Does RingCentral Have an AI Receptionist? Yes, AIR, from $49 a Month
By Sharrk Team · October 30, 2026
Yes. RingCentral sells an AI phone agent called RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR), and its pricing page lists it from $49 a month on its own with 100 minutes included, or $39 a month as an add-on to a RingEX Core plan, with $0.50 a minute after the included minutes (checked October 30, 2026). If you run a home-service business and want the phone answered plus every new lead followed up, Sharrk answers calls 24/7 and replies to new leads in under 30 seconds, starting at $99 a month on Sharrk Core.
Below: what AIR is, what RingCentral says it costs, and how it lines up against Sharrk for a contractor who lives on inbound calls and lead-site leads.
What is RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR)?
AIR is RingCentral's generative-AI phone agent. RingCentral announced general availability on June 30, 2025, describing it as an agent that answers customer questions and routes callers to the right person. In August 2025 RingCentral added "AIR Everywhere," a standalone version that works with other phone systems without a RingEX license.
According to RingCentral's current pricing page, AIR can:
- Answer calls with a custom greeting and one of 8 voices, and route by name or intent
- Transfer to users, extensions, queues or outside numbers, with a live handoff that passes context
- Capture leads and ask custom intake questions
- Schedule appointments through calendar integrations (Google, Outlook, Calendly) or by texting a link
- Run an AI SMS agent and send text follow-ups (RingCentral notes the SMS agent may carry extra charges)
- Learn from your website or Google Business Profile, plus uploaded documents
It works by call forwarding or SIP, so you can keep your existing number.
How much does RingCentral AI Receptionist cost?
RingCentral's own pages have listed different starting prices over time, so here is what each page says, with dates:
| RingCentral source | Date shown | Starting price stated | Minutes included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing page, AI Receptionist (standalone) | No date shown; checked Oct 30, 2026 | $49/month | 100 |
| Pricing page, AI Receptionist with RingEX | No date shown; checked Oct 30, 2026 | $39/month for AIR plus $30 for RingEX Core | 100 |
| Pricing page, overage | No date shown; checked Oct 30, 2026 | $0.50 per minute past included minutes, billed in 30-second increments | n/a |
| Blog, "AI Receptionist for small business" | Aug 5, 2026 | $49/month standalone, $39/month add-on to RingEX | Not stated |
| Blog, AIR Everywhere launch | Aug 5, 2025 (updated Sep 11, 2026) | $59/month in the US and Canada | 100 |
| Press release, general availability | Jun 30, 2025 | $39 per license | 100 |
The current pricing page is the one to go by: $49 a month standalone, or $69 a month combined if you take the $39 add-on with a $30 RingEX Core plan. Annual prices and extra minute bundle prices are not shown on that page.
A quick math check: at $0.50 a minute after the first 100, a shop that takes 300 AI-answered minutes in a month would pay $49 plus 200 × $0.50 = $149 on the standalone plan, before any SMS agent charges. For a wider view of how AI receptionists price minutes, see our breakdown of AI receptionist cost.
How does Sharrk compare with RingCentral AIR?
| Sharrk Core | RingCentral AIR (standalone) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $99/mo, or $990/yr | From $49/mo (pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026) |
| What's included | 47,500 credits a month covering AI call minutes, texts and emails (an AI call minute is 150 credits, so roughly 316 call minutes if used only for calls) | 100 minutes; $0.50/min after |
| Answers calls 24/7 | Yes, with an AI voice agent that asks your questions and answers from your knowledge base | Yes |
| Live transfer | Yes, for emergencies or anything you choose | Yes |
| Booking | Sharrk's calendar, Calendly, Cal.com, and books into ServiceTitan | Google, Outlook, Calendly calendars or SMS link |
| Reminders | Confirmation email/text and a 24-hour reminder from Sharrk's calendar | Text confirmations |
| New lead follow-up | AI call, text and email in under 30 seconds | Not listed on pricing page |
| Lead sources | Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, web forms, webhooks, Jobber | Not listed on pricing page |
| Follow-up sequences | Strikes, until the lead replies or asks to stop | Not listed on pricing page |
| Contracts and setup | No contracts, no setup fees, 30-day money-back guarantee on first payment minus usage | Free trial offered; length not stated |
If you only want to compare a few receptionist styles first, our guide to a virtual receptionist vs an answering service covers the basics.
Why does lead follow-up matter more than answering for home-service businesses?
For a plumber, roofer or HVAC company, many of the best jobs never start with a phone call. They arrive as an Angi or Thumbtack request or a web form at 9 p.m., and the homeowner usually contacts several companies at once. Answering inbound calls well is half the job. The other half is getting back to every new lead fast, before a competitor does.
That is the gap Sharrk is built around. A new lead from Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, a web form or a webhook gets an AI call, text and email in under 30 seconds. If the homeowner doesn't pick up, a Strike keeps following up on the schedule you set until they reply or ask to stop. Jobber clients come in as leads, and a Jobber "quote sent" can start a Strike, so estimates get chased without anyone remembering to do it. Hunts reactivate lists you already own, with the customer's consent to contact them.
When a caller is ready to book, Sharrk puts the job on Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, or books directly into ServiceTitan. Sharrk's calendar sends a confirmation by email and text and a 24-hour reminder.
What should your AI receptionist ask on a service call?
Whichever tool you use, set it up to collect the same things a good dispatcher would:
- Name and best callback number
- Service address and ZIP code (to confirm you cover the area)
- What's wrong, in the caller's words, and when it started
- Whether it's an emergency (no heat, active leak, no power), and if so, transfer live
- Preferred appointment window
- How they heard about you
A short script: "Thanks for calling [Company], this is the virtual assistant. I can get you on the schedule. What's the address where you need service? ... And what's going on with the system today?"
How Sharrk handles this
Sharrk answers every call 24/7 with an AI voice agent that asks the questions you set, answers from your own knowledge base, and transfers live when a call needs a person. It books onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, or into ServiceTitan, and it replies to every new lead in under 30 seconds by AI call, text and email, then keeps following up with Strikes.
Mako, Sharrk's AI assistant, does the setup with you. Tell it in plain English what you want, for example "answer after-hours calls, transfer burst pipes to my cell, and text every Thumbtack lead within a minute." Mako drafts the agent and the follow-up, shows each change on an Apply card, waits for your OK, and lets you undo.
Plans start with Sharrk Free ($0, 2,500 one-time credits, no card) to build and test with Mako, then Sharrk Core at $99 a month with 47,500 credits. Texting needs carrier registration: a one-time $5 brand registration and $20 campaign vetting, plus a small monthly campaign fee.
Start free with Sharrk or schedule a demo.
Comparing phone systems? See whether Dialpad has an AI receptionist too.
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist · Speed to lead · Pricing
Sources
- RingCentral, "RingCentral AI Receptionist Plans & Pricing" (no date shown): https://www.ringcentral.com/pricing/ai-receptionist.html (checked October 30, 2026)
- RingCentral, "AI Receptionist for small business: How to answer every call without hiring anyone" (August 5, 2026): https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/ai-receptionist-for-small-business/ (checked October 30, 2026)
- RingCentral, "RingCentral brings AIR to every business with RingCentral AIR Everywhere: 24/7 AI Receptionist for any phone system" (August 5, 2025; updated September 11, 2026): https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/ringcentral-air-everywhere-ai-receptionist-for-any-phone-system/ (checked October 30, 2026)
- RingCentral, "RingCentral Announces General Availability of AI Receptionist (AIR)" (June 30, 2025): https://www.ringcentral.com/whyringcentral/company/pressreleases/ringcentral-announces-general-availability-of-ai-receptionist-air.html (checked October 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Does RingCentral have an AI receptionist?
Yes. RingCentral sells RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR), a generative-AI phone agent that answers calls, routes callers, captures leads and can schedule appointments, according to its pricing page checked October 30, 2026.
How much does RingCentral AIR cost?
RingCentral's pricing page lists AIR from $49 a month standalone with 100 minutes, or $39 a month as an add-on to a $30 RingEX Core plan. Usage past the included minutes is $0.50 a minute, billed in 30-second increments (checked October 30, 2026).
Do I need a RingCentral phone plan to use AIR?
No. The standalone AI Receptionist plan works without RingEX through call forwarding or SIP, and you can keep your existing number. The $39 price applies only when bundled with RingEX Core.
Can RingCentral AI Receptionist book appointments?
Yes. RingCentral says AIR schedules appointments through Google, Outlook and Calendly calendar integrations or by texting a booking link.
How does Sharrk help a home-service business beyond answering calls?
Sharrk answers every call 24/7 and also replies to every new lead from Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, web forms and webhooks in under 30 seconds by AI call, text and email. It follows up with Strikes until the lead replies and books onto Sharrk's calendar, Calendly, Cal.com or into ServiceTitan, starting at $99 a month on Sharrk Core.