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AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist

Short answer. A virtual receptionist is a live person in a call center. An AI receptionist is software that answers, books, and takes messages. Smith.ai sells both. Its AI plan costs $2.00 a call on Pro. Its live plan costs $10.00 a call on Starter, by our math. Live services that bill by the minute run $1.69 to $5.00 a minute. AI plans run near $0.15 to $0.48. We read all eight pricing pages on October 26, 2026.

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Same company, two price lists

Smith.ai is the cleanest test because it sells AI and live answering side by side.

Smith.ai plan	Price a month	Calls included	Cost per call	Extra call
AI Pro	$150	75	$2.00	$2.50
AI Pro	$500	300	$1.67	$2.17
Live Starter	$300	30	$10.00	$11.50
Live Basic	$810	90	$9.00	$10.50
Live Pro	$2,100	300	$7.00	$8.50

At 300 calls, the AI plan costs $500 and the live plan costs $2,100. Source: Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing and Smith.ai pricing, checked October 26, 2026.

Live receptionists by the minute

Service	Entry plan	Largest listed plan
Ruby	$250 for 50 minutes ($5.00 a minute)	$1,725 for 500 minutes ($3.45 a minute)
PATLive	$49 a month, then $2.99 a minute	$1,499 for 1,000 minutes, then $1.69 a minute
Abby Connect	$164 for 50 Abby Minutes	$1,380 for 500 Abby Minutes

Abby says you double your Abby Minutes when you pick its AI receptionist. PATLive offers a 14-day free trial. Source: Ruby pricing, PATLive pricing, and Abby Connect pricing, checked October 26, 2026.

AI receptionists by the minute

Tool	Plan	Effective rate
Rosie	Scale, $149 for 1,000 minutes	Near $0.15 a minute
Marlie	Basic, $49 for 250 minutes	Near $0.20 a minute
Dialzara	Lite, $29 for 60 minutes	Near $0.48 a minute

Source: Rosie pricing, Marlie pricing, and Dialzara pricing, checked October 26, 2026.

A 100-call month

Option	Monthly cost
Marlie Standard, 500 minutes	$99
Rosie Scale, 1,000 minutes	$149
Smith.ai AI Pro, 75 calls plus 25 extra	$212.50
PATLive, 300 minutes (PATLive puts this at about 120 calls)	$479
Smith.ai Live Basic, 90 calls plus 10 extra	$915

Which to pick

AI receptionist. Best for booking, hours, service area, and message taking. It answers every call at once, day or night.
Virtual receptionist. Best when callers need a person: upset customers, complex quotes, or calls that need judgment.
Both. Abby sells a human plus AI plan. Many AI tools transfer to your cell when a caller asks for a person.

Compare answering options: Smith.ai vs Ruby · Smith.ai alternatives · Ruby receptionist alternatives

FAQ

Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a virtual receptionist? Yes, by a wide margin. Smith.ai's AI plan costs $2.00 a call on Pro. Its live plan costs $10.00 a call on Starter. AI minute plans run near $0.15 to $0.48 a minute.

What is the difference between an AI receptionist and an answering service? An answering service uses live agents in a call center. An AI receptionist uses software. Both can book jobs and take messages.

Can an AI receptionist transfer to a person? Most can. Rosie Scale lists live call transfers. Check the plan before you buy.

How much does a live virtual receptionist cost? Ruby starts at $250 a month for 50 minutes. PATLive starts at $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute. Smith.ai Live starts at $300 a month for 30 calls.

Should a trade business use AI or a live receptionist? Start with AI for booking and after-hours calls. Add a live service if callers ask for a person or your jobs need a careful quote on the first call.

Checked 2026-10-26. Prices and policies change. Confirm on the source before you buy.