AI receptionist cost
How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost in 2026?
By Trivant Editorial Team · Published September 28, 2026
AI receptionist pricing is confusing on purpose: one vendor quotes a flat monthly fee, another charges per minute, a third charges per call. Public 2026 pricing guides put the range at roughly $29 to $500 or more per month, with per-minute rates commonly between about $0.25 and $0.48. The headline number tells you little. What matters is what you'll actually pay at your call volume.
The three pricing models
- ✓Flat monthly with included minutes: a fixed fee covers a set number of AI minutes, and extra minutes cost a per-minute rate. Predictable if you pick the right tier.
- ✓Per-minute: you pay for talk time only. Cheap at low volume, unpredictable when call volume or call length spikes.
- ✓Per-call: a fixed price per answered call. Simple to budget, but expensive if many calls are short or spam.
What actually drives the price
- ✓Minutes of real conversation, not the number of calls or leads.
- ✓Whether booking, SMS confirmations, and reminders are included or extra.
- ✓The number of phone numbers, locations, or businesses covered.
- ✓Whether a human backup or live escalation service is bundled in.
- ✓Support level and onboarding help.
Hidden costs to check before you sign
- ✓Overage rates once you pass your included minutes.
- ✓Separate charges for the phone number or for SMS.
- ✓Setup fees, per-seat fees, or minimum contract terms.
- ✓Whether spam and robocalls count against your minutes.
- ✓Extra charges for recordings, transcripts, or integrations.
How to estimate your own monthly cost
- 1Count how many calls per month your team misses or that arrive after hours. Your phone provider's call log usually shows this.
- 2Estimate the average conversation length. Booking-style calls often run a few minutes.
- 3Multiply calls by minutes to get monthly AI minutes, then add a buffer for busy months.
- 4Compare that number to each plan's included minutes and overage rate, and price the total, not just the base fee.
Worked example with Trivant's plans
Say the AI handles 120 calls averaging 3 minutes, or 360 minutes a month. On Starter ($79 with 250 included minutes), the extra 110 minutes at $0.35 add $38.50, for $117.50 total, which is less than Growth's $149. Starter stays cheaper than Growth up to 450 minutes a month; above that, Growth wins. Likewise, Pro ($299) beats Growth once you pass roughly 1,250 minutes. Only real conversation time counts toward minutes.
Compare the price to the cost of a missed call
The useful comparison isn't the AI receptionist against another AI receptionist. It's the monthly fee against the jobs you lose to unanswered calls. Multiply the number of missed calls from real prospects by your average job value and your close rate. If even one recovered job a month covers the plan, the pricing question becomes whether the coverage works, not whether it's affordable.
Cheapest isn't always lowest total cost
A $29 plan with 60 minutes can cost more than a $79 plan with 250 minutes once you pass the allowance. A flat 'unlimited' plan can carry fair-use limits. Ask for the full picture: included minutes, overage rate, what counts as a minute, and what's excluded.
Frequently asked questions
Is flat-rate or per-minute pricing cheaper?
It depends on volume. Per-minute pricing is cheaper at very low volume and gets expensive quickly as calls grow. Flat monthly plans with included minutes are usually more predictable once you regularly use a few hundred minutes.
How much does Trivant cost?
Trivant plans are $79 (Starter, 250 AI minutes), $149 (Growth, 750 minutes), and $299 (Pro, 2,000 minutes) per month, each with unlimited operational SMS under fair use. Additional minutes are $0.35, $0.30, and $0.25 respectively, and there's a 7-day free trial with $0 due today.
Do spam calls use up my minutes?
Ask every vendor. On Trivant, calls blocked as obvious spam, ring time before the AI answers, and calls handled entirely by your team don't count toward AI minutes.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
Usually much cheaper per hour of coverage, and available 24/7, but it isn't a substitute for judgment on complex or sensitive calls. Many businesses use it as the fallback when a person can't answer.
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