AI Receptionist Cost: What Small Businesses Pay Today
AI receptionist cost usually ranges from about £20 to £300 per month, depending on whether you need website chat, phone answering, booking, or all three. Small businesses should also check usage limits, setup fees, call charges and whether essential features are locked behind expensive upgrades.
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
The short answer is that an AI receptionist can cost anywhere from around £20 a month for basic website chat to £300 or more for a phone-based service with higher call volumes and advanced integrations. The right price depends less on the label and more on what the service actually does.
A website-only receptionist answers questions from your business information and captures enquiries. A voice receptionist answers calls, takes messages and may book appointments. Some services combine both channels, while others charge separately for each one.
Typical AI receptionist prices
| Type of service | Typical monthly cost | Usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Website chat only | £20 to £80 | Answers from your website or supplied information, lead capture and basic notifications |
| Website chat with booking | £40 to £120 | Chat, appointment requests, calendar connection and booking questions |
| AI phone answering | £80 to £300 | Call answering, basic conversation handling, messages and call summaries |
| Combined chat and phone | £120 to £400+ | Website and telephone coverage, often with CRM or calendar integrations |
| Human receptionist service | £150 to £1,000+ | People answering calls, normally with limits, scripts and per-minute or per-call charges |
These are useful comparison ranges rather than fixed tariffs. Phone services cost more because they require telephony, call routing, speech processing and usually a dedicated number. Human services cost more again because every interaction uses staff time.
What changes the monthly price?
1. The channel you need
Website chat is normally the least expensive option. It can answer common questions about services, opening times, coverage areas and prices at any hour. Phone answering costs more, but it may be worthwhile if missed calls are a frequent problem or customers prefer calling.
Do not pay for phone coverage if nearly all your enquiries arrive through your website, social media or online forms. Equally, a chat-only plan will not solve the problem of unanswered calls.
2. Conversation or call limits
Most providers include a monthly allowance. This might be measured in conversations, messages, minutes or calls. A plan with a low headline price can become expensive if it charges overage fees or forces you to upgrade after a small increase in demand.
Estimate your busiest month rather than your quietest month. If you receive 20 enquiries a week, allow for roughly 80 to 100 conversations a month, plus repeat visits from people comparing options. For phone services, check whether a short call counts the same as a ten-minute call.
3. Booking and integrations
Appointment booking may be included in some plans and an add-on in others. Check whether it can connect to the calendar you already use, rather than simply collecting a preferred date and time for manual follow-up.
CRM connections can also affect the price. A practical system should send each enquiry to your existing tools through an integration such as Zapier or Make, or at least provide an email notification and a usable transcript.
4. Setup and customisation
Some providers charge several hundred pounds for onboarding, information gathering and conversation design. Others include setup but charge for changes later. Ask what happens when you update your opening hours, services, prices or service area.
For a small local business, free setup and testing can make a meaningful difference. You should be able to check answers before going live, not discover incorrect information after customers have used the service.
What does a small business actually need?
A plumber may only need answers about emergency call-outs, service areas, working hours and how to request an estimate. A salon may need service details, cancellation rules and booking. A dentist or clinic may need careful handling of appointment requests, location questions and messages for staff.
Start with the jobs that save the most staff time:
- Answer the 10 to 20 questions customers ask most often.
- Capture the customer’s name, contact details, enquiry and preferred follow-up method.
- Offer booking only if your calendar and availability are reliable.
- Send every lead somewhere your team will actually check.
- Escalate urgent or sensitive requests instead of pretending to provide professional advice.
This approach is usually better value than buying a large package filled with features your business will not use.
Why some AI receptionist services cost £100 to £300
Many AI receptionist services are priced at £100 to £300 a month and sold through demonstrations aimed at larger businesses. That price can be reasonable where there are multiple locations, high call volumes, complex routing or extensive support requirements.
It is less suitable when you are a sole trader, local clinic, salon or small trade business that needs a simple way to stop losing enquiries. Lyla is priced for these smaller businesses, with plans from £30 a month for around 300 conversations or £70 for around 1,000, free setup and testing, and optional add-ons for phone answering, a custom voice, booking and image understanding. The add-ons are not required.
The practical difference is not just the monthly figure. A self-serve service that can be tested and switched on the same day avoids a long sales process and reduces the risk of paying for a system before you know whether customers will use it.
Hidden costs to check before buying
- Setup fees: Ask whether onboarding, testing and initial content are included.
- Phone numbers: Check whether a dedicated number is included and whether your country is supported.
- Call minutes: Find out if phone usage is capped, metered or charged separately.
- Overage: Ask what happens when you exceed the monthly conversation or call allowance.
- Transfers: Check whether calls can be handed to a person and whether transfer charges apply.
- Changes: Confirm whether updating services, prices and opening hours costs extra.
- Cancellation: Look for a notice period, minimum contract or export charge.
A simple way to compare total cost
Use this calculation for each provider: monthly subscription plus add-ons, expected overage, phone charges and setup fees spread across the first year. Then compare that figure with the value of enquiries you currently miss.
For example, if an average completed job produces £250 in revenue, recovering one additional suitable enquiry may justify a modest monthly cost. That does not mean every lead will become a customer. It means you can assess the service against a realistic business outcome instead of comparing subscription prices alone.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What information does the receptionist use, and can I review its answers?
- How many conversations or minutes are included?
- Can it handle 25 or more languages if my customers need them?
- Where are captured leads stored and how are they delivered?
- Can it connect to my CRM, calendar or workflow through Zapier or Make?
- Can I test it with real customer questions before paying to go live?
The best-value AI receptionist is not necessarily the cheapest plan. It is the one that covers the channels your customers use, fits your enquiry volume and gives your team every lead without adding avoidable fees.
Frequently asked questions
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
Usually, yes. AI services commonly cost tens or a few hundred pounds per month, while a human receptionist service may cost £150 to £1,000 or more depending on hours, call volume and staffing. Human support can still be preferable for complex, sensitive or high-value conversations.
What is included in an AI receptionist subscription?
It may include website chat, answers based on your business information, lead capture and notifications. Phone answering, booking, dedicated numbers, custom voices, CRM connections and higher usage limits may be separate, so check the plan details carefully.
Are AI receptionist setup fees common?
They are common, particularly for phone systems or heavily customised services. Setup may range from included onboarding to several hundred pounds. Ask whether testing, content updates and corrections are included before you agree to a contract.
Does an AI receptionist charge per call?
Some phone services charge by the minute or call, while others include a monthly allowance. Website services more often use conversation or message limits. Confirm how a conversation is counted and what happens when you exceed the allowance.
Can an AI receptionist book appointments?
Many can, but booking may be an optional feature. Check that the service connects to your actual calendar, respects availability and sends confirmations. If it only collects a preferred time for manual follow-up, it is enquiry capture rather than full booking.