How Much Does an AI Receptionist Really Cost?

Introduction

When a business considers replacing or augmenting a front-desk receptionist with an AI-powered voice agent, the first question is usually: how much will it cost? The truth is, it depends. But with Greetly AI, you can model costs very precisely — and often come out ahead compared to a human receptionist. This post breaks down every major cost component, why they vary, and offers a clear comparison to human-staffed reception.

What Determines the Cost of an AI Receptionist

There are three main cost levers for an AI receptionist using Greetly:

Setup Cost
Usage Cost (per minute)
Concurrency / Scaling

1. Setup Cost

For a simple informational AI receptionist — one that answers basic questions, gives directions, or provides core info — the setup cost is very low, around $200.
For more complex deployments where the AI is deeply integrated — for example, to manage workflows across hotel or restaurant systems, or to work with internal or external software — the one-time setup cost can range between $1,000 and $5,000.
For enterprise-level systems (multi-location, franchises, high scale), the setup cost could go higher depending on the number of integrations and complexity.

2. Usage Cost (Per-Minute Billing)

Greetly bills based on minutes of voice call usage, not a flat monthly fee.
The rate ranges from $0.12 to $2.10 per minute, depending on how many minutes you actually use per month.
Higher monthly volume → lower per-minute cost.
The specific number of concurrent calls you want also affects your pricing plan (see next point).

3. Concurrency / Scaling

By default, Greetly supports 20 concurrent calls at no extra cost.
If you require more than 20 simultaneous calls, you pay $10 per extra concurrent call.
This model means you only pay more when you need more capacity — you’re not forced into a high flat-rate just for scaling headroom.

4. Hardware

There is no hardware cost built into Greetly’s standard pricing — it’s a software first solution.
Clients can use their own devices (phones, tablets, kiosks) if needed; Greetly does not force proprietary hardware.

Why Greetly’s Model Is Attractive

Here are key differentiators for Greetly’s AI receptionist:

End-to-End Service: We handle integrations, call provisioning, and the full voice-agent setup, so the client doesn’t need to be a voice-AI expert.
Software Agnostic: Our AI works with all relevant systems — CRMs, property management systems, booking software, internal workflows.
Scalable: With default 20-call concurrency, most small to medium businesses never hit the extra cost. As you grow, you can scale easily.
Transparent & Flexible Pricing: Pay for what you use. No locked-in hours, no hidden monthly base fee.
Professional Voice Agent Design: We don’t just spin up a bot. We design a logical voice flow, tailor it per business needs, and integrate deeply.

AI Receptionist vs Human Receptionist: Cost Comparison

To understand whether the AI route is cost-effective, let’s compare to the cost of hiring a human receptionist in the U.S.

Human Receptionist Cost (Estimates Based on U.S. Data)

Average annual receptionist salary is around $40,800 according to Salary.com. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
For a Receptionist I, the 25th–75th percentile hourly wage ranges between $18 to $22, which equates to roughly $38,000–$45,000 annually. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
An office receptionist’s average is about $46,500 per year (~$22/hr) per Salary.com. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Zippia reports a broader average of $30,571/year for receptionists, especially at entry level. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Other hidden costs:

Benefits: health care, social security, retirement, paid time off – add to fully loaded cost. According to Salary.com, benefits can push total compensation significantly higher. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Turnover & training: When a receptionist leaves, you have recruiting and training costs (harder to quantify, but nontrivial).
Productivity limits: A human receptionist can only handle a limited number of calls or walk-ins at a time, and needs breaks.

AI Receptionist Cost — Example Scenarios

Here are two hypothetical cost models for your AI receptionist (Greetly):

Scenario	Volume	Minutes / Month	Rate / Minute	Monthly Cost	Setup Cost (one-time)
Low volume, small office	500 mins	500	$2.10	$1,050	$200
Higher volume, scaling business	10,000 mins	10,000	$0.12	$1,200	$2,500 (mid integration)

Even in a modest volume case, the AI receptionist monthly cost (using 500 minutes) could be around $1,050, which is far lower than a full-time human receptionist’s monthly cost (which could be ~$3,400–$4,000 or more when fully loaded).
If usage is very high (say 10,000 minutes in a month) and you hit the lowest rate tier, your monthly cost might be $1,200, still likely much less than a full-time human.

When AI Receptionist Is Clearly the Better Financial Move

You have high call volume or expect bursty traffic — AI scales without breaks or overtime.
You want 24/7 availability — no need for night or weekend receptionist hire.
You want to avoid HR overhead — no payroll, benefits, turnover risk.
You are technology-forward and already have digital workflows where voice integration helps efficiency.
You prefer predictable variable costs — pay per minute used rather than fixed salary.

Things to Watch Out For

While AI receptionist solutions are very compelling, consider:

If your call volume is extremely low, the cost per minute might be higher than you expect, so run the numbers.
High concurrency beyond 20 simultaneous calls costs extra — factor that into heavy-use planning.
If you only need very limited voice interactions, a simpler IVR or callback system might be more cost-efficient.
While Greetly doesn’t charge for hardware, make sure your existing devices (phones/tablets) are capable of running voice-agent software reliably.

Conclusion

The one-time setup for Greetly AI receptionist ranges from $200 (basic) to $5,000+ (complex enterprise).
The per-minute usage cost ranges from $0.12 to $2.10, depending on volume.
Default 20 concurrent calls cost nothing extra; beyond that, it’s $10 per extra concurrency slot.
There’s no hardware cost — you use your own devices.
Compared to a human receptionist who may cost $40,000+ per year, plus benefits, the AI route is often far more cost-effective.

If you run a business with moderate to high call volumes, or you value scalability and predictability, Greetly’s pricing model is a powerful financial lever.

If you like, I can also include a break-even analysis (how many minutes per month before AI costs less than a human receptionist), or provide real client stories (anonymized) to make the blog post more compelling. Do you want me to add that?