How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Most AI receptionists run $500 to $2,500 a month, often with a setup fee on top. Here's what really drives the price, what you get at each tier, and whether it pays for itself — with Merit's flat $99–$199 pricing laid out plainly.
Short answer: most AI receptionists run between $500 and $2,500 a month, and many add a four-figure setup fee and a sales call before you ever hear the product. What you actually pay comes down to how they charge — a flat monthly plan vs. a per-minute meter — and how many calls you get. Merit is the exception: flat and simple at $99/month for Starter and $199/month for Team, no setup fee, with a 7-day free trial to start.
Below is what drives the price across the category, exactly what you get at each Merit tier, and a quick way to tell if it pays for itself.
What drives the price
Two AI receptionists can be priced very differently for the same job. The big factors:
- →How they charge. Flat monthly plans are predictable. Per-minute or per-call pricing looks cheap until a busy month — your bill moves with your call volume.
- →How many calls you get. Plans usually tier by volume, so heavier months cost more on usage-based pricing.
- →Lines and people. More phone lines, and more team members getting the lead texts, usually means a higher tier.
- →Features. Appointment booking, integrations, and multi-location support sit on the upper tiers almost everywhere.
- →Setup fees. Some services charge to get started or make you port your number. Worth checking before you sign.
What Merit costs
Merit uses flat monthly plans — no per-minute meter, no surprise bill. Spam and robocalls never count.
| Plan | Price | Best for | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/mo ($950/yr) | A solo operator, one line | Unlimited calls (fair use), 24/7 answering, caller's name/number/reason texted to you, texts 1 person |
| Team | $199/mo ($1,910/yr) | Growing or multi-line shops | Everything in Starter, up to 3 lines, texts up to 5 people, appointment booking, integrations, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Multiple locations | Multiple numbers, unlimited team members texted, all Team features |
Annual billing saves about 20%. Every plan includes a 7-day free trial with no charge until the trial ends — cancel before then and you won't be billed — plus a 30-day money-back guarantee and no contract. You keep your existing number and forward your line; there's no hardware and no setup fee.
Is it worth it?
> THE MERIT BRIEF
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The honest test isn't the price — it's whether it saves more than it costs. For most home-service businesses, one missed call is a $300–$500 job (much more for an HVAC replacement or a repipe). At $99 a month, Merit pays for itself the first time it catches a job you'd otherwise have lost.
Want your real number? Run your own call volume, miss rate, and average job value through the free calculator at mavrick.pro/missed-call-calculator — it shows what missed calls are costing you per year. (More on that math in our breakdown of the real cost of a missed call.)
If it books you one extra job a month, it's paid for itself — and it's answering every call, 24/7, the rest of the time.
What you're not paying for
Part of the cost question is what you avoid:
- →No new phone system or hardware — you forward your existing line and keep your number.
- →No per-minute meter — flat monthly pricing, so a busy month doesn't spike your bill.
- →No long contract — cancel anytime, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- →No missed-call cleanup — the lead is captured and texted to you the moment the call ends.
The bottom line
An AI receptionist costs less than the jobs it saves. Merit starts at $99/month, answers every call 24/7, and texts you the lead so you can call back and close. If it catches even one job a month you'd have missed, it's already worth it.
Try Merit free for 7 days — no charge until the trial ends, and cancel before then to avoid being billed. Keep your number, and get set up in minutes at mavrick.pro/onboarding.
> THE MERIT BRIEF
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Brian MacDonald
Brian MacDonald is the founder of Merit, the AI coworker for marketing teams. Previously ran SetupClaw.tech, an AI deployment service for SMBs. Read more about Brian and the mission.
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