How much does an answering service cost in 2026?
Published pricing for live answering services (Ruby, AnswerConnect, PATLive, Smith.ai) and AI answering services, what drives the price, and how to compare per-minute, per-call and flat plans.
Updated October 17, 2026
Live answering services cost about $250 to $750 a month for 50 to 300 minutes, which works out to roughly $1.30 to $5.00 a minute, with overage billed per minute or per call. AI answering services cost far less per minute: Elavo Answer is $299/month for 1,200 minutes, about $0.25 a minute, with no overage.
What live answering services charge
Published pricing as of October 2026: Ruby from $250 for 50 minutes up to $1,725 for 500; AnswerConnect from $350 for 200 minutes plus a setup fee; PATLive from $250 for 75 minutes up to $1,170 for 600; Smith.ai from $292.50 for 30 calls. Overage runs about $1.85 to $2.60 a minute or $7.50 to $10.50 a call.
The pattern is the same everywhere: a small bucket, then a meter. A busy month costs more than the plan price, and you find out in arrears.
What drives the price
Human time is the cost. A receptionist is paid whether the phone rings or not, so services sell small buckets at a high per-minute rate and protect themselves with overage.
AI changes the cost base: the expensive part is the conversation, not the person waiting for it, so plans can include ten times the minutes for the same money.
- Minutes or calls included
- Per-minute or per-call overage
- Setup fees and contracts
- What happens to unused minutes
- Whether booking is included or a message is the only outcome
How to compare plans honestly
Work out your real volume: count last month's inbound calls and multiply by two to three minutes. Then price each option at that volume, including overage, not at the plan's headline price.
Then ask what a call produces. A message you still have to return is worth less than an appointment already on the calendar.
What Elavo Answer costs
Elavo Answer costs $299, $599 or $999 per month for 1,200, 2,600 or 5,000 minutes. There is no per-minute overage: when you run low you add one 300-minute block for $75. Month to month, no setup fee, no free trial.
Calls under 10 seconds and screened spam are never billed, and the clock stops when a call is transferred to a person.