AI Phone Answering Service Cost Breakdown
AI phone answering services cost $29-300/month depending on features and call volume, with per-minute rates ranging from $0.20-0.48 for overages.
Understanding the true cost of an AI phone answering service requires looking beyond the advertised price. Hidden fees, overage charges, and required add-ons can turn a $29/month service into a $200/month expense. This breakdown shows you exactly what you'll pay and where the real value lies.
Which Trillet product is right for you?
Small businesses: Trillet AI Receptionist - 24/7 call answering starting at $29/month
Agencies: Trillet White-Label - Resell to clients starting at $99/month
What Are the Main Pricing Models for AI Phone Answering?
AI phone answering services use four primary pricing structures, each with different cost implications for your business.
Understanding these models helps you predict your actual monthly spend:
1. Minute-Bucket Pricing You pay a flat monthly fee that includes a set number of minutes. Overages are charged per minute.
Example: Trillet charges $29/month for 150 minutes, then $0.20/minute after that
Example: Dialzara charges $29/month for 60 minutes, then $0.48/minute after that
Best for: Businesses with predictable call volumes
2. Per-Call Pricing You pay for each answered call regardless of duration.
Example: Smith.ai charges $97.50/month for 30 calls, then $4.25 per additional call
Best for: Businesses with short, transactional calls
Worst for: Businesses where calls run long (consultations, support)
3. Unique Caller Caps Unlimited minutes but a cap on how many different callers you can receive.
Example: Goodcall charges $59/month for 100 unique callers, $0.50 per additional unique caller
Best for: Businesses with repeat callers (existing customers)
Worst for: Businesses with high new-caller volume (lead generation)
4. Flat Unlimited Pricing One monthly fee for unlimited calls, but key features are locked to higher tiers.
Example: Rosie charges $49/month unlimited, but appointment booking requires $99/month
Best for: High-volume businesses that need basic answering only
Worst for: Businesses needing CRM integration or appointment scheduling
How Much Does Each AI Phone Answering Service Actually Cost?
Real-world costs depend on your call volume. Here's what you'll actually pay across the major platforms.
We calculated costs for three business scenarios:
Light usage: 30 calls/month, 3 minutes average (90 total minutes)
Medium usage: 50 calls/month, 3 minutes average (150 total minutes)
Heavy usage: 100 calls/month, 3 minutes average (300 total minutes)
Trillet Pricing
Usage Level | Base Plan | Minutes Used | Overage | Total Monthly Cost |
Light (90 min) | $29 | 90 of 150 | $0 | $29 |
Medium (150 min) | $29 | 150 of 150 | $0 | $29 |
Heavy (300 min) | $29 | 150 + 150 overage | $30 | $59 |
Trillet includes 150 minutes at the $29 tier with $0.20/minute overages. Multi-channel support (SMS, WhatsApp) and auto-callback scheduling are included at no extra cost.
Dialzara Pricing
Usage Level | Base Plan | Minutes Used | Overage | Total Monthly Cost |
Light (90 min) | $29 | 60 + 30 overage | $14.40 | $43.40 |
Medium (150 min) | $29 | 60 + 90 overage | $43.20 | $72.20 |
Heavy (300 min) | $99 | 220 + 80 overage | $38.40 | $137.40 |
Dialzara includes only 60 minutes at the $29 tier. The $0.48/minute overage rate makes it expensive for moderate call volumes.
Smith.ai Pricing
Usage Level | Base Plan | Calls Used | Overage | Total Monthly Cost |
Light (30 calls) | $97.50 | 30 of 30 | $0 | $97.50 |
Medium (50 calls) | $97.50 | 30 + 20 overage | $85 | $182.50 |
Heavy (100 calls) | $180 | 90 + 10 overage | $40 | $220 |
Smith.ai's per-call model ($4.25/call overage on starter) makes it the most expensive option for growing businesses.
Goodcall Pricing
Usage Level | Base Plan | Unique Callers | Overage | Total Monthly Cost |
Light (30 callers) | $59 | 30 of 100 | $0 | $59 |
Medium (50 callers) | $59 | 50 of 100 | $0 | $59 |
Heavy (100+ callers) | $59 | 100 + overage | Variable | $59+ |
Goodcall's unique caller cap works well if you have repeat customers. New lead-heavy businesses risk unpredictable costs.
Rosie Pricing
Usage Level | Features Needed | Base Plan | Total Monthly Cost |
Light | Basic answering | $49 | $49 |
Medium | + Appointment booking | $99 | $99 |
Heavy | + CRM integration | $199 | $199 |
Rosie offers unlimited minutes but locks critical features behind higher tiers. Most businesses need the $99 or $199 plan.
What Hidden Costs Should I Watch For?
The advertised price is rarely the full cost. These hidden expenses catch many businesses off guard.
Feature Add-Ons Some platforms charge extra for features that should be standard:
HIPAA compliance: ChatDash charges $200/month extra
SMS/text messaging: Often $20-50/month extra
Call recording: Sometimes $10-30/month extra
CRM integration: Can be $50-100/month extra
Trillet includes HIPAA compliance, SMS, WhatsApp, call recording, and CRM integration in all plans at no extra charge.
Overage Rates The difference between overage rates creates massive cost disparities:
Trillet: $0.20/minute
Dialzara: $0.48/minute (140% more expensive)
Smith.ai: $4.25/call (can be $1+/minute for short calls)
At 100 minutes of overage, the difference between Trillet ($20) and Dialzara ($48) is $28/month or $336/year.
Setup Fees Most AI phone answering services don't charge setup fees, but some enterprise-tier services do. Always confirm during signup.
Annual vs Monthly Billing Some platforms offer discounts for annual billing (10-20% off) but lock you into a 12-month commitment. Trillet offers monthly billing with no long-term contracts.
Phone Number Costs Most services include one phone number. Additional numbers or toll-free numbers may cost $5-20/month each.
How Do AI Phone Answering Costs Compare to Human Receptionists?
AI phone answering is dramatically cheaper than human alternatives, whether in-house or outsourced.
In-House Human Receptionist Costs
Salary: $35,000-50,000/year ($2,900-4,200/month)
Benefits: Add 20-30% ($580-1,260/month)
Training: $2,000-5,000 initially, ongoing
Coverage: Only 40 hours/week, no nights/weekends
Total: $3,500-5,500/month for 40-hour coverage
Outsourced Human Receptionist (Ruby, etc.)
Entry plans: $200-300/month for limited minutes
Full coverage: $500-1,000/month
Per-minute overage: $1.50-3.00/minute
Total: $300-1,500/month depending on volume
AI Phone Answering Service
Entry plans: $29-99/month
Heavy usage: $50-200/month with overages
24/7/365 coverage included
Total: $29-200/month for unlimited concurrent calls
The math is clear. Even the most expensive AI phone answering scenario costs less than the cheapest human alternative while providing better hours and call capacity.
For detailed cost comparison data, see AI Phone Answering vs Human Receptionist: 2026 Cost Comparison.
What's the ROI of AI Phone Answering?
The return on investment comes from captured calls that would otherwise go to voicemail or competitors.
The Cost of Missed Calls Research shows:
80% of callers won't leave a voicemail
78% of customers buy from whoever responds first
Average small business misses 20-30% of incoming calls
ROI Calculation Example: Home Services Business
Monthly missed calls before AI: 30
Average job value: $300
Close rate on answered calls: 30%
Potential revenue from missed calls: 30 x $300 x 30% = $2,700/month
AI phone answering cost: $29-59/month
ROI: 4,500-9,000%
Even if AI only captures 10% of previously missed calls, the payback is substantial.
ROI Calculation Example: Professional Services
Monthly missed calls before AI: 15
Average client value: $2,000
Close rate on answered calls: 20%
Potential revenue from missed calls: 15 x $2,000 x 20% = $6,000/month
AI phone answering cost: $29-59/month
ROI: 10,000-20,000%
Learn more about the revenue impact at The True Cost of Missed Calls for Small Businesses.
How Do I Choose the Right Plan for My Business?
Selecting the right AI phone answering plan depends on your call volume, call duration, and feature requirements.
Step 1: Estimate Your Monthly Call Volume
Check your phone records for the past 3 months
Count total incoming calls (not just answered)
Calculate average call duration
Step 2: Calculate Your Minute Usage
Multiply calls by average duration
Add 20% buffer for growth and seasonality
Example: 50 calls x 3 minutes x 1.2 = 180 minutes/month
Step 3: Compare Total Costs Using 180 minutes/month:
Trillet: $29 base + 30 min overage x $0.20 = $35/month
Dialzara: $29 base + 120 min overage x $0.48 = $86.60/month
Smith.ai (60 calls): $97.50 base + 30 calls x $4.25 = $225/month
Step 4: Factor in Required Features List non-negotiable features:
Appointment scheduling? (Some platforms lock this behind higher tiers)
SMS/text follow-up? (Often an add-on)
CRM integration? (Check compatibility and cost)
HIPAA compliance? (Can be $200/month extra)
Trillet includes all these features in the base $29/month plan.
Comparison: AI Phone Answering Service Costs 2026
Service | Entry Price | Included Usage | Overage Rate | Multi-Channel | HIPAA | Best For |
Trillet | $29/month | 150 minutes | $0.20/min | Included | Included | Best overall value |
Dialzara | $29/month | 60 minutes | $0.48/min | No | No | Light usage only |
My AI Front Desk | $65/month | Varies | Per-minute | No | No | Basic needs |
Smith.ai | $97.50/month | 30 calls | $4.25/call | Extra | Yes | Enterprise features |
Goodcall | $59/month | 100 callers | $0.50/caller | No | No | Repeat customers |
Rosie | $49/month | Unlimited | N/A | No | No | High volume, basic |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest AI phone answering service?
Trillet and Dialzara both start at $29/month, but Trillet includes 150 minutes versus Dialzara's 60 minutes. For actual cost-effectiveness, Trillet delivers 2.5x more included usage at the same price point, plus lower overage rates ($0.20 vs $0.48/minute).
Which Trillet product should I choose?
If you're a small business owner looking for AI call answering, start with Trillet AI Receptionist at $29/month. If you're an agency wanting to resell voice AI to clients, explore Trillet White-Label—Studio at $99/month (up to 3 sub-accounts) or Agency at $299/month (unlimited sub-accounts).
Are there setup fees for AI phone answering services?
Most AI phone answering services, including Trillet, charge no setup fees. You pay only the monthly subscription plus any usage overages. Some enterprise-tier services may charge implementation fees for custom integrations.
How much can I save compared to a human receptionist?
AI phone answering costs $29-200/month versus $3,500-5,500/month for an in-house receptionist or $300-1,500/month for outsourced human services. Most small businesses save 90-95% while getting 24/7 coverage that a single human receptionist cannot provide.
Do I need to pay extra for appointment scheduling?
It depends on the platform. Trillet includes calendar integration (Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly) on all plans. Rosie locks appointment booking behind their $99/month plan. Smith.ai includes it but at higher base prices. Always verify before signing up.
What happens if I exceed my included minutes?
You'll pay overage rates that vary dramatically by platform. Trillet charges $0.20/minute, Dialzara charges $0.48/minute, and Smith.ai charges $4.25/call. Tracking your usage in the first few months helps you choose the right plan level.
Conclusion
AI phone answering service costs range from $29-300/month depending on your needs, but the real cost depends on included usage, overage rates, and required feature add-ons. Trillet offers the best value for most small businesses with $29/month pricing, 150 included minutes, industry-low $0.20/minute overages, and all features included at no extra charge.
Don't pay more than you need to. Don't get surprised by hidden fees. Calculate your expected call volume and compare total costs, not just advertised prices.
Visit Trillet AI Receptionist pricing to see detailed plans and start capturing every call today.
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