How much does an answering service cost? Live and AI pricing compared

What does an answering service cost per month?

A live answering service costs from about $99 to $350 a month for its entry plan, and more once you pass the plan's minutes or calls. These are the entry plans of five well-known live services, sorted by price.

The per-unit price usually falls on bigger plans. PATLive's 200-minute plan is $349, Ruby's is $720 and Abby Connect's is $599. PATLive also sells pay as you go at $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute.

These are US prices. Local services in other countries price differently, but they usually bill the same way, so the sums below still work with your own rates.

How answering services charge: per minute, per call or flat

There are three common ways to be billed, and the best one depends on how long your calls last.

• Per minute: you pay for operator time, so long calls cost more. PATLive, Ruby, Abby Connect and AnswerConnect bill this way. It suits short calls.
• Per call: each answered call uses one unit, however long it lasts. Smith.ai's human plans and Upfirst's AI plans bill this way. It suits long calls, but many short calls add up.
• Flat plan with an allowance: one monthly price with minutes or calls included and a published rate above that. Most AI answering services work like this, including Frontivo.io.

To compare a per-minute plan with a per-call plan, multiply your calls by your average call length. PATLive's page counts 50 minutes as about 20 calls, or 2.5 minutes a call, and this guide uses 3.

What 50, 100 and 200 calls a month really cost

Starting prices don't show what you'd pay. This table prices three example months at about 3 minutes a call, using the cheapest mix of plan and extra usage each vendor publishes. It leaves out add-ons, taxes and one-time fees.

Ruby and Abby Connect are left out because their pages don't show a dollar price for minutes beyond the plan. Your own call count and length will give different numbers, so try the sum below.

How to work out your own cost

1. 1Count your calls for a normal month, and for your busiest month. Your phone provider's call log shows this.
2. 2Find your average call length, and multiply: 80 calls of 3 minutes is 240 minutes.
3. 3For each service, take the plan price and add your extra minutes or calls at its overage rate.
4. 4Check the next plan up. If it costs less than the smaller plan plus extras, use that price.
5. 5Add the extras you'd really use, such as booking or call recording, plus any setup fee spread over a year.

What is the cheapest answering service?

Among the services here (checked November 5, 2026), the lowest prices are AI plans: Upfirst Starter at $24.95 a month for 30 calls and Dialzara Business Lite at $29 for 60 minutes. Smith.ai also lists a free AI plan with 25 calls a month. For live operators, PATLive is the lowest entry plan here at $99 for 50 minutes.

An affordable answering service is the one that fits your volume, not the one with the lowest starting price. At 200 calls a month, PATLive's $99 plan isn't the cheap option any more: the same calls cost $938 on its cheapest mix of plan and extra minutes. If you get only a few calls a week, a small plan or pay as you go can beat a bundle you don't use.

Fees that raise the bill

Ask about each of these before you sign. The examples come from the vendors' own pages.

• Rounding: AnswerConnect rounds each call up to the next whole minute, so a 2-minute-10-second call bills as 3 minutes. Its first 30 calls under 30 seconds each billing cycle are free.
• Add-ons per call: Smith.ai's human plans list booking at $1.50 a call, recording and transcription at $0.25, and a dedicated Spanish line at $1.00.
• Setup fees: AnswerConnect lists a one-time $49.99 on its Entry and Standard plans. PATLive, Abby Connect and Smith.ai list none.
• Texting: PATLive lists a one-time $50 fee to activate business texting.
• Spam and short calls: Smith.ai and Upfirst don't charge for spam, and Upfirst doesn't bill calls under 15 seconds. Ask how a service treats robocalls and wrong numbers.
• Taxes: PATLive shows its prices before government taxes and fees.

Is an AI answering service cheaper than a live one?

Yes, at every call volume in the table above. For example, 100 calls cost $69.95 to $162 on the AI services and $395 to $915 on the live ones. An AI answering service answers at once, takes several calls at the same time, and charges the same at 3 am as at noon.

A live service is worth paying for when a person on every call matters most, such as sensitive or emotional calls, or callers who expect a human. If most calls are routine questions and bookings, AI costs less. Compare the two in AI receptionist vs answering service, and see the options by type in best answering service for small business.

Where Frontivo.io fits, and where it doesn't

Frontivo.io publishes this guide. It is a 24/7 AI answering service with phone plans from $99 a month, Phone Only at $199 with 300 voice minutes, and $299 for phone, website chat and text together. Extra voice minutes are $0.35, there's no setup fee, and evenings, weekends and holidays cost the same. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no card.

It doesn't offer human operators. When a caller asks for a person, the call goes to your own team, or you get a detailed message and an alert. If you want an outside person to take those calls, one of the live services above is the closer fit. See Frontivo.io pricing for every plan.

Prices and features change; check each vendor's site. Trademarks belong to their owners. Competitor details come from each vendor's public website on the date shown and are provided for general comparison only. Frontivo.io is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.