How much does an AI receptionist cost?
An AI receptionist costs between $0.045 and $0.215 per minute of platform usage in 2026, plus telephony and a setup or management fee, so a 1,000-minute month runs roughly $60 to $215 before agency fees.
What makes up the cost of an AI receptionist?
The cost of an AI receptionist has four parts: the voice engine charged per minute, the text-to-speech voice charged per minute, telephony charged per minute and per number, and the agency’s setup or management fee. The first three are metered platform usage; the fourth is a fixed monthly amount.
The rates below are GoHighLevel’s published AI product pricing as of 28 September 2026 and change when the provider changes them; we confirm them in the account before quoting.
What are the per-minute rates in 2026?
| Cost item | Rate (USD) | Source and date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speech-to-speech voice AI (Gemini) | $0.10 per minute | GoHighLevel AI product pricing, 28 Sep 2026 | One model listens and speaks; simplest to run |
| Speech-to-speech voice AI (OpenAI) | $0.20 per minute | GoHighLevel AI product pricing, 28 Sep 2026 | Alternative model on the same setting |
| Pipeline mode: voice engine | $0.045 per minute | GoHighLevel AI product pricing, 28 Sep 2026 | Plus TTS and LLM tokens below |
| Pipeline mode: text-to-speech | $0.015 to $0.170 per minute | GoHighLevel AI product pricing, 28 Sep 2026 | OpenAI or Cartesia at the low end, ElevenLabs V3 at the high end |
| LLM tokens (pipeline mode) | Metered per token | GoHighLevel AI product pricing, 28 Sep 2026 | Small relative to voice minutes on short calls |
| Rebilling AI usage to sub-accounts | Requires Agency Pro plan, $497 per month | GoHighLevel pricing guide, 22 Aug 2026 | Applies to agencies reselling; not a cost to the end client |
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?
Platform usage only, before telephony and agency fees. Low end is pipeline mode with a low-cost voice; high end is OpenAI speech-to-speech or pipeline with a premium voice.
| Minutes per month | Low estimate | High estimate | What that volume looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $30 | $108 | About 250 calls of 2 minutes; a small clinic or trade business |
| 1,000 | $60 | $215 | About 500 calls; a busy practice or multi-crew service company |
| 3,000 | $180 | $645 | About 1,500 calls; a call-heavy business or multi-location group |
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
An AI receptionist is cheaper per answered call than a human receptionist at any realistic volume, because it is paid per minute of talk time only, while a person is paid for the whole shift. A 1,000-minute month costs roughly $60 to $215 in platform usage; a part-time receptionist covering the same hours costs a salary, benefits and training, and still cannot answer two calls at once or work at 11 pm.
The comparison changes when the calls need judgement. A receptionist who upsells, calms an angry customer or handles insurance questions does work the agent cannot. Most businesses run both: the agent takes overflow and after-hours calls, the person takes the rest.
- Is the agent charged when nobody calls? No; usage is metered on connected minutes.
- Are setup fees one-time? Ours are quoted per project on the pricing page; platform setup has no separate charge.
- The AI rates are in USD everywhere; telephony rates differ by country.
What costs are easy to miss?
- Telephony per-minute charges on top of AI minutes
- A registered business number (A2P 10DLC in the US) before texts deliver
- Premium voices that raise TTS from $0.015 to $0.170 per minute
- Long greetings and hold music that add billable minutes to every call
- Outbound reminder calls, which are billed the same way as inbound
- Agency management time for script updates and transcript reviews
How does Skill Up Experts charge for an AI receptionist?
Skill Up Experts quotes a setup project and a monthly management fee, and passes platform usage through at cost with the itemised minutes visible in your account. The engagement models are on the pricing page. We do not mark up voice minutes, and you can see the per-call cost in the weekly report.
Common questions about AI receptionist cost
Why is there a range instead of one price?
Because the voice model and the voice provider you choose change the per-minute rate by up to four times. We recommend the lower-cost configuration unless a specific voice or language needs the premium option.
Does a longer call cost more?
Yes. Billing is per connected minute, so a tight script that books in two minutes costs less than a chatty one that takes four.
Are there monthly minimums?
Not on the AI minutes. The platform subscription is fixed; usage is metered on top.
What happens to cost if call volume doubles?
Usage doubles and nothing else changes, which is the point: the agent scales with volume without new hires.
Can I see the rates before I sign?
Yes. We show you the live pricing page in the platform and the per-minute cost of your test calls during the strategy call.
Get a cost estimate for your call volume
Book a free strategy call. Tell us your monthly call count and we will show you the per-minute and monthly cost before any commitment.
Book a Free Strategy Call