A Layer3 Labs guide updated around 16 July 2026 says an AI answering service costs about $0.07 to $0.31 per minute on usage-based platforms, or roughly $79 to $300 a month on subscription plans. For a worked example of 200 calls a month at 3 minutes each, that guide puts most AI options around $60 to $150.
A Ringly article, updated around 21 September 2026, puts AI answering at $25 to $300 a month and about $0.05 to $0.30 a minute, and live answering at $200 to $2,000 or more a month. It also says a full-time receptionist runs about $45,000 to $60,000 a year with benefits. That annual band is Ringly's comparison, not the BLS median. The BLS figure is $18.27 an hour. See the receptionist post.
How to use this
Use it to see the shelf. Off-the-shelf tools are priced like software minutes. They expect you to write the script, connect the calendar, and keep it. Confirm the number on the vendor's own page before you buy. Prices on these guides move.
Serath is not on those tables. The studio price on serath.is is for a system built around how a shop books work, plus a monthly maintenance watch. Text-Back starts at $500 and $250 a month. That is more than a $79 self-serve plan because the work being sold is different.
References
- Layer3 Labs, "AI Answering Service Cost in 2026." Per-minute band, subscription band, and the 200-call example. Opened 24 September 2026.
- Ringly, "Small business answering service cost." AI vs live ranges and the receptionist comparison. Opened 24 September 2026.
- BLS receptionist wage, for the federal hourly figure those commercial comparisons are not.