AI receptionist vs. answering service: which fits a small business?
Both answer the calls you can’t. The difference is what happens on the call and what it costs. An answering service is a team of people who answer for many businesses and take a message, for about $189 to $395 a month for 100 minutes. An AI receptionist is software that answers in your business’s name, answers questions from your own information and can book the appointment before the caller hangs up. Maurie AI’s is $49 a month for 100 minutes.
What an answering service does
A live answering service routes your calls to its agents when you don’t pick up. The agent greets callers with your business name, follows a script you agreed on and passes the message to you by text, email or a portal. Many services also take urgent calls and patch them through to you.
The strength is a human voice. The limits are the script and the handoff: the agent usually doesn’t know your prices, service area or open slots, so most calls end as a message you still have to return.
What an AI receptionist does
An AI receptionist answers on your business number with the name and greeting you choose. It learns from your website, files and FAQs, so it can answer “Do you service my area?” or “How much is a tune-up?” the way you would. With your calendar connected, it books the visit during the call. Every call is saved with a recording, transcript and summary.
Side by side
| Answering service | AI receptionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | A person at a call center | Software in your business’s name |
| Answers questions | From a script | From your website, files and FAQs |
| Books appointments | Usually takes a message | Books into your calendar during the call (Maurie AI: Starter and up) |
| Many calls at once | Depends on staffing | Several callers are answered at the same time |
| After the call | A message by text or email | A contact in your CRM with recording, transcript and summary |
| Urgent calls | Patched through by the agent | Transferred to your team during your hours, or a message |
| Pricing | Per minute or per call: about $1.89 to $3.95 a minute on the 100-minute plans below | Maurie AI: $49 a month for 100 minutes, 49¢ a minute |
What each costs (November 2026)
Answering services price by the minute or by the call, so the fairest comparison is the same amount of talk time. Here is each company’s own list price for about 100 minutes a month.
| Service | Who answers | Smallest plan | 100 minutes a month | Trial and contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PATLive | People only (it says it doesn’t use AI) | $99 for 50 minutes, or $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute | $189 | 14 days free; no contracts |
| Abby Connect | People, AI or both (AI minutes count half) | $164 for 50 minutes | $329 | Free trial; month to month, no setup fee |
| Ruby | People, with AI features included | $250 for 50 minutes | $395 | No setup or onboarding fees |
| Smith.ai receptionists | People | $300 for 30 calls | Priced per call, not minutes | 30-day money-back guarantee; no setup fee |
| Maurie AI | AI | $49 for 100 minutes, on any plan including Free | $49 | 10 free test minutes in the browser; monthly, cancel any time |
Prices as listed on each company’s own pricing page, checked November 13, 2026 (Ruby and Smith.ai November 9): PATLive, Abby Connect, Ruby, Smith.ai, Maurie AI. Taxes and fees are extra where the company says so. Check their sites for today’s prices.
A worked example: 120 calls a month
PATLive’s pricing page counts 100 minutes as about 40 calls, so about 2.5 minutes a call. A plumbing shop that sends 120 calls a month to its answering line uses about 300 minutes. At list prices:
| Service | About 300 minutes a month |
|---|---|
| PATLive | $479 (300-minute plan) |
| Abby Connect | About $900 ($599 for 200 minutes, plus 100 at the plan’s rate of about $3.00), or $1,380 for 500 |
| Ruby | $720 covers 200 minutes; the next plan is $1,725 for 500 |
| Maurie AI | $99 (AI Receptionist 300) |
Your own numbers decide it. Put your calls and average job value into the missed call cost calculator to see what the calls you miss cost today.
When an answering service is the better choice
- Your callers expect a person on every call, for example a funeral home or a crisis line.
- Most calls need judgment that you can’t write down as answers.
When an AI receptionist is the better choice
- Most callers ask the same questions: hours, area, prices, availability.
- You lose jobs when callers reach voicemail and call the next business.
- You want the call to turn into a booked visit and a record in your CRM, not a sticky note.
- Your calls come in bursts, like the first hot day of summer.
This is why trades and home services, salons and clinics often start with AI. See how it works for plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians and every other industry.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What is billed: only the time on the call, or also the notes and wrap-up after it?
- Are nights, weekends and holidays included, or extra?
- Can it book into my calendar on the plan I’d buy, or only on a higher plan?
- Where does the caller end up after the call: a message, or a contact with the recording and summary?
- Is there a setup fee or a contract, and how do I cancel?
Can you use both?
Yes. Many owners let the AI receptionist answer first and transfer the calls that need a person. In Maurie AI you choose: answer every call, only the calls your team misses, or only after hours, and transfer when a caller asks for a person or when it’s urgent.
Common questions
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually, yes. For 100 minutes a month, the live services above list $189 to $395. Maurie AI’s AI Receptionist 100 is $49 a month, on any plan.
Do answering services use AI now?
Some do. Abby Connect offers AI answering next to its people, and Ruby includes AI features in every plan. PATLive says it does not use AI to answer calls.
Will callers know it’s AI?
It introduces itself with the name and greeting you choose. You decide what it says.
What happens when it doesn’t know the answer?
It takes a message, and the question shows up in a list so you can add the answer for the next caller.
Can I keep my business number?
Yes. Forward it to the receptionist, or pick a new local US number. See How to forward your business calls.
How much does it cost?
From $49 a month for 100 minutes on any Maurie AI plan, then 30¢ a minute up to a limit you set. See How much does an AI receptionist cost?