How Much Does a Virtual Receptionist Cost?
Price comparison of the leading providers in the US.
A virtual receptionist costs between $149 and $500 per month in the US. Prices depend on the provider, number of included calls, and scope of service. Ruby starts at $235/month for 50 receptionist minutes, Smith.ai at $292.50/month for 30 calls. At an average of 100 calls per month, expect to pay $300-500. For comparison: a full-time in-house receptionist costs $3,500-5,500 monthly including benefits. An AI phone assistant offers unlimited calls – Vokaro from $129/month.
What is Virtual Receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is an outsourced phone service where trained professionals answer your calls under your business name. Unlike a call center, virtual receptionists work more personally and typically handle fewer clients simultaneously. The best-known providers in the US include Ruby, Smith.ai, and AnswerConnect.
Price Comparison: Virtual Receptionist
Ruby Receptionist
50-200 receptionist minutes included. Mon-Fri 5am-9pm PT. 24/7 available on higher plans.
Smith.ai
30-120 calls included. Includes CRM integration and lead qualification on higher tiers.
AnswerConnect
Custom packages. 24/7 live answering available. Bilingual support optional.
AI Phone Assistant (Vokaro)Recommended
Unlimited calls, 24/7, automatic appointment booking, GDPR-compliant
Full-Time In-House Receptionist
Full-time including benefits. Plus vacation, sick leave, coverage.
Hidden Costs
Per-Call Overages
Ruby charges $4.70 per minute beyond your plan allowance. A 3-minute overage call costs $14.10. At 20 overage calls, that is $280+ extra per month.
Add-On Services
Appointment scheduling, call transfers to mobile, text notifications, and bilingual support often cost extra with many providers.
Minimum Contract Terms
Cheaper plans often require 12-month commitments. Month-to-month plans cost 15-25% more.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Virtual Receptionist (Average)
Virtual receptionist average: $350/month + $50 extras = $4,800/year
Vokaro
Vokaro: $129/month x 12 + $390 setup = $1,747 in the first year
Virtual Receptionist is worth it when…
- You value the personal touch of a human voice on the phone
- You need mail handling or business address services in addition to call answering
- Your call volume is under 100 calls per month
- Most calls come during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm)
Virtual Receptionist is not worth it when…
- You need 24/7 availability without surcharges
- Your call volume fluctuates significantly (per-minute pricing gets expensive)
- Automatic appointment booking directly in your calendar is important
- Your budget is under $150/month (basic plans only cover 30-50 calls)
More Cost Comparisons
FAQ
How much does Ruby Receptionist cost per month?
Ruby starts at $235/month (50 receptionist minutes included). Their most popular plan is $370/month with 100 minutes. Every minute over the allowance costs $4.70. For 100+ calls, expect to pay $400-600 per month effectively.
Virtual receptionist vs. AI assistant: which is better?
A virtual receptionist offers a human voice and personal service but is limited to business hours and gets expensive at higher volumes. An AI assistant is available 24/7, can handle unlimited parallel calls, and costs a fixed price. For standard inquiries (80% of all calls), the AI assistant performs equally well or better.
How quickly can a virtual receptionist start?
With providers like Ruby, setup takes 1-3 business days. You need to define your greeting script and set up call forwarding. An AI phone assistant is ready, typically within a week.
Can a virtual receptionist book appointments?
Most virtual receptionists can take appointment requests and forward them to you via email or text. Direct calendar integration (automatic booking) is offered by only a few providers and usually at an extra cost. AI assistants book appointments directly into your calendar.
What do missed calls?
A large share of calls to small businesses go unanswered. Calculate your potential revenue loss based on industry averages. Illustrative example.
Your Situation
Select your industry and missed calls
Plumbers, electricians, painters, roofers
INDUSTRY DATA
Only 30% of calls are new customer inquiries – support, follow-ups etc. are already filtered out.
Your annual revenue loss
—
— per month
—
lost customers/year
624
missed calls/year
With Vokaro
plus $390 one-time setup
Hear how Vokaro answers your calls in 2 minutes:
Get this calculation as a PDF report
Your numbers, the office-service vs. Vokaro comparison, and a short setup checklist — free, by email.
Illustrative example based on industry averages for Skilled Trades, including the one-time setup fee in the first year. No guarantee, actual results may vary.
Virtual Receptionist at a Fixed Price
Vokaro from $129/month plus $390 setup. 24/7, automatic appointment booking. No per-minute charges.
No obligation · GDPR compliant · Made in Germany