot of clients would rather text than call.
- Is there a per-minute meter anywhere? What does a busy month cost?
- Can I try it free and call it myself before committing?
Where Scheduley lands
Scheduley bundles the AI receptionist, SMS auto-replies, a booking website, reminders, and review collection into one flat plan from $29/month with a 7-day free trial — no per-minute meter. Setup takes about ten minutes: here’s the guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are there setup fees? AI-first products rarely charge them; traditional answering services sometimes do. Scheduley doesn’t.
Do I need to buy a separate phone number? No — a dedicated number is typically included, and you can forward your existing line to it.
What about hidden costs? The two to watch industry-wide: per-minute overages and paying separately for the scheduling software the AI books into. Flat plans with the calendar built in avoid both.