Answering service cost calculator: human vs AI

How much does an answering service cost?

Most human answering services sell monthly plans with a fixed number of minutes or calls. For 100 calls of 3 minutes (300 minutes), the lowest listed plans in October 2026 were Ruby $1,725.00, Abby Connect $898.50, and Smith.ai (human receptionists) $915.00 per month. An AI phone agent on Hail costs $0.10 per minute, plus $0.01 per minute to record. That is $33.00 for the same minutes.

Answering service pricing comparison

Prices observed October 2026 from each provider's pricing page. Check the page before you decide.

• Ruby: $250.00 for 50 minutes; $395.00 for 100 minutes; $720.00 for 200 minutes; $1,725.00 for 500 minutes.
• Abby Connect: $164.00 for 50 minutes, then $3.28 per extra minute; $329.00 for 100 minutes, then $3.29 per extra minute; $599.00 for 200 minutes, then $2.995 per extra minute; $1,380.00 for 500 minutes, then $2.76 per extra minute.
• Smith.ai (human receptionists): $300.00 for 30 calls, then $11.50 per call; $810.00 for 90 calls, then $10.50 per call; $2,100.00 for 300 calls, then $8.50 per call.
• Hail: $0.10 per answered minute, the same rate as an outbound minute. See pricing.

Abby bills extra minutes at the plan's minute rate. We calculate this rate from the plan price and included minutes. The calculator includes these charges when choosing the cheapest plan. Ruby does not publish an extra-minute rate. Above its largest listed plan, the calculator says "Ask for a quote".

How the estimate works

Answered calls are your calls per month multiplied by the share that the service answers. Set 100% for 24/7 answering. Set a lower share if the service only answers after hours. The 40% button is an example, not a measured average.

The calculator compares plans and includes published charges for extra minutes or calls. It picks the cheapest result for each service. If no extra-minute rate is public, it only considers plans that cover your minutes. For Hail, multiply answered minutes by the voice rate. Add the recording rate if you record calls.

When an AI agent costs more

A per-minute price is not the whole cost. A human receptionist can handle calls that an AI agent cannot: an upset caller, a complex sale, or a request that needs judgment. You also write and test the agent's instructions yourself. With Hail, an agent can hand a call over to a person on your team, and by default the agent tells callers that it is an AI.

To try it, read how to make your first AI phone call or the voice API page.

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