COMPARE
AI receptionist or hire a receptionist?
A receptionist is a person on your payroll who answers phones and probably does a good deal more. An AI receptionist only does calls. This is less a question of which is better than of which jobs you need done.
| What matters | AI receptionist | A receptionist | Stronger here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours covered | Every hour you forward calls, including nights, weekends and holidays. | The hours they work, minus breaks, sick days and vacation. | AI receptionist |
| Calls at once | Several, up to the call limit on your account. | One at a time. | AI receptionist |
| Judgment and relationships | Follows your profile. It does not know your regulars. | Knows your customers, your techs and your business, and can decide what to do about a surprise. | Alternative |
| Work beyond the phone | Calls only, plus the confirmations and emails around them. | Front counter, paperwork, dispatch, payments, email and more. | Alternative |
| Facts like hours and prices | Looked up from your records on every call. It can mishear or misread an unusual request. | Knows the business and can ask a colleague. Can also forget or misquote. | Depends |
| Getting started | Set up with us, and changes take effect when you save them in Settings. | Recruiting, hiring and training. | AI receptionist |
| Cost | Plans are on the Pricing page. | A fully loaded US receptionist is about $26 an hour, roughly $0.43 a minute (market research, Oct 2026). See the example below. | Depends |
Where a receptionist is the better choice
- A person does the whole front-office job, not only the phone.
- They bring judgment, local knowledge and relationships that a voice agent does not have.
- They can handle a call that does not fit any plan, and take responsibility for it.
Where an AI receptionist is the better choice
- It covers the hours a person cannot: nights, weekends, lunch, sick days and vacation.
- It can be on several calls at once.
- No recruiting, training or turnover to manage.
Example: the cost of one full-time receptionist
Assumption: about $26 an hour, fully loaded (market research, Oct 2026). Replace it with your own wages and benefits.
40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, divided by 12 months: about $4,500 a month.
That covers business hours for one person. It does not cover nights, weekends or anyone away.
This is arithmetic on an assumed rate, not a quote or a typical cost for your area.
How to choose
An AI receptionist is likely to fit if
- The calls you miss are mostly after hours, at lunch or while your front desk is busy.
- You do not need, or cannot yet afford, a full-time hire.
- You want after-hours emergencies handled the same way every time.
A receptionist is likely to fit if
- You need someone to do more than answer phones.
- Your calls are complex, high-touch, or depend on knowing the customer.
- You prefer a person in the room.
Common questions
Can an AI receptionist replace my receptionist?
It can take over the phone work, not the rest of the job. Many shops will want a person for everything else, and may use the AI receptionist for overflow and after-hours calls.
Is the hourly figure what I would pay?
No. It is a market research figure for a fully loaded US receptionist. Your wages, benefits and region will differ, which is why the example says to use your own.
We compare kinds of solutions, not named companies, and offerings vary a lot within each kind. Figures marked as market research come from our own research notes dated October 2026. Examples are labelled as such and use assumed numbers. Last reviewed Oct 13, 2026.