How much does an AI receptionist cost?
The Rample team · Updated
The short answer
Most AI receptionists cost $25 to $300 a month, but that price usually covers a small allowance: 25 to 250 minutes or calls on entry plans, then $0.25 to $0.85 a minute or $0.70 to $3 a call beyond it. A live answering service runs about $165 to $2,100 a month, and a full-time receptionist earns a median $38,010 a year before payroll costs. Count your calls before comparing plans.
The three ways AI receptionists charge
The headline number matters less than the unit it buys. Vendors bill in one of three ways, and each one rewards a different kind of business.
- Per minute (Dialzara, RingCentral, AgentZap, My AI Front Desk): a plan includes a block of minutes, and every minute after that is billed, usually $0.25 to $0.85. Long calls cost more.
- Per call (Smith.ai, Upfirst): a plan includes a number of calls, then $0.70 to $3 for each one after. Many short calls cost more.
- Per customer (Goodcall): minutes are unlimited, and the cap is on how many different callers you have in a month, with $0.50 for each one past it.
What the main AI receptionists cost
These prices were taken from each vendor's own pricing page on October 4, 2026. Most offer a discount for paying yearly; the monthly rate is shown.
Sources: Upfirst; Dialzara; Rosie; RingCentral; Goodcall; My AI Front Desk; AgentZap; Smith.ai
| Vendor | Monthly price | Included | Beyond the allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfirst | $24.95 to $299 | 30 to 600 calls | $0.70 to $1.50 per call |
| Dialzara | $29 to $349 | 60 to 1,000 minutes | $0.35 to $0.48 per minute |
| Rosie | $49 to $299 | 250 to 2,000 minutes | Not stated |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | $49 standalone | 100 minutes | $0.50 per minute |
| Goodcall | $79 to $249 per agent | Unlimited minutes; 100 to 500 callers | $0.50 per extra caller |
| My AI Front Desk | $99 | 200 minutes, 400 texts | About $0.25 per minute |
| AgentZap | $109 to $899 | 150 to 1,500 minutes | $0.70 to $0.85 per minute |
| Smith.ai (AI) | $0 to $500 | 25 to 300 calls | $2.17 to $3.00 per call |
The costs that aren't in the headline price
The cheapest tier is often missing the thing you wanted. Rosie's $49 plan texts the caller a booking link; booking straight into your calendar starts on its $149 plan. Goodcall's plans don't list booking or texting at all, while Dialzara, Upfirst, RingCentral and My AI Front Desk include booking on every tier.
Setup fees and contracts are rare but not gone: AgentZap charges a one-time $499 setup fee unless you commit to six months, and most others are month to month. Check what happens after the allowance, because a busy week is when overage adds up.
Sources: Rosie pricing; Goodcall pricing; AgentZap pricing
How to estimate your monthly cost
Multiply your calls per day by their average length and by 30. A business taking 10 calls a day that last about 3 minutes uses around 300 calls and 900 minutes a month. At the October 2026 prices above, that same month would cost roughly:
- Upfirst Pro: $159.95 (300 calls included).
- Dialzara Elite: $349 (1,000 minutes included).
- RingCentral AI Receptionist: about $449 ($49 for 100 minutes, then 800 minutes at $0.50).
- Smith.ai AI receptionist, Pro: $500 (300 calls included).
- AgentZap Professional: about $633 ($295 for 450 minutes, then 450 minutes at $0.75).
How that compares with a person
A live answering service costs more per call because a person picks up: Ruby starts at $250 a month for 50 minutes and Smith.ai's human receptionists at $300 for 30 calls. Abby Connect runs $165 to $1,380 a month.
Hiring is the biggest step up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median receptionist wage at $18.27 an hour, or $38,010 a year, which is about $3,170 a month for a full-time hire before payroll taxes and benefits. A person also brings judgment an AI does not, and works set hours.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Receptionists; Ruby pricing; Smith.ai receptionist pricing
Where Rample fits
Rample is $149 a month on Receptionist, $449 on Receptionist + Marketing and $749 on Receptionist + Marketing + Leads, or from $89 a month paid yearly. There are no per-minute or per-call charges.
If all you need is a few calls answered, a phone-only tool from the list above will cost less. Rample costs what it does because the phone is only one part of it: the agent books during the call, and the same system sends reminders, takes online bookings, sends quotes and invoices, asks customers for reviews and writes your social posts. Compare it with what you would pay for those tools together, not with a phone line alone.