How much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
Last updated 11 June 2026. Prices below are taken from providers' published UK price lists as of this date.
In the UK in 2026, AI receptionist products cost between £9 and £349 per month depending on minutes and features, with most capable options sitting around £99 to £149 per month. Human answering services run £99 to £395 plus per month before per minute charges. Done for you AI receptionist agencies, which build and manage the whole thing for you, quote custom prices based on call volume and complexity.
This guide is written by Smooth Voice, an AI voice receptionist agency for UK trade and small businesses. We have included real published prices for products and services across the whole market, including options that compete with us, because that is what makes a cost guide useful.
What does an AI receptionist cost month to month?
Prices split into clear bands. The right band depends on call volume, whether you need jobs booked rather than messages taken, and how much setup work you want to do yourself.
| What you are buying | Typical UK price | What that gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Budget AI receptionist apps | £9 to £30 per month | Basic call capture, small minute bundles, template setups |
| Mid range AI receptionists | £99 to £149 per month | Better voices, calendar booking, more or unlimited minutes |
| Tiered AI receptionist products | £99 to £349 per month | Emergency escalation, CRM sync, multiple departments |
| Hybrid AI plus human services | £29 to £70 per month | AI answers first, real people step in on complex calls |
| Human answering services | £99 to £395 plus per month | Real receptionists, charged per minute or per call on top |
| Done for you AI receptionist agencies | Custom quoted | An agency builds, tests, and runs the agent around your business |
| Employing a receptionist | Roughly £22,000 a year full time | One person, office hours only, holidays and sick days to cover |
Published UK examples as of June 2026: Reception Genie from £8.99, Team Connect from £9.99, CallChimps from £29 plus £0.97 per minute, Norango from £69.95, ARROW at £99, Overtime at £99 to £149, Vocan at £99 to £349, Moneypenny from £99 plus per minute charges, AnswerConnect £205 to £395 plus a £49.99 setup fee, AllDayPA from £210.
AI receptionist or answering service or hiring someone?
Each option solves the missed call problem differently, and the cheapest looking option is rarely the cheapest once lost jobs are counted.
| Option | Cost | The honest reality |
|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | Most callers hang up rather than leave a message, then phone the next company on the list. Free to run, expensive in lost jobs. |
| Human answering service | £99 to £395 plus per month | A real person answers with your company name and takes a message. Per minute charges add up fast, and most cannot book jobs into your calendar. |
| AI receptionist product | £9 to £349 per month | Software you set up and manage yourself. Strong value if you have the time and patience to configure and maintain it. |
| Done for you AI receptionist | Custom quoted | An agency builds the agent around your business, connects your booking system, and handles every update. You get the result without the setup work. |
| Employed receptionist | Roughly £22,000 a year | Brilliant for front of house, but covers one phone line, office hours only. Evenings, weekends, and busy spells still go unanswered. |
What hidden costs should you watch for?
- Per minute overages. Bundles of 30 to 150 minutes disappear fast. UK answering services charge roughly £1 to £1.85 per minute beyond the bundle.
- Setup fees. Some services add a one off fee, for example £49.99 at AnswerConnect. Agencies typically quote a build fee separately from the monthly.
- Out of hours surcharges. True 24/7 cover costs £75 to £150 per month extra at some human services. AI answers nights and weekends at no extra cost.
- Do it yourself platform usage. Developer voice platforms advertise pennies per minute, but once you add the language model, the voice, and the phone number, real costs run two to three times the headline rate, plus your time to build and maintain it.
How do you work out what missed calls cost you?
Multiply the calls you miss each week by your average job value and the share of callers who give up and phone a competitor. For most trade businesses that number is far bigger than any receptionist bill. Our missed call calculator does the sums for your own numbers in about a minute.
Common questions about AI receptionist pricing
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually, yes. UK human answering services publish prices from £99 to £395 plus per month with per minute charges of roughly £1 to £1.85 on top. AI receptionist products start under £10 per month and mid range options sit around £99 to £149, often with unlimited minutes. The bigger difference is capability: an AI receptionist answers every call instantly around the clock and can book jobs, while most answering services take messages during staffed hours.
What do per minute charges actually mean for my bill?
Many services advertise a low monthly price that includes a small bundle of minutes, then charge per minute after that. At £1.65 per minute, a typical 4 minute call costs £6.60 once your bundle runs out. A trade business taking 10 calls a day can find the real bill is two or three times the headline price. Always work out your monthly call minutes before comparing prices.
Why do done for you AI receptionist agencies cost more than apps?
Because you are paying for the build and the ongoing service, not just software. An agency learns your services and prices, builds the agent to answer the way you would, connects your calendar and CRM, tests it against real call scenarios, and keeps improving it after launch. With an app, that work is yours. Which is better value depends on whether your time is better spent configuring software or doing billable work.
Are there any free AI receptionists?
A few products offer free tiers with tight limits — typically a handful of calls or minutes per month, generic voices, and no booking integration. They are fine for testing the idea. For a business that lives on its phone, the limits bite quickly and missed calls cost far more than a paid plan.
How much does Smooth Voice cost?
Every Smooth Voice build is different, so we do not publish a one size price list. Book a demo and we will look at your call volume, show you exactly what we would build, and give you a real number on the call. No vague ranges and no surprises later.
Want a real number instead of a range?
Book a 20 minute demo. We will look at your call volume, show you exactly what we would build for your business, and give you a real price on the call. You can also talk to a live agent right now and hear what your customers would hear.