AI Agents for Small Business OwnersChoosing a virtual receptionist
Virtual Receptionist for Small Business
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls from off-site. It can be a live person, an AI, or a hybrid of both. Live suits calls that need judgement. AI suits steady coverage at any hour. A hybrid mixes the two. Pick by who calls you, when, and what you need done.
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Last checked: 2026-11-06. Not affiliated with the companies named on this page.
Live vs AI vs hybrid
| Live person | AI | Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | A trained receptionist | Software, in your business name | AI first, a person for some calls |
| Hours | Set by the provider; some charge extra outside core hours | Every hour, every day | Depends on the provider |
| Cost model | Monthly plans or pay per call, depending on the provider | Usually a monthly fee, often with included minutes | Depends on the mix |
| Best for | Calls that need a human read | Missed calls, after hours, simple intake | Both kinds of calls |
| Limits | Limited hours, cost grows with call volume | No human judgement on odd calls | More to set up and compare |
Who each one fits
- A few calls a day: a low-cost live plan or an AI can both work. Compare the monthly fee to what you miss.
- After hours and weekends: AI answers every hour. Check live providers for hours and surcharges.
- Busy trades with hands full: AI takes the message and texts you. See AI receptionist for HVAC.
- Appointment-heavy shops: look at what booking actually connects to. See AI receptionist for salons.
Ten questions to ask any provider
- Who answers: a person, an AI, or both?
- Which hours are covered, and is there a surcharge outside them?
- Can it transfer an urgent call to me, and how fast?
- How does it take messages, and where do they go?
- Can it book appointments, and in which calendar?
- How is it priced: monthly, per minute, per call?
- Is there a contract, and what does cancelling cost?
- How does it tell callers the call may be recorded, and that it is an AI where relevant?
- What does it do with spam or sales calls?
- What happens when it does not know the answer?
What an AI receptionist does on a real day
- You are on a job: the AI answers, learns what the caller wants and texts you the details.
- It is 9 pm: a new customer calls. The AI takes their name, number and reason, and you see it on your call board in the morning.
- A sales call comes in: the AI handles it and tags it so you can ignore it.
It does not quote prices you did not give it, and it hands anything unclear to you.
What it costs: how each is priced
Examples from the providers' own pages, checked 2026-11-06. Prices change, so confirm on their sites.
- ReceptionHQ (live): says plans start from $25 a month, month to month, with pay-per-call options, and an after-hours surcharge outside 5am to 7pm MST. Source: receptionhq.com.
- Grasshopper (AI or human): says its AI receptionist starts at $95 a month. Source: grasshopper.com.
- Ours (AI, done for you): a free demo first. If you go live it is $249 a month, or $2,739 a year, no setup fee, with about 300 minutes a month included and 25¢ a minute above that.
Questions owners ask
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls from off-site. It can be a live person, an AI, or a mix of both. It greets callers, takes messages, may transfer calls and may book appointments.
Virtual receptionist vs AI receptionist: what is the difference?
A virtual receptionist is the wider category. An AI receptionist is one type: software answers the call instead of a person. A live one can use judgement on odd calls. An AI one answers every call, at any hour, the same way.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
It depends on the type. As of 2026-11-06, ReceptionHQ says live plans start from $25 a month, and Grasshopper says its AI receptionist starts at $95 a month. Both list more detail on their own pricing pages. Ours is a free demo first, then $249 a month only if you go live.
Can a virtual receptionist book appointments?
Some can. Live services list appointment booking on certain plans. For ours, the AI takes booking requests and texts them to you. We confirm any calendar connection before promising it.
Is there a free virtual receptionist?
Free tiers are usually limited. Some services offer a free trial. We offer a free demo: we build an AI receptionist for your business and you call it before you pay anything.
Try an AI receptionist free
If you choose AI, we build it, test it and keep it running. Tell us about your business and we send you the number to call. More on our AI receptionist for small business, the AI answering service and after-hours answering.