How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost for a Small Contractor?
Updated October 23, 2026. Short answer: verified entry plans in our directory start at $24.95/mo (Upfirst), and human answering services like Ruby start at $250/mo for 50 minutes. What you actually pay depends on call volume and overage pricing.
We have not call-tested these tools. Prices are copied from each vendor's pricing page on the date shown and can change; confirm before buying.
Published prices (verified on vendor pages)
| Vendor | Published pricing | Source / checked |
|---|---|---|
| Upfirst | Starter $24.95/mo; Premium $59.95/mo; Pro $159.95/mo; Scale $299/mo (lower with annual billing) | www.upfirst.ai, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Dialzara | Lite $29/mo ($0.48/min over); Pro $99 ($0.45); Plus $199 ($0.40); Elite $349 ($0.35); SMS from $19/mo; chatbot $39/mo | dialzara.com, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Rosie | Professional $49/mo; Scale $149/mo; Growth $299/mo; Website Texting add-on $50/mo | heyrosie.com, checked 2026-10-13 |
| OnCrew | Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo; Multi-Truck $349/mo; $0.99 per extra call; $0.05 per extra alert text | oncrew.ai, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Goodcall | Starter $79/mo (100 unique customers, then $0.79 each); Growth $129/mo (500, then $0.26 each); Scale $299/mo (2,000, then $0.15 each); Enterprise custom | www.goodcall.com, checked 2026-10-14 |
| XBert AI (Nextiva) | $99/mo includes 100 interactions, then $0.99 per interaction | www.nextiva.com, checked 2026-10-13 |
| HighLevel Voice AI | Platform Starter $97/mo; AI Employee $50/mo or $97/mo per location; phone/SMS extra | www.gohighlevel.com, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Smith.ai | AI-first Free $0 (25 calls, $3.00/call after); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls, $2.00/call); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls, $1.67/call) | smith.ai, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Abby Connect | Starter $165/mo (50 Abby Minutes); Essential $329 (100); Professional $599 (200); Growth $1,380 (500); minutes double when AI handles the call | www.abby.com, checked 2026-10-13 |
| Ruby | Virtual receptionist: 50 min $250/mo; 100 min $395/mo; 200 min $720/mo; 500 min $1,725/mo; larger plans via sales. Live chat: 10 chats $143/mo; 30 $335; 50 $520 (20% off chat when bundled with a receptionist plan). No activation, onboarding or setup fees per Ruby. Overage rates not published on the pricing page. | www.ruby.com, checked 2026-10-16 |
What drives the bill
- Billing unit: per call (OnCrew, Smith.ai), per minute (Dialzara, Ruby), per unique customer (Goodcall) or per interaction (XBert).
- Overage: e.g. OnCrew $0.99 per extra call; Dialzara Lite $0.48/min over.
- Add-ons: SMS, phone numbers or CRM fees (HighLevel phone/SMS extra).
Low-cost picks with trials
Rosie
7-day free trial (checked 2026-10-23).
Published pricing: Professional $49/mo; Scale $149/mo; Growth $299/mo; Website Texting add-on $50/mo (heyrosie.com, checked 2026-10-13)
affiliate link: we may earn a commission. Disclosure
Goodcall
Free demo agent to build and test (checked 2026-10-23).
Published pricing: Starter $79/mo (100 unique customers, then $0.79 each); Growth $129/mo (500, then $0.26 each); Scale $299/mo (2,000, then $0.15 each); Enterprise custom (www.goodcall.com, checked 2026-10-14)
affiliate link: we may earn a commission. Disclosure
What do missed calls cost you? Plug in your own call volume and job value in the missed-call cost calculator.
FAQ
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?
For a small contractor, verified entry plans in our directory range from $24.95/mo (Upfirst) to $99/mo (XBert, Dialzara Pro), per vendor pricing pages checked 2026-10-13. Smith.ai lists a $0 AI-first plan with 25 calls.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human answering service?
On published list prices, yes: Ruby starts at 50 min $250/mo and Abby Connect at $165/mo for 50 minutes, versus AI plans under $100/mo (checked 2026-10-16 and 2026-10-13).
Is it worth it for a small contractor?
Compare the monthly fee with the value of the jobs you miss. Use the missed-call cost calculator with your own numbers, and see is an AI receptionist worth it.
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