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 the vendor's own sourced, dated pricing (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 linked to the vendor's own page and 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 | ReceptionHQ | $1,020 | MessageExpress | 2026-09-02 |
| 18 | Smith.ai | $1,223 | Starter (self-service) | 2026-06-27 |
| 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.