AI Receptionist vs. Answering Services: Real Pricing Comparison (2026)

If you've ever Googled "answering service for my business," you've seen the options: Ruby, Smith.ai, AnswerConnect, Abby Connect, and a growing list of AI alternatives like Rosie, Goodcall, and custom AI receptionists.

But which one is actually worth the money? And what are you really paying when you factor in per-minute rates, setup fees, overage charges, and hidden costs?

I built an AI receptionist service for small businesses, so I've done the homework. Here's the most honest comparison you'll find — including my own pricing.

The 4 Types of After-Hours Call Solutions

Before we compare pricing, you need to understand that not all answering services are the same. They fall into four categories:

1. Human answering services — Real people answer your phone. Companies like Ruby, Smith.ai, AnswerConnect.
2. DIY AI tools — You build your own AI receptionist using templates. Companies like Rosie, Goodcall, Bland.ai.
3. Custom AI receptionist (managed) — A professional builds and manages a custom AI receptionist for your business. That's what we do at Oliver AI Services.
4. Voicemail — Free. And the reason 80% of your callers hang up and call someone else.

Each has different strengths. Let's break down the real costs.

Human Answering Services — The Expensive Standard

Ruby Receptionists

Ruby is the most well-known virtual receptionist company. They have real humans answer your calls.

• Plans: $449/mo (50 minutes), $999/mo (200 minutes), $1,499/mo (500 minutes)
• Per-minute rate: $1.21 to $2.20 per minute depending on plan
• Overage: ~$2.20/minute beyond your plan
• 24/7 coverage: Yes (at higher plans)
• Contract: Often annual commitment

Real cost for 500 minutes/month: $1,499/mo + overage risk

Smith.ai

Smith.ai mixes human receptionists with AI. Popular with law firms.

• Plans: $292.50/mo (30 calls), $765/mo (90 calls), $1,950/mo (300 calls)
• Per-call pricing: $6.50 to $9.75 per call
• 24/7 coverage: Yes
• Contract: Monthly available, discounts for annual

Real cost for 150 calls/month: ~$975-$1,462/mo

AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect is a larger operation with 24/7 human coverage.

• Plans: $325/mo (200 minutes), $475/mo (350 minutes), $950/mo (750 minutes), $2,200+/mo (1,500+ minutes)
• Per-minute rate: $1.35 to $1.63 per minute
• 24/7 coverage: Yes
• Contract: Varies, often 6+ months

Real cost for 500 minutes/month: ~$675-$815/mo

Abby Connect

Abby Connect offers dedicated receptionists (the same person answers every time).

• Plans: $329/mo (100 minutes), $599/mo (200 minutes), $1,199/mo (500 minutes)
• Per-minute rate: ~$2.40 to $3.29 per minute
• 24/7 coverage: No — Monday to Friday only
• Contract: Monthly

Real cost for 500 minutes/month: $1,199/mo — and no weekend coverage

DIY AI Tools — Cheap but You're on Your Own

Rosie AI

• Plans: $49/mo (starter), $99/mo (pro), $149/mo (business)
• Per-minute rate: $0.50+ (varies by usage)
• Setup: Self-service — you build it yourself using templates
• Voice quality: Decent but not premium
• Lead delivery: Basic notifications

Goodcall

• Plans: $59/mo (starter), $99/mo (growth), $199/mo (scale)
• Setup: Self-service with templates
• Voice quality: Average
• Customization: Limited to their templates

Custom AI Receptionist (Managed) — The Sweet Spot

This is what we do at Oliver AI Services. We build a custom AI receptionist specifically for your business, manage everything, and optimize it every month.

Oliver AI Services AI Receptionist

• Pay-Per-Use: $200/month with 200 minutes included, $0.90/minute after that
• Pro (flat rate): $1,700/month — includes 3,000 minutes, everything included
• Setup fee: $1,500 one-time (Pay-Per-Use) or free (Pro plan)
• Appointment booking: Included with both plans (works with Calendly and other calendar tools)
• HIPAA compliance: Available as a +$2,000/month add-on for healthcare businesses
• Voice quality: Premium — ElevenLabs v3 (callers can't tell it's AI)
• Lead delivery: Instant email + Google Sheets
• Includes: Full call transcripts, recordings, monthly optimization, dedicated support
• Contract: 3-month minimum (Pay-Per-Use) or month-to-month (Pro)

Real cost for 500 minutes/month: $200 base + 300 overage min × $0.90 = $470/mo (Pay-Per-Use) — that's less than Ruby's cheapest plan for 10x the value.

The Real Price Comparison

Here's what you'd actually pay each month at different call volumes:

Monthly Usage	Ruby	Smith.ai (~60 calls)	AnswerConnect	Oliver AI Services AI
200 min/mo	$999	$585	$325	$180
500 min/mo	$1,499	$975+	$675	$450
1,000 min/mo	$2,200+	$1,950+	$1,350+	$900
2,000 min/mo	$4,400+	$3,900+	$2,700+	$1,700 (flat)
3,000 min/mo	$6,600+	$5,850+	$4,050+	$1,700 (flat)

What About Quality?

"Okay, it's cheaper — but is it actually good?" Fair question.

Three years ago, AI phone calls sounded like robots reading a script. That's not the case anymore. Modern AI voice technology (we use ElevenLabs v3) produces natural, conversational speech that most callers genuinely cannot distinguish from a human receptionist.

Here's what our AI does on every call:

• Answers with your business name and a natural greeting
• Has a real back-and-forth conversation with the caller
• Collects name, phone number, email, and reason for calling
• Knows your business hours and adjusts its responses accordingly
• Sends you the lead via email and Google Sheets within 30 seconds
• Provides full call transcripts and recordings

A human receptionist at Ruby or Smith.ai might have a slight edge for complex conversations — but for after-hours lead capture (which is 90% of what answering services actually do), AI is more consistent, faster, and dramatically cheaper.

When to Choose Each Option

Choose a human answering service if:

• You need receptionists to handle complex scheduling, transfers, or multi-step conversations
• Your budget allows $1,000-$4,000/month
• Your callers frequently need nuanced emotional support (e.g., crisis lines)

Choose a DIY AI tool if:

• You're tech-savvy and enjoy building things yourself
• You have very low call volume (under 50 calls/month)
• You're okay with generic voice quality and limited features

Choose a managed AI receptionist (like ours) if:

• You want professional after-hours coverage without the premium human service price tag
• You want someone else to handle everything — setup, optimization, support
• You want premium voice quality that callers can't distinguish from a human
• You want instant lead delivery with full transcripts and recordings
• You want to start small ($200/mo with 200 min) or lock in a flat rate ($1,700/mo)

The Bottom Line

If you're paying $1,000+ per month for a human answering service to do basic after-hours lead capture, you're overpaying by 60-80%. AI can do the same job for a fraction of the cost — with better consistency, instant delivery, and complete call records.

And if you're using a $49/month DIY tool and wondering why your callers are hanging up, it's because generic AI with mediocre voice quality doesn't represent your business well.

The sweet spot is a managed AI receptionist: premium quality, fully custom, someone else handles everything, and the pricing makes actual business sense.