What does an answering service cost in 2026?
List prices are easy to find; the July bill isn’t. Here’s what eleven live and AI answering services charge as of October 2026, what overage does to a contractor’s busiest month, and the setup fees and contracts nobody mentions on the sales call.
How much does an answering service cost?
A live answering service costs $100–$300 a month for 30–50 calls or 50–200 minutes, $300–$1,000+ for busy companies, with overage at $1.75–$3 a minute or $9–$11.50 a call. An AI receptionist costs $50–$300 a month, usually with 100–200 minutes or 25–75 calls included, and overage at $0.25–$0.50 a minute or $1.89–$2.50 a call. Setup fees run $50–$500 on live services and are rare on AI. For a contractor the real number is the busiest month, not the plan price.
| Type | Monthly range (2026) | Overage | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live answering, per-call plans | $250–$350 for 30–50 calls | $9–$11.50 a call | $0–$50 |
| Live answering, per-minute plans | $99–$350 for 30–200 min | $1.75–$3 a minute | $50–$500 |
| Hybrid (AI first, human backup) | $150–$500+ | varies | $0–$150 |
| AI receptionist, per-minute | $49–$99 for 100–200 min | $0.25–$0.50 a minute | usually none |
| AI receptionist, per-call | $69–$150 for 25–75 calls | $1.89–$2.50 a call | usually none |
| AI receptionist, unlimited | $199–$299 | none | usually none |
What do the named vendors charge?
Entry plans as listed in October 2026. Most vendors run promotions; the overage column is the one that decides your summer.
| Vendor | Type | Entry plan | Overage / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai (live) | Human | $300/mo, 30 calls | $11.50 per call |
| Ruby | Human | $250/mo, 50 minutes; up to $1,725 for 500 | about $4.90/min on the starter plan |
| AnswerConnect | Human | about $350/mo, 200 minutes (not published) | about $2.50/min; $49.99 setup |
| AbbyConnect | Human | $329/mo, 100 min; $599 for 200; $1,380 for 500 | plan upgrade |
| Moneypenny (live) | Human | $99/mo, 30 min; $189 personalised plan | $2.99/min |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI | $150/mo, 75 calls (free plan: 25) | about $2.50 per call |
| Moneypenny AI | AI | $69/mo, 25 calls; $99 for 50 | $1.89–$2.49 per call |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | $99/mo ($79 annual), 200 min | $0.25/min |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | AI | from $49/mo, 100 min | $0.50/min |
| Phonely | AI | $50/mo, 200 min (free plan: 100 min) | $0.25–$0.35/min |
| NextPhone | AI | $199 Pro / $299 Growth, unlimited | none (self-reported) |
We build on GoHighLevel Voice AI, which bills per minute on your own account with no seat fee; our setup fee covers the call sheet, calendar connection and tuning week. It’s on the list above by type, not by name, because the comparison is fairer that way.
What does a contractor actually pay in a busy month?
Three shops, one busy month each, same vendors. Minutes assume about three minutes a call.
| Shop | Calls in busiest month | Live service, per-call ($300 for 30, $11.50 after) | Live service, per-minute (Ruby $250 for 50 min, ~$4.90 after) | AI per-minute ($99 for 200 min, $0.25 after) | AI per-call ($150 for 75, $2.50 after) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo electrician, Austin | 120 | $1,335 | $1,960 | $150 | $263 |
| 3-truck plumber, Houston | 250 | $2,830 | $3,870 | $215 | $588 |
| 6-truck HVAC, Dallas, July | 600 | $6,855 | $9,000+ (plan upgrade) | $475 | $1,463 |
The gap isn’t the plan price; it’s the overage. A 6-truck HVAC company pays a per-call live service more in one July than an AI plan costs in two years. The counter-argument is real, though: for $8,000 roofing or remodel first calls, a human voice on the first contact can close enough extra jobs to pay the difference. Our comparison page covers when that’s true.
What isn’t on the pricing page?
- Setup and script fees. $50–$500 on live services; “script development” $50–$150 extra at some.
- Minimum terms. Several live services want 3–12 months; AI plans are mostly month to month.
- Rounding. Per-minute plans that bill in whole minutes charge a 65-second call as two. Ask for 30-second or 6-second increments.
- Wrong numbers and spam. Per-call plans charge for every answered call, including the 10–15% that are vendors and robocalls.
- Booking as an add-on. Some live services charge extra to book into your calendar; AI usually includes it.
- After-hours and holiday surcharges. Still common on live services; check the fine print for 24/7 plans.
- Bilingual. Spanish operators cost more on live plans; AI switches languages at no charge.
Texas notes
Any answering service that texts for you is sending messages under your business name, and in Texas a text that sells is a telephone solicitation under SB 140. Booking confirmations and replies to callers are fine; a service that offers to “text your past customers a seasonal special” needs your consent records to do it legally, and most live services keep none. Ask every vendor how they store consent and whether they can hold texts to 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Central before you sign. The Texas texting rules page has the detail.
Questions owners ask
What’s the cheapest answering service for a small contractor?
AI per-minute plans at $49–$99 a month. The cheapest live service is Moneypenny at $99 for 30 minutes, which runs out fast.
Is per-call or per-minute billing better?
Per-minute, for trades. Calls are short and per-call plans charge $9+ for a 40-second wrong number.
Do answering services charge for spam calls?
Per-call plans do. Ask whether screened calls are free.
Is there a contract?
Many live services want 3–12 months. Most AI plans are month to month.
How much is setup?
$50–$500 on live services, usually none on AI. Our build fee covers the call sheet, calendar and tuning week.
What does 24/7 cost extra?
On live services, often a surcharge or a higher tier. On AI, nothing.
Can I get a free trial?
Smith.ai AI and Phonely have free tiers; several others offer 7–14 day trials. Test with your real call types.
What does it cost to switch?
Port or forward your number; nothing else moves. A week of overlap is enough.
Why is my bill double the plan price?
Overage. Check the per-call or per-minute rate and your busiest month before signing.
How often is this page updated?
Quarterly, with the date at the top, against the vendors’ own pricing pages.
Next pages
Sources
- Nextiva, “Answering Service Cost: What You Can Expect to Pay in 2026,” updated 23 Sep 2026: nextiva.com
- NextPhone, “AI Receptionist Cost: 2026 Pricing Guide,” prices checked 5 Oct 2026 (NextPhone is a vendor on the list): getnextphone.com
Want the number for your call volume?
Thirty minutes on Central Time. Bring last month’s call count; we price every option above for your busiest month and tell you which one we’d pick if it were our shop.