How much does an AI receptionist cost?

The number that matters is not the monthly price

A plan advertised at $49 with 250 included minutes is cheaper than one at $59 with no limit, right up until a busy month. Two hundred and fifty minutes is about four hours of talking. A service company having a good week can spend that in a fortnight, and the overage is where the bill stops being predictable.

The same is true of per-call allowances. Thirty calls a month sounds generous until a storm puts forty people on the phone in an afternoon — which is exactly the week you most wanted the phone answered.

What HelloZay costs

$59 a month plus tax for a single line, with unlimited minutes, a 14-day free trial, and no contract. That covers 24/7 answering, the text and email summaries, lead capture and a custom greeting in your business name.

$89 a month plus tax for multi-line, which routes callers to separate departments — parts, service, sales — rather than a single main number. That one is built for dealerships and multi-department businesses, not one-van operations.

Compared with the alternatives

We keep the competitor pricing on one page rather than scattered through the site, because published prices change and one dated page is easier to keep honest than ten. Our pricing comparison lists what Rosie, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk and Smith.ai charge, what each one includes, and links to each company's own pricing page so you can check it yourself.

The short version: a service with human receptionists costs several times more, for reasons that make sense — it is paying people.

Common questions