How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Short answer
AI receptionists are priced per minute, per call or as a flat monthly plan, plus setup. Compare what's included, like booking, CRM updates and monitoring, not just the headline price.
What you're paying for
An AI receptionist answers the calls you can't take, asks the questions you'd ask, books the appointment and saves the lead in your software. The price usually covers some mix of:
- Setup: connecting your phone line, calendar and CRM or job software, and writing your intake questions
- A monthly plan with a set number of calls, minutes or leads included
- An overage rate once you go past the allowance
- Monitoring and changes when your business changes, which some providers charge extra for
The three common pricing models
| Model | How it's billed | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Per minute | Every minute on the phone | Long calls and hold time add up |
| Per call or per lead | Each call answered or lead captured | Spam and wrong numbers counting against you |
| Flat monthly | One price with an allowance | What happens when you go over |
More than the phone
An AI receptionist from Midwater is a custom agent built around your calls, your intake questions and the systems it books into.
The same agent can take on more than the phone later, like documents, approvals or follow-ups, without starting over.
Published
Common questions
- Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring someone?
- For answering calls you can't take, usually yes: you pay a monthly plan instead of a salary, and it answers nights and weekends. A person in the office still makes sense if you need someone on site.
Use cases behind this answer
A front desk that answers every call
The agent answers calls you can't take, asks your intake questions, books appointments, puts urgent callers through and texts back anyone who hangs up.
One leasing line for every property
One number answers tour calls for every property from live availability, books tours, follows up no-shows and nudges stalled applicants.
More from the blog
- What's the best way to automate your proposal process?
- How do you build a back office AI agent for a small business?
- How do you automate client intake?
- How do you automate invoicing from your team's time and job records?
- How do you automate the invoices, receipts and forms coming into your inbox?
- Should I use an answering service or an AI receptionist?
What job would you hand to an agent?
Book a free 15-minute call. Tell us the job that eats your week and we'll tell you how an agent would handle it and what it would cost.