An AI receptionist answers the phone when nobody else can. It answers the common questions, books the appointment, and takes a message or transfers the call when it can’t help. What one costs depends mostly on who sets it up and how the plan counts calls.
The short version: apps you set up yourself start around $29 to $79 a month, answering services staffed by people start around $250, and a phone agent built and run for you by Foundry24 starts at $349. Prices below are from each company’s pricing page, checked November 1, 2026.
These are the cheapest option. You write the answers, connect the calendar, and test it yourself.
| Product | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | $49/mo | 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute |
| Goodcall Starter | $79/mo | 100 unique callers a month, then $0.79 each |
| Jobber Receptionist | $29/mo add-on | Requires a Jobber plan, which starts at $29 a month billed annually |
If you already run the business on Jobber, its add-on is the cheapest way to get calls answered, because it already knows your schedule and services.
A live receptionist costs more, and the plans include fewer calls.
| Service | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $250/mo | 50 minutes |
| Smith.ai Starter | $300/mo | 30 calls, then $11.50 a call |
Foundry24’s phone agent starts at $349 a month, and the build is included. You talk through what callers ask and what the right answers are. Foundry24 writes that into a one-page spec, builds the agent, connects it to the calendar or booking software you already use, and tests it with you before it answers a real call. How many calls are included is written into the spec, and changes are an email.
What the plan counts. RingCentral counts minutes, Smith.ai counts calls, and Goodcall counts unique callers. At three minutes a call, RingCentral’s 100 minutes is about 33 calls. Compare plans at your own volume, not at the headline price.
Setup time. With an app, the hours spent writing answers, connecting tools, and testing are yours. A receptionist that gives a wrong price or books the wrong slot costs more than it saves, so this part matters.
Changes. Hours change, services change, and prices change. Someone has to update the receptionist each time.
Booking. Answering is the easy part. Booking into the scheduling software you already use, within your rules, is what most businesses actually want, and it’s where products differ the most.
If the calls are simple and you have an afternoon to set it up, an app is probably enough. If it has to book into your own software, follow rules about who gets which slot, or you’d rather not maintain it, that’s what Foundry24 builds.
Apps you set up yourself start around $29 to $79 a month. Live answering services with human receptionists start around $250 to $300. A phone agent that Foundry24 builds and runs for you starts at $349 a month, setup included.
Usually. RingCentral's AI Receptionist is $49 a month for 100 minutes, while Ruby's live receptionists start at $250 a month for 50 minutes and Smith.ai's at $300 for 30 calls.
They count different things. Some plans include minutes, some count calls, and some count unique callers. They also differ in who sets the receptionist up, who changes it, and whether it can book into your existing software.
They should. Foundry24's phone agent says it's an assistant if asked, and hands the call to a person when the caller wants one.
AI agents, automation, and websites, built in a few weeks and then maintained for a monthly fee. If something in your week should be software by now, book a call.