AI vs Human Receptionist | Voice Agent Scout
Updated 2026-10-17. Prices come from vendor pages; see each vendor profile for sources.
An AI receptionist on this site is a voice-agent listing. A human virtual receptionist is a listing that says it uses people to answer. 5 listings use that wording as of 2026-10-17. Prices below are shown only when we confirmed them. We have not placed test calls, so this page does not rank quality.
What the listings say
We did not invent a definition and then go looking for vendors to fit it. The table is every current listing whose name, best-for line, features, or description matches "human receptionist", "human answering", "human backup", "human fallback", "live receptionist", or "hybrid answering". "Human-like" voice, a human handoff, and human QA tools are not included. Those phrases do not mean a person answers the phone.
| Vendor | Category | Starting price | Per minute | What the listing says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai (AI Receptionist) | AI receptionist (SMB) | $0 to start | not public (priced per call, not per minute) | AI receptionist with optional human backup; test and simulated calls; call analytics; SMS | source |
| Abby Connect | AI receptionist (SMB) | $165/mo | not public | Virtual receptionist service that mixes live human receptionists with an AI answering option on the same plan. | source |
| Moneypenny | AI receptionist (SMB) | $165/mo | not public | UK-founded answering company offering human receptionists and a fully automated AI receptionist. | source |
| Ruby | AI receptionist (SMB) | not public | not public | Long-running virtual receptionist company offering human receptionists, chat and AI. | source |
| Signpost | AI receptionist (SMB) | not public | not public | Back-office service for local businesses combining AI and live receptionists with lead tools. | source |
A published comparison we did not measure
Goodcall's pricing page states that a live answering service runs about $1.50 to $1.90 a minute (checked 2026-10-17, source). That figure is Goodcall's comparison. We did not measure a human answering service ourselves, and we do not repeat Goodcall's own cost-per-minute math for its Starter plan.
AI receptionist prices on this site
Among 63 of 99 AI receptionist vendors with a verified monthly entry price, plans run from $9.99 to $990 a month (median $59). The median and the range use verified monthly entry prices in the AI receptionist category only. Vendors without a confirmed price are not in that range. Full tables: AI receptionist cost and the AI receptionist hub.
Per-call plans (Smith.ai, Upfirst) and per-customer plans (Goodcall) are not per-minute rates. Do not subtract them from the $1.50–$1.90 figure and call the result a saving. Pick the unit your calls actually use, then read the vendor's own plan.
What this page does not claim
- No test calls. We do not claim that AI or a person is faster, kinder, or more accurate.
- No review scores of our own. Third-party ratings, where a listing has them, stay on the vendor profile with the source and the review count.
- A Sponsored label, when present, is a paid placement. It is not a quality rank. Payment does not change prices or sources.
Industry pages live on the existing category URLs: dental, law firms, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, restaurants, real estate, salons, auto repair, property management, insurance.
FAQ
What is the difference between an AI receptionist and a virtual receptionist?
On this site, a virtual receptionist is a vendor whose own listing says it uses human receptionists, sometimes next to AI. An AI receptionist listing is a voice agent. The table names only the vendors whose text says human receptionist, human answering, human backup, or live receptionist.
How much does a human virtual receptionist cost?
We do not publish our own measured rate for human answering. Goodcall's pricing page states about $1.50 to $1.90 a minute for a live answering service. Vendor entry prices on this site are in the table and on each profile, and only when we confirmed them.
Which listed vendors say they offer a human receptionist?
Smith.ai (AI Receptionist), Abby Connect, Moneypenny, Ruby, Signpost.