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Answering service cost (2026)

Short answer. A live answering service costs $99 to $1,725 a month for 50 to 500 minutes. PATLive is the lowest of the four we checked at $99 for 50 minutes. Ruby is the highest at $250 for 50 minutes. Per minute, live answering runs about $1.75 to $5.00 by our math. AI answering services cost a fraction of that. We read each vendor's pricing page on October 26, 2026.

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Live answering prices by minutes

Minutes a month	PATLive	Abby Connect	Ruby
50	$99	$164	$250
100	$189	$329	$395
200	$349	$599	$720
500	$759	$1,380	$1,725

Sources: PATLive pricing, Abby Connect pricing, Ruby pricing, checked October 26, 2026.

Cost per minute

Minutes a month	PATLive	Abby Connect	Ruby
50	$1.98	$3.28	$5.00
100	$1.89	$3.29	$3.95
200	$1.75	$3.00	$3.60
500	n/a	$2.76	$3.45

All per-minute figures are our math from the plan prices.

Extra minutes and terms

PATLive lists the rate for each extra minute: $2.29 on the 50-minute plan, $2.09 on 100, $1.99 on 200, and $1.79 on 500. It has a pay-as-you-go plan at $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute. PATLive offers a 14-day free trial and no contracts.

Abby bills overage at your plan's minute rate. Abby lists no setup fee and a free trial on every plan. Abby doubles your minutes if you choose its AI option.

Ruby's plans differ by minutes. Ruby does not print an overage rate on its plan cards.

Smith.ai bills by the call

Smith.ai's live receptionists bill by the call, not the minute.

Plan	Calls a month	Price	Over the limit
Starter	30	$300 a month	$11.50 a call
Basic	90	$810 a month	$10.50 a call
Pro	300	$2,100 a month	$8.50 a call

Source: Smith.ai pricing. That works out to $10, $9, and $7 per included call.

Live vs AI answering

AI answering costs far less. Dialzara's Plus plan costs $199 a month for 500 minutes. PATLive charges $759 for the same 500 minutes with live staff, and Ruby charges $1,725. Live staff handle odd calls and upset callers better. AI handles volume, after-hours calls, and booking at a lower price. Many shops use AI for overflow and nights and keep a person for the day.

Compare answering services: AI answering service cost · Smith.ai vs Ruby · AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist

FAQ

How much does an answering service cost per month? Live answering costs $99 to $1,725 a month for 50 to 500 minutes at the services we checked. PATLive starts at $99 for 50 minutes and Ruby at $250.

What is the cheapest live answering service? Of the four we checked, PATLive. It costs $99 a month for 50 minutes, or $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute on pay as you go.

How much does Ruby answering service cost? Ruby costs $250 a month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, and $1,725 for 500.

Do answering services charge per minute or per call? PATLive, Abby, and Ruby charge by the minute. Smith.ai's live receptionists charge by the call.

Is an AI answering service cheaper? Yes. Dialzara charges $199 a month for 500 AI minutes. Live answering for 500 minutes costs $759 to $1,725 at the services we checked.

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