Cost calculator · scenario
What AI receptionists really cost at 500 inbound calls a month
At 500 inbound calls a month, the cheapest AI receptionist is Vapi at $75/mo effective, and the most expensive is PATLive at $2,970/mo — across 19 priced AI receptionists the median effective cost is $299/mo. Each figure normalizes per-minute, per-call and flat billing from its own sourced, dated pricing record (as of 2026-06-10).
As of Jun 10, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Sticker prices hide the real bill: included usage, overage rates and billing model decide what you actually pay. Here is the effective monthly cost of every priced AI receptionist at this volume, ranked cheapest first. Each figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we verified it.
| # | AI receptionist | Effective / mo | On plan | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vapi | $75 | Build (Pay As You Go) | 2026-09-02 |
| 2 | Goodcall | $79 | Starter | 2026-09-02 |
| 3 | Retell AI | $105 | Pay As You Go | 2026-09-02 |
| 4 | Synthflow | $135 | Pay As You Go | 2026-06-27 |
| 5 | NextPhone | $199 | Pro | 2026-09-02 |
| 6 | Loman | $199 | Starter | 2026-06-10 |
| 7 | Bland | $210 | Start (Free) | 2026-09-02 |
| 8 | Trillet | $267 | Studio | 2026-09-02 |
| 9 | Rosie | $299 | Growth | 2026-09-02 |
| 10 | Upfirst | $299 | Scale | 2026-09-02 |
| 11 | AIRA | $299 | Scale | 2026-09-02 |
| 12 | My AI Front Desk | $370 | Free | 2026-06-27 |
| 13 | Phonely | $375 | Pro | 2026-09-02 |
| 14 | Slang.ai | $399 | Core | 2026-09-02 |
| 15 | Thoughtly | $500 | Flex | 2026-09-02 |
| 16 | Dialzara | $524 | Business Elite | 2026-09-02 |
| 17 | Smith.ai | $800 | Enterprise — 500 calls/mo | 2026-09-09 |
| 18 | ReceptionHQ | $1,020 | MessageExpress | 2026-09-02 |
| 19 | PATLive | $2,970 | Pro | 2026-06-10 |
Need a different volume? Try 100, 200, 300, 1,000 , or the interactive cost calculator for your exact usage. Method + provenance on the methodology page.