AI receptionist pricing in 2026: per-call plans ($1.20–$2.40/call), monthly plans ($95–$2,400/mo), and flat-rate unlimited plans. What you actually pay and which model fits your call volume.
There are three common pricing models. Per-call: roughly $1.20–$2.40 per call (e.g., Smith.ai's published plans range from $95/month for ~2 calls/day to $2,000/month for ~55 calls/day). Tiered monthly: a set number of calls or minutes per tier. Flat-rate unlimited: one monthly price regardless of volume — AI Revenue Forge's Pilot is $997/month with unlimited calls and no setup fee.
It depends on volume. Under ~5 calls a day, per-call plans can be cheaper. Above ~15–20 calls a day, per-call pricing typically crosses $800–$2,000/month and a flat-rate unlimited plan wins. Flat rate also removes the perverse incentive to want fewer calls.
Some providers charge setup or onboarding fees ($500–$5,000 for custom builds). AI Revenue Forge's $997/month Pilot has no setup fee and is month-to-month with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Higher-touch tiers (multi-line, CRM integration, weekly tuning) run $2,997 setup + $797/month.
A full-time human receptionist costs roughly $3,000–$4,500/month in wages alone before taxes and benefits, covers about 40 hours of the 168-hour week, and takes vacations. AI coverage is 24/7 at a fraction of that — though many businesses pair AI for after-hours with their existing daytime staff.