What does a virtual receptionist actually cost?
A virtual receptionist is priced on the volume of calls it handles — a monthly fee, sometimes with a one-off setup to build and train it. Published market plans run from roughly $95 a month for a light self-service line up to around $2,000 a month done-for-you. But the figure that actually decides whether it is worth it is what a single caught job is worth to you.
Ranges from published plans at Smith.ai and Ruby, May 2026. US pricing; UK figures vary by provider.
Three ways the bill is worked out.
Whatever the label on the plan, the cost comes down to how much calling it covers and how much of the work is done for you.
| Model | How it's charged | Published example |
|---|---|---|
| Per minute | A monthly bundle of receptionist minutes; you top up when you run over. | 50–500 minutes, roughly $250–$1,725 / mo |
| Per call | A plan covering a set number of calls, with an overage rate per extra call. | ~$95–$800 / mo, ~$2.40 per extra call |
| Done-for-you | Built, trained and managed for you, billed as a higher flat monthly fee. | ~$500–$2,000 / mo |
An AI receptionist sits at the lower end of these models on running cost, because it is not a person sitting on a phone. What you are paying for is the build — teaching it your services, your pricing and how you tell an emergency from a quote — and the monthly cover that keeps every call answered.
Five things decide what you'll pay.
- Call volume. The single biggest driver. More calls, higher tier.
- After-hours & 24/7 cover. Answering nights and weekends costs more than office hours — and is usually where the money leaks.
- Call complexity. Triaging an emergency and qualifying a job costs more than taking a message.
- Booking & integrations. Dropping confirmed jobs into your calendar or CRM, not just logging a call.
- Built-for-you vs self-serve. A managed build you never have to configure sits above a tool you set up yourself.
Don't ask the price. Ask what the silence costs.
A monthly fee only means something next to what you're already losing. Put your own numbers in — your phone, your jobs, your maths.
Assumes a conservative 15% of missed calls were ready-to-book jobs. Adjust to your reality — the real figure is almost always worse than owners guess. Set that against any plan above and the question answers itself.
What owners ask about the cost.
What does a virtual receptionist cost?
A virtual receptionist is priced on the volume of calls it handles — a monthly fee, sometimes with a one-off setup to build and train it. Published market plans run from roughly $95 a month for a light self-service line up to around $2,000 a month done-for-you. The figure that actually decides whether it's worth it is what a single caught job is worth to you.
Is it priced per call or per minute?
Both models exist. Some providers price by included minutes — for example bundles of 50 to 500 minutes a month — while others price by call tiers with an overage of a few dollars per extra call beyond the plan.
What drives the price up?
Call volume, round-the-clock and after-hours cover, how complex each call is, whether it books into your calendar or CRM, and whether it's self-service or built and managed for you. More of any of those raises the monthly figure.
Is there a setup fee?
It varies. Some self-service providers charge a one-off training fee to tune the assistant to your business; others fold setup into the first month. A done-for-you build includes the setup in the engagement.
How do I know if it's worth it for my business?
Compare the monthly fee to what you currently lose in missed calls. If a single caught job covers the month, the maths already works — and most owners miss more calls than they think.
What would SOLMONARC charge?
We price to your call volume and to what catching those calls is worth, with a one-time build and a monthly fee to run and tune it. We size that against your real numbers for free before you commit anything.
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