How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost? About $25 to $300 a Month, or Sharrk from $99
By Sharrk Team · October 17, 2026
An AI receptionist costs about $25 to $300 a month for most small businesses, based on the list prices AI receptionist companies publish today. Sharrk gives you a 24/7 AI receptionist from $99 a month on Sharrk Core, and you can build and test your agent free first with Mako.
Where you land in that range depends on how many calls you get, how long they run, and whether the plan charges by the month, the minute or the call. Here is how the pricing works and what to budget.
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?
We checked the public pricing pages of several AI receptionist companies on October 17, 2026. Entry plans start around $25 to $99 a month, and busier plans with more minutes run up to about $300 a month. Enterprise voice AI platforms built for call centers sit far above that.
| Provider | Starting price | What's included | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharrk Core | $99/mo ($990/yr) | 47,500 credits a month (about 316 AI call minutes if used only on calls), 1 phone number, every feature | Flat monthly + credits |
| Sharrk Free | $0 | 2,500 one-time credits, build and test unlimited agents with Mako, no card | Free |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Per call bundle |
| Dialzara | From $29/mo | Not listed on home page | Flat monthly |
| Rosie | $49 / $149 / $299 a month | 250 / 1,000 / 2,000 minutes | Minute bundles |
| Goodcall | From $79/mo | Priced by customers helped, no per-minute charge | Per customer |
| My AI Front Desk | $99/mo ($79/mo yearly) | 200 minutes, then 25 credits ($0.25) a minute | Minutes + overage |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | From $1.60 per call | 25 calls a month free | Per call |
| Synthflow | From $30,000 a year | Enterprise contract | Custom |
Competitor prices come from each company's own site, checked October 17, 2026. See Sources below.
What pricing models do AI receptionists use?
Most plans fall into one of four models.
- Flat monthly with included usage. You pay one price and get a pool of minutes or credits. Sharrk works this way: Core is $99 a month with 47,500 credits that cover calls, texts and emails.
- Per minute. You buy a bundle of minutes (Rosie's plans are 250 to 2,000 minutes) and pay more if you go over. Long calls cost more.
- Per call. You pay for each call, whatever its length. Smith.ai's AI receptionist starts at $1.60 a call, so 100 calls a month is about $160.
- Per customer. Goodcall prices by the number of customers the agent helps each month instead of call length.
Per-call pricing feels simple until a busy season doubles your call count. Minute and credit pools are easier to forecast because you can see usage as it builds.
What drives the cost of an AI receptionist?
Five things move your monthly bill:
- Call volume. More calls means more minutes or more per-call charges.
- Call length. A quick booking call might take two minutes; a detailed quote request can take ten. Per-minute plans feel this most.
- What the agent does beyond calls. Texting new leads, answering web forms and sending follow-up all use usage. On Sharrk, a text segment is 15 credits, an AI text reply is 20 credits and an email is 1 credit, so one credit pool covers every channel.
- Voice quality. Some providers charge more for premium voices. On Sharrk a standard AI call minute is 150 credits and a premium voice minute is 270.
- Phone numbers and texting fees. If you text customers in the US, carriers charge a one-time $5 brand registration and $20 campaign vetting, plus a small monthly campaign fee. Our 10DLC registration cost guide explains it.
How do I estimate my monthly AI receptionist cost?
Use this quick example (illustrative numbers, swap in your own):
- Calls a month: [your number], for example 120
- Average call length: [your number], for example 2.5 minutes
- Total minutes: 120 x 2.5 = 300 minutes
On Sharrk, 300 standard minutes is 45,000 credits, which fits inside Core's 47,500 monthly credits for $99. If you also text leads, add 15 credits per text segment. If you outgrow Core, credit packs top you up, and Sharrk Complete ($449 a month, 185,000 credits) adds a done-for-you build every month with priority support.
Check two numbers before you sign with any provider: what happens when you go over, and whether texting and booking cost extra.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring a receptionist?
Yes, by a wide margin for most small businesses. A full-time receptionist carries wages, payroll taxes, benefits and training, and still only covers business hours. Our breakdown of the cost of hiring a receptionist walks through the real numbers. An AI receptionist answers every call 24/7, including nights, weekends and the lunch rush, for a monthly plan price.
Many owners use both: the AI answers every call and live transfers to a person when a caller needs one. Sharrk supports live transfer, so your team takes the calls that matter most and the AI handles the rest.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually, yes. Live answering services typically charge by the minute with smaller bundles. Ruby's live receptionist plans, for example, start at $250 a month for 50 minutes and run to $1,725 a month for 500 minutes. An AI receptionist at $99 a month covers hundreds of minutes.
The bigger difference is what happens on the call. A message-taking service writes down a name and number. An AI receptionist can answer questions, qualify the lead and book the job while the caller is still on the line. Read virtual receptionist vs answering service for the full side-by-side.
How does Mako help you get more for the price?
Mako is the AI assistant inside Sharrk that builds everything for you from plain English. Tell Mako what your business does, your hours, your service area and how you want calls handled, and it builds your voice agent, booking rules and follow-up. Mako shows an Apply card before it changes anything, so you stay in control.
Because Mako does the setup, there is no setup fee and no agency bill. You can build and test unlimited agents on Sharrk Free with 2,500 credits and no card, then move to Core when you are ready to go live.
How does Sharrk handle AI receptionist pricing?
Sharrk keeps it simple: one monthly price, one credit pool for calls, texts and email, no contracts and no setup fees. Once you go live, Sharrk answers calls 24/7, replies to new leads in under 30 seconds, live transfers to your team and books onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, or into ServiceTitan. Leads from Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, web forms and webhooks come straight in. The first payment has a 30-day money-back guarantee, minus what you've used.
Compare every plan on the pricing page, then Start free or Book a demo.
Sources
- Rosie pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- My AI Front Desk pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- Goodcall home page, "Plans start at $79 a month" (checked October 17, 2026)
- Smith.ai AI receptionist pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- Upfirst home page pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- Dialzara home page pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- Synthflow pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
- Ruby plans and pricing (checked October 17, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist · AI answering service · Pricing
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Most AI receptionists cost about $25 to $300 a month based on list prices checked October 17, 2026. Sharrk Core is $99 a month with 47,500 credits, about 316 AI call minutes if used only on calls.
Is there a free AI receptionist?
Yes, Sharrk Free costs $0 and includes 2,500 one-time credits to build and test unlimited agents with Mako, with no card required. You move to a paid plan when you want to go live.
Is per-minute or per-call pricing better?
Per-minute or credit pricing is usually easier to forecast when calls are short, while per-call pricing suits long calls. Estimate your monthly calls and average length, then compare both against each plan's included usage.
Are there setup fees for an AI receptionist?
Sharrk has no setup fees and no contracts, because Mako builds your agent from plain English. If you text customers, US carriers charge a one-time $5 brand registration and $20 campaign vetting plus a small monthly campaign fee.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
Yes, an AI receptionist costs a fraction of a full-time hire and answers 24/7. Sharrk can also live transfer callers to your team when a person is needed.