Cheapest human answering
Specialty Answering Service or MAP: $159 for 100 minutes and $179 for 125. Messages, not bookings.
Ten services, one table.
| Service | Type | Starts at | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Answering Service | Live, per minute | $44 a month (minutes extra) | Lowest-cost human message-taking |
| MAP Communications | Live, per minute | $49 a month | Budget live answering |
| PATLive | Live, per minute | $99 for 50 minutes | Mid-priced live answering |
| Abby Connect | Live, per minute | $164 for 50 minutes | Dedicated receptionist teams |
| Ruby | Live, per minute | $250 for 50 minutes | Premium, brand-sensitive firms |
| Smith.ai | Live or AI, per call | AI free for 25 calls; live $300 | Intake-heavy calls, like legal |
| Goodcall | AI, per caller | $79 for 100 callers | Repeat callers, flat-ish bills |
| Rosie | AI, per minute | $49 for 250 minutes | Low-volume lines |
| Quo Sona | AI, per call | $25 for 40 calls | Teams already on Quo phones |
| Linq | AI, in the platform | $179 (Growth) | Trade businesses that want calls booked as jobs |
The best pick for each need.
Best human experience
Ruby or Abby: dedicated, well-trained receptionists, at about $3 to $5 a minute.
Cheapest per call
AI answering: Quo Sona from $0.45 a call at volume, Goodcall from 15 cents a caller, Smith.ai AI free for the first 25 calls.
Best for service businesses
An AI receptionist inside your field service software, so the call becomes a booked job. Linq includes one on Growth, built with Safe & Secure Locksmith's dispatch desk. Jobber sells one at $29 plus $0.79 a conversation.
Best for legal and medical intake
A live service with specialist scripts and compliance, such as Smith.ai or Ruby. AI is not the right first answer here yet.
Inside Linq
The call becomes a job, not a message.
The AI receptionist answers on the first ring, books the job into your schedule and texts back every call that slips through. The customer gets a live booking page.
See the AI receptionist
Under $100 a month, three ways.
Live: Specialty Answering Service ($44 base) or MAP ($49 base), paying per minute on top. AI: Smith.ai AI (free for 25 calls), Quo Sona ($25 for 40 calls), Rosie ($49 for 250 minutes) or Goodcall ($79 for 100 callers). For a business taking under 50 calls a month, any of these works; above that, compare the per-call math in our answering service cost guide.
Why more owners are switching to it.
Searches for "AI answering service" grew about five-fold over the past year. It answers every call at once with no hold queue, and costs a dollar or two a call. The trade-off is judgement on unusual calls. See how they compare in best AI receptionist.
Four questions before you sign.
What should the call end as? A message, a transfer, or a booking in your schedule. How long are your calls? Short calls favour per-minute plans; long ones favour per-call. When do calls come? If most arrive after hours, check for surcharges (the big services have none). What does month two cost? Setup fees, booking add-ons, spam billing and notice periods change the real price.
For costs at your volume, see virtual receptionist cost and after-hours answering cost.
?
+1 (604) 555 0148Unknown number · after hours
AI answeringHi, I'm locked out of my car on Fraser.
I can get someone to you tonight. A car lockout is $89 plus tax, no call-out fee on top.
Yeah, do it.
Booked. Dane is 22 minutes out. You'll get a text with his name and plate.
✓Job createdCar lockout · $89 · assigned to Dane
How to choose the best answering service for small business
Fourteen days. Your actual jobs.
Not a sandbox with fake customers in it. Put a real week through the board, answer real calls with it, and see what the Friday number looks like. Fourteen days, no card, cancel any day.
Answering service questions
What is the best answering service for a small business?
For message-taking on a budget, Specialty Answering Service or MAP. For a premium human receptionist, Ruby or Abby. For the lowest cost, an AI answering service. For a service business, an AI receptionist that books jobs into your schedule.
What is the cheapest answering service for small business?
Smith.ai AI Receptionist is free for 25 calls a month. Among live services, Specialty Answering Service starts at $44 a month plus minutes.
Is an AI answering service good enough?
For booking, routing and taking details, yes, and it answers every call instantly. For sensitive legal or medical intake, a live service is still safer.
How much does a small business answering service cost?
About $300 to $950 a month at 100 calls for a live service, or about $49 to $215 for AI.
Sources
Live service prices from each pricing page as of October 2026: Specialty Answering Service, MAP, PATLive, Abby Connect, Ruby, Smith.ai. AI prices as of November 2026: Smith.ai AI Receptionist, Goodcall, Rosie, Quo, Jobber's Receptionist help article. All USD.
Where this page points next.
An answering service that also books the job.
The 24/7 AI receptionist is included on Growth and up, inside the platform that schedules, dispatches and invoices. Start free.
