Agent
Most published UK guides put an AI receptionist at roughly £150–£800 a month, plus a one-off setup fee of about £500–£3,000. Where you land depends on call volume, how many phone lines and sites you have, whether it books straight into your calendar or practice software, and whether someone manages and improves it for you. These ranges mostly come from vendors, so always ask for an all-in, first-year figure.
What you are actually paying for
AI receptionist pricing looks simple on a landing page, but most quotes are made of four or five separate parts. Knowing them lets you compare like with like.
| Cost element | What it covers | How it is usually charged |
|---|---|---|
| Setup or onboarding | Writing call scripts and FAQs, training the voice on your services, connecting your number, testing | One-off fee |
| Platform or plan fee | The AI agent itself, hosting, the dashboard and call logs | Monthly |
| Usage | Call minutes, SMS messages and phone numbers | Included allowance, then per minute or per message |
| Integrations | Booking into your calendar, CRM or practice management system | Often in setup, sometimes an extra monthly fee |
| Management and optimisation | Reviewing calls, fixing wrong answers, updating scripts, reporting | Included in managed plans, missing from most self-serve tools |
A cheap self-serve tool usually covers only the platform and usage lines. A managed service covers all five, which is why the headline prices differ so much.
Typical UK price ranges
There is no independent UK price index for AI receptionists yet. The figures below come from published UK guides and vendor pricing pages, so treat them as indicative.
- Self-serve AI answering tools: from tens of pounds a month for basic answering and message taking. You write the scripts and maintain them yourself.
- Sector-specific AI receptionists (for example dental): one UK guide puts these at roughly £150–£800 a month plus £500–£3,000 setup, rising with lines, locations and software integrations.
- Done-for-you systems: where the voice agent is combined with lead follow-up, CRM pipelines and monthly optimisation, prices are higher because you are buying a managed system rather than a tool. Our own plans are published on our pricing page so you can compare them openly.
What makes the price go up or down
- Call volume. More minutes means a bigger allowance or usage charges.
- Number of sites and lines. Each location usually needs its own hours, staff, rules and sometimes its own number.
- Depth of integration. Taking a message is simple. Checking live availability and booking the right appointment type is not.
- Languages and voices. Extra languages or a custom voice can add cost.
- Compliance needs. Healthcare, legal and financial services may need extra safeguards, scripting and review.
- Management. Someone has to review calls and improve the agent every month. Either you do it, or you pay for it.
How it compares with hiring a receptionist
Payscale’s 2026 UK data puts the average salary for a receptionist at around £19,000–£21,000 a year outside London, while recruiters quote £38,000–£45,000 in London. On top of salary, employers pay National Insurance, pension contributions and holiday cover, and spend time on recruitment and training.
| Full-time receptionist | AI receptionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours covered | About 37–40 a week | 24/7, including evenings and weekends |
| Calls at once | One | Many at the same time |
| Sick days and holidays | Need cover | No cover needed |
| Complex or emotional calls | Strong | Should hand over to a person |
| Local knowledge and judgement | Strong | Only what it is trained on |
For most businesses this is not either/or. The common pattern is AI for overflow, after-hours and routine booking calls, and people for complex conversations and patients or clients in front of them.
How to work out if it pays for itself
The honest way to judge cost is against the revenue you currently lose to unanswered calls. You need four numbers from your own business:
- Calls you miss or send to voicemail each week
- The share of answered enquiries that become customers
- Your average customer value
- What the AI receptionist will cost you each month
Worked example (illustrative only): a clinic that misses 20 calls a week, converts 30% of answered calls and has an average patient value of £400 is leaving roughly 20 × 30% × £400 × 4.33 ≈ £10,400 a month on the table. If an AI receptionist recovered even a fraction of those calls, it would cover a typical monthly fee many times over. Your numbers will differ, so try them in our missed revenue calculator.
Hidden costs to ask about
- Per-minute charges once you go over your allowance
- Extra fees per phone number, location or user
- Integration or API fees from your practice software or CRM
- Charges for script changes after launch
- Minimum contract length and cancellation terms
- Who owns your call recordings and data if you leave
Questions to ask before you sign
- What is the total cost for the first 12 months, including setup and typical usage?
- Can it book directly into my calendar or system, or does it only take messages?
- What happens when the AI cannot answer a question?
- How are calls transferred to my team, and how fast?
- Who reviews the calls and improves the answers each month?
- Where is call data stored, and will you sign a data processing agreement?
- Can I trial it on real calls before committing?
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free trial for AI receptionists?
Many providers offer a trial or pilot. At Solvexa, every plan starts with a free audit and a 7-day pilot on your real calls, so you can see results before paying.
Are AI receptionists cheaper than an answering service?
Often, at moderate to high call volumes, because AI can handle many calls at once and works 24/7 without per-call staffing. Human answering services remain better for complex or sensitive calls, which is why many businesses combine both.
Do I pay per call or per month?
Most providers charge a monthly fee with an included allowance of minutes or calls, then a usage rate above that. Always check what happens if you have a busy month.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
Usually yes. You forward your number to the AI receptionist all the time, only after hours, or only when your team does not pick up.