How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost? (2026 Pricing Guide)

You've been looking into AI receptionists. The concept makes sense — 24/7 call answering, appointment booking, no voicemail. Then you go looking for pricing and hit a wall. Every provider either hides numbers behind a "contact us" form or shows a starting price that quietly doubles the moment you need it to actually work.

This guide cuts through that. Here's what an AI receptionist actually costs in 2026, what drives the price, what hidden fees to watch for, and how to figure out if the math works for your business.

If you're still getting familiar with how these systems work, start with our guide on what an AI receptionist actually is.

The honest market range is $25 to $500 per month for most small businesses. Most small businesses pay $99–$299/month for full 24/7 coverage with appointment booking and lead qualification. Plans on the lower end of that range typically come with significant limitations — capped minutes, no appointment booking, no emergency routing.

Here's how the market breaks down:

Most service businesses — a plumbing company, a dental office, an HVAC contractor — land in the $99–$199/month range for a plan that handles calls end-to-end.

Mike by Rexpt starts at $99/month for 300 minutes, with custom lower-volume plans available. See full pricing → rxpt.ai/pricing

The advertised price means very little without understanding how you're being billed. There are three models in the market right now.

1. Flat Monthly Rate

You pay a fixed amount regardless of call volume — either unlimited calls or a set number of minutes included. Most straightforward for budgeting.

Watch for: Overage charges when you exceed included minutes. Per-minute overage rates range from $0.75 to $11 per minute depending on the provider. A busy month during peak season can quietly push a $99 plan to $300+.

2. Per-Minute Billing

You pay based on total call time each month. Base rates run $0.25–$0.48 per minute.

Watch for: This model punishes your busiest months. A business receiving 100 calls per month at 3 minutes each would pay $450/month with a per-minute model versus $14–$199 with a subscription plan. For a roofing company after a storm or an HVAC contractor in July, that's a significant exposure.

3. Per-Call Billing

You pay a fixed rate per call handled, typically $0.75–$2.40 per call, regardless of length.

Watch for: Long calls — detailed intake, complex FAQs, appointment rescheduling — cost the same as a 30-second spam call. Value depends entirely on your average call duration and volume.

For most service businesses, flat monthly pricing is the safest choice. You know exactly what you're paying before the month starts.

The advertised price is rarely the full price. Before signing up with any provider, ask these four questions directly:

1. Is there a setup or onboarding fee? Some providers charge $75–$200 upfront for setup and configuration. This is not always visible on the pricing page. Mike by Rexpt charges no setup fee — you're live the same day.
2. What are your overage rates? If your plan includes 200 minutes and you use 310, what do you pay for those extra 110 minutes? Get this number in writing before you commit.
3. Is appointment booking included or an add-on? Several providers advertise low base prices and charge separately for calendar integration. If booking is the main reason you're getting an AI receptionist, confirm it is in the plan you're buying — not an upgrade.
4. Is there a contract? Some platforms lock you into 6 or 12-month terms. If the product doesn't work for your operation, you're paying regardless. Look for month-to-month flexibility before signing anything.

If you're still weighing your choices, here's the honest comparison:

An AI receptionist costs 5–15% of a human receptionist for typical call volumes. And unlike a traditional answering service, it doesn't just take a message — it closes the interaction by booking the appointment, qualifying the lead, and sending you a full summary.

For a full breakdown of those comparisons, see our AI receptionist vs human receptionist guide and AI receptionist vs answering service breakdown.

For most service businesses, yes. The math is not complicated.

According to research from 411 Locals, small businesses fail to answer 62% of incoming calls — and 85% of those callers never call back. They call a competitor instead.

Apply that to a real business. A plumber averaging $500 per job who misses 10 calls a month — at a 30% conversion rate — is leaving $1,500 in revenue on the table every month. That's $18,000 a year. A $99/month AI receptionist that captures half of those calls pays for itself roughly 7x over.

The numbers look similar across industries:

1. HVAC contractor missing 8 calls/month at $800 average job \= $1,920/month lost at 30% conversion
2. Dental office missing 12 new patient calls/month at $900 first-year value \= $3,240/month lost at 30% conversion
3. Law firm missing 4 intake calls/month at $10,000 average case value \= $12,000/month lost at 30% conversion

In none of these cases does the monthly cost of an AI receptionist come close to what's being left on the table.

Mike starts at $99/month for 300 minutes. Custom lower-volume plans are available for businesses with lighter call traffic.

Every plan includes:

1. 24/7 call answering — no voicemail, no busy signals, no hold music
2. Lead qualification using your specific questions
3. Appointment booking directly into your calendar
4. Full call summaries after every interaction
5. Emergency call routing
6. Spam call filtering
7. Same-day setup — no engineering, no setup fee, no contract required

"I was losing jobs and didn't even know it. Thought people were just not calling. Set up Mike, and within the first week, I could see exactly how many calls were coming in while I was on site. That number was embarrassing. At least now they all get answered."

— Chris Malone, Rexpt customer

No contracts. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.

See full pricing details →