How AI call center companies price 24/7 virtual receptionist services for small teams

If you’ve spent any time looking into AI answering service costs, you’ve probably noticed that pricing isn’t always clear. Some companies show low per-minute rates. Others have monthly plans with confusing tiers. And a few don’t list prices at all, which is never a good sign.

Here’s the quick answer: most AI call center companies price their 24/7 virtual receptionist services using monthly subscription plans. These plans include a set number of minutes or calls, and if you go over your limit, you pay extra. For small teams, expect to pay somewhere between $25 and $300 per month depending on your call volume and the features you need.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how virtual receptionist pricing works, what different providers charge, and how to figure out what you’ll actually pay each month. No sales pitch, just the numbers.

The standard pricing model for AI virtual receptionists

The most common pricing structure in the AI answering service industry is a monthly subscription with a usage quota. You pay a flat fee each month, and that fee includes a certain number of calls or minutes. Once you hit your limit, overage charges kick in.

Some providers measure usage by calls. Others measure by minutes. This matters more than you might think. If your average call lasts two minutes, a plan with 100 calls gives you 200 minutes of coverage. But if your calls typically run five minutes, that same 100-call plan only covers about 500 minutes’ worth of conversation. Same plan, very different value.

A few providers use different models entirely, like charging per unique caller or pure per-minute rates with no monthly fee. We’ll cover those later.

What’s typically included in monthly plans

Most monthly answering service plans include:

• A set number of calls or minutes per month
• 24/7 availability (this is standard for AI services)
• Basic call handling like greeting callers, taking messages, and transferring calls
• Call recordings and transcripts
• A dedicated phone number or the ability to forward your existing number

Some features that might cost extra or only come with higher-tier plans include appointment scheduling, CRM integrations, custom call scripts, and bilingual support.

Setup fees are becoming less common, but some providers still charge $50 to $200 to get your account configured. Ask upfront so you’re not surprised on day one.

How much small teams actually pay

For most small businesses looking for a 24/7 answering service, AI receptionist costs range between $25 and $300 per month. Where you land in that range depends mostly on how many calls you get.

Here’s a general breakdown by price tier:

Budget tier ($25–$50/month): These plans typically include 30 to 60 calls or minutes. Good for businesses that get a handful of calls per day and just need basic coverage. You’ll get 24/7 answering, message taking, and call transfers.

Mid-range ($50–$150/month): Plans in this range usually offer 100 to 300 calls or minutes. This is where most small teams land. You’ll often get additional features like appointment scheduling, custom greetings, and basic integrations. With other services like Upfirst, you get access to all features no matter what plan you are on.

Higher tier ($150–$300/month): These plans include 300 to 600 or more calls or minutes and typically come with advanced features like CRM syncing, multiple phone numbers, and priority support. If you’re fielding this many calls, though, you probably already know you need help.

What affects your monthly cost

Your call volume is the biggest factor in determining AI receptionist cost per month. A business that receives 50 calls per month will pay much less than one that receives 200. Pretty straightforward.

Call duration matters too. If you’re billed by the minute and your calls tend to run long, you’ll burn through your quota faster. Businesses with quick, transactional calls get more value from minute-based plans.

The features you need also impact price. Basic answering is cheap. Add appointment booking, integrations with your business software, or industry-specific capabilities, and the price goes up.

A quick look at how different services price their plans

Different AI answering services use different virtual receptionist pricing models. Here’s how four popular options compare:

Upfirst

Upfirst is an affordable and fully customizable virtual receptionist service that starts at $24.95 per month which includes 30 calls. They use call-based pricing, which means you’re charged per call rather than per minute if you go beyond your monthly calls. A nice feature: spam and sales calls don’t count toward your total. Neither do calls under 15 seconds or calls where the caller never speaks. You only pay for real conversations.

There are no contracts, and you can try the service free for two weeks without entering a credit card.

Here’s what you get on the Starter plan:

Each of these features comes with every plan Upfirst has to offer. The only real difference between each plan is the amount you pay, the amount of calls that come with it, and the per additional call cost if you go beyond your monthly quota, which isn’t high.

For small businesses and teams, that’s a hard bargain to beat.

See more about Upfirst’s pricing.

Goodcall

Goodcall uses a unique pricing model. Instead of charging per call or per minute, they charge based on unique callers. Their plans run $79 per month for Starter, $129 for Growth, and $249 for Scale.

A “unique” caller is basically any unique phone number that someone calls from and interacts with the AI agent. That means if you have the same customer call 10+ times in a month, they count as one unique customer.

Each plan includes unlimited minutes and tokens. You only pay extra ($0.50 per caller) if you exceed your plan’s limit of unique customers. This model works well for businesses with repeat callers, like medical offices or service companies with regular clients. If the same customer calls you five times a month, that’s still just one unique caller.

Smith.ai

Smith.ai offers both AI and live receptionist options. Their AI Receptionist starts at $95 per month for 50 calls. If you want human receptionists, plans start at $300 per month for 30 calls.

They use per-call pricing with no setup fees and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Smith.ai also offers hybrid plans that combine AI with live agents for more complex situations. It’s a good middle ground if you’re not ready to go fully AI.

Bland.ai

Bland takes a different approach with pure per-minute pricing. There’s no monthly subscription. Instead, you pay $0.09 to $0.14 per minute depending on your plan tier.

Additional costs include $0.025 per minute for call transfers and $0.02 per SMS. Bland is more developer-focused and requires technical setup, so it’s better suited for enterprise teams with engineering resources. If you don’t have a developer on staff, this probably isn’t your best option.

The takeaway: Most services use monthly plans with call or minute quotas. Bland is the exception with pure per-minute pricing. Goodcall’s unique-caller model works well if you have lots of repeat customers.

Understanding overage charges

Overage charges for virtual receptionists are what you pay when you exceed your plan’s included calls or minutes. Almost every AI answering service has them, and they can add up quickly if you’re not paying attention.

Typical overage rates range from $0.50 to $2.00 per call or $0.20 to $1.50 per minute. Some providers charge higher overage rates than your base plan’s effective rate, which means going over your limit costs more per call than staying under it. Not exactly fair, but that’s how some of them make their money.

To avoid surprise charges, start by tracking your actual call volume for a month or two before committing to a plan. Most providers offer dashboards where you can monitor usage in real time. If you’re consistently hitting 80% or more of your quota, it might be cheaper to upgrade to the next tier rather than paying overages.

Some services offer overage protection or will notify you when you’re approaching your limit. Ask about this before signing up. A good provider won’t let you get blindsided by your bill.

AI vs traditional answering services: the cost difference

Traditional live answering services, where human receptionists answer your calls, typically cost $200 to $1,000 or more per month for small business coverage. The same level of 24/7 availability from AI services usually costs $50 to $200. That’s a big gap.

Why the difference? AI doesn’t require salaries, benefits, training, or shift coverage. Once the system is set up, it can handle thousands of calls without additional labor costs.

The trade-off is that AI handles routine calls well but may struggle with complex or emotional conversations. If a caller has an unusual request or needs genuine empathy, a human receptionist is still better. AI won’t talk someone off a ledge, but it will reliably take a message at 2 AM.

Hybrid services like Smith.ai try to bridge this gap by using AI for straightforward calls and routing complex ones to live agents. These cost more than pure AI but less than full human coverage.

For most small businesses, AI handles 80% to 90% of calls effectively. With cost savings of 60% to 80% compared to traditional services, it’s worth accepting that some calls might need follow-up.

Hidden fees to watch out for

Not all AI answering services are upfront about their total costs. Here are fees that might not be obvious until you’re already signed up:

Setup or onboarding fees: Some providers charge $50 to $200 to configure your account, record custom greetings, or train the AI on your business. Others include this for free. Ask before you commit.

Number porting fees: If you want to keep your existing phone number, some services charge to transfer it. However, number porting is almost never needed. Some AI receptionist services like Upfirst will provide you with a phone number, and you can just forward your business calls from your line to it.

Per-feature charges: Watch for services that advertise a low base price but charge extra for appointment scheduling, call recording, or other features you might consider standard. That $29 plan can quickly become $79 once you add what you actually need. 

You don’t need to worry about this with Upfirst since all features come with each plan.

Contract minimums: Some providers require three, six, or twelve-month commitments. If you cancel early, you might owe the remaining balance. Most AI answering services, however, don’t have long-term contracts and you can cancel whenever you want.

Administrative fees: Vague charges buried in the fine print. Always read the terms of service. Yes, actually read it.

The best way to avoid surprises is to ask directly: “What’s the total cost for my expected usage, including all fees?” Get the answer in writing before you sign up.

How to pick the right plan for your team

Choosing the right AI answering service plan comes down to matching your call patterns to the right pricing structure. Here’s a simple process:

Step 1: Estimate your monthly call volume. Check your phone records for the past few months. Count incoming calls only, since most AI services don’t handle outbound calling. If you don’t know this number off the top of your head, that’s fine. Most people don’t.

Step 2: Calculate your average call duration. If you’re comparing minute-based plans, you need to know whether your calls typically last one minute or five. This dramatically affects which plan is more economical.

Step 3: Determine your must-have features. Make a list of what you absolutely need versus what would be nice to have. Don’t pay for appointment scheduling if you don’t book appointments over the phone.

Step 4: Compare total cost, not just base price. A $29 plan with expensive overages might cost more than a $79 plan with generous limits. Calculate what you’d actually pay based on your call volume. Do the math before you sign up, not after.

If your calls are short and predictable, minute-based pricing might work well. If your call lengths vary a lot, per-call pricing removes that uncertainty. And if you have a lot of repeat customers, Goodcall’s unique-caller model could save you money.

Why small teams choose Upfirst

Upfirst was built specifically for small businesses that need professional call handling without enterprise pricing.

Plans start at $24.95 per month, making it one of the most affordable virtual receptionist options available. You get 24/7 coverage, call recordings and transcripts, and the ability to customize how your calls are handled.

The call-based pricing model is simple to understand. You pay for actual customer calls, not spam or wrong numbers. There are no setup fees, no long-term contracts, and you can cancel anytime. No gotchas.

Setup takes minutes, not days. You don’t need technical expertise or IT support to get started. You can get setup in less than 30 minutes, then just forward your calls and the AI handles the rest.

If you’re not sure whether an AI answering service is right for your business, Upfirst offers a two-week free trial with no credit card required. Forward some real calls and see how it performs before you commit. It’s the easiest way to find out if this works for you.

Try Upfirst today for free.

Wrapping up

AI call center companies typically price their 24/7 answering service for small business using monthly subscriptions with included calls or minutes, plus overage fees for usage beyond your plan. Small teams usually pay between $50 and $150 per month for solid coverage. Now you know what to expect.

The key to getting the best value is understanding your call patterns and matching them to the right pricing model. Track your volume, compare total costs across providers, and watch out for hidden fees.

If you’re looking for an affordable, transparent option built for small businesses, give Upfirst a try. The pricing is straightforward, there are no surprise charges, and you can test it free before deciding.