AI receptionist cost comparison

AI answering services charge by the call, the minute or the caller. Put in your call volume and see what each one costs in a month, side by side. Prices come from each company's own pricing page as of 10/12/2026.

What's counted

• Nellie (DispatchMind): from $149 a month as an add-on to any DispatchMind plan (plans from $79). She books into the job system your team already uses, in 18 languages. You can call her at 844-8-NELLIE.
• Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Pro plan, $150 for 75 calls, then $2.50 a call. Higher tiers lower the per-call rate.
• Rosie: $49 for 250 minutes, $149 for 1,000, $299 for 2,000. Calendar booking starts on the $149 plan. Minutes round up to the next full minute.
• Goodcall: priced by unique callers: $79 for 100 then $0.79 each, $129 for 500 then $0.26, $299 for 2,000 then $0.15. We pick the cheapest plan for you.
• Joist AI Receptionist: add-on to a Joist plan: $49 up to 50 calls, $99 up to 150, $199 up to 300.
• Sameday AI: from $449 for 500 minutes and $789 for 1,000 minutes. Over that, ask Sameday.

Prices change. Check each company's pricing page before you buy. Where a plan can't cover your volume, the chart says so instead of guessing.

Questions

Which is cheapest?

It depends on your volume and how long calls run. Per-call and per-minute plans look cheap at low volume and climb fast in a busy season. Flat pricing is easier to plan around.

Does an AI receptionist book the job?

Some only take a message or text a booking link. Others book into a calendar. Nellie books the visit on your real DispatchMind schedule and picks the tech, so it shows up on the dispatch board and in the tech's app.

Do I still need job software?

With most answering services, yes: the call gets answered, then someone enters the job somewhere else. DispatchMind is the job software, and Nellie works inside it.