What is the best telephone answering service for a business in 2026?
Every call answered, day and night, without hiring a front desk.
For a business taking around 300 calls a month, the best telephone answering service in 2026 is Moneypenny: 24/7 coverage, no contract, and a choice between live receptionists and an AI line that covers 300 calls for $529.50 a month. If you want only humans and predictable per-call billing, Smith.ai's Pro plan covers exactly 300 calls for $2,100, or about $1,890 on an annual commitment. AnswerConnect is the cheapest live-agent option at this volume: its 950-minute plan costs $1,325.
We compared official pricing pages, billing units, contract terms and coverage hours, then priced every service at the same volume: 300 calls of three minutes, or 900 minutes. The gap is wide. The same month costs anywhere from $529.50 to $2,100 depending on whether you pay per call, per minute or for AI. Running a small shop with a few dozen calls? Our small-business receptionist ranking covers PATLive, Posh and Abby Connect at lower volumes.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The right answering service for your setup
Live or AI plans, 30 days' notice
You budget per call, not per minute300 calls for $2,100 on Pro
You want live agents for less950 minutes for $1,325
Brand voice matters mostAI included, no activation fee
You're replacing your phone system tooLines, app and AI receptionist
You want the cheapest 24/7 line300 calls for $529.50
5 telephone answering services side by side
Rank follows the needs of a company fielding about 300 calls a month that wants each one answered, including after hours. Scores are the same across all our pages for a given tool, so the top pick doesn't always carry the top score. Only services with published prices made the list.
| Best for | What it does best | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moneypenny | Best overall for growing businesses | 24/7, live or AI, no contract | 4.1/5 | $165/mo live (50 min); $99/mo AI (50 calls) | — | SMBs, 5 to 100 staff | Visit → |
| 2 | Smith.ai | Best per-call pricing | Pay per call, not per minute | 4.3/5 | $300/mo for 30 calls | — | Firms with short, high-value calls | Visit → |
| 3 | AnswerConnect | Cheapest live agents at 300 calls | Large minute bundles, $1.85 overage | 3.9/5 | $350/mo for 200 min | — | Service businesses | Visit → |
| 4 | Ruby | Best premium live reception | AI included, no activation fee | 4.2/5 | $250/mo for 50 min | — | Client-facing firms | Visit → |
| 5 | Allo | Best phone system with AI receptionist | Phone system and AI in one app | 3.8/5 | $96/mo billed annually (2 seats + AI) | — | Mobile teams | Visit → |
Prices read on each vendor's official pricing page in 2026, in US dollars. The 300-call cost is broken down in the next table.
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How we compared and ranked
A company that outsources its phones is buying one thing: every call answered when it comes in, with the right person getting the message. So for each service we read the official pricing page, the billing unit, the coverage hours, the contract terms and what happens past the included volume. Then we priced the same month for everyone: 300 calls of three minutes, which is 900 minutes, roughly 14 calls per business day.
Billing units are where buyers get burned. Moneypenny and Ruby bill receptionist minutes, Smith.ai bills calls, AnswerConnect bills minutes with a setup fee on some plans, and Allo bills seats. A service that looks cheap per unit can cost twice as much once you convert. Scores for Smith.ai, Ruby and Allo match the ones on our other pages, so each tool carries a single value across the Labs.
- Value for moneyCost at 300 calls, billing unit, contract.30%
- Features and depthCoverage hours, transfers, booking, AI options.25%
- IntegrationsCalendars, CRMs, business apps.15%
- Ease of useSetup without IT help.15%
- Customer supportResponsiveness and account management.15%
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
What 300 calls a month actually cost
Monthly cost for 300 three-minute calls, using the cheapest published plan that covers the volume, plus the contract terms you sign up for.
| Cost at 300 calls (900 min) | Coverage and terms | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneypenny AI | $529.50 ($435 for 250 calls + 50 calls at $1.89) | 24/7, no contract, 30 days' notice |
| Moneypenny live | $1,821 ($985 for 500 min + 400 min at $2.09) | 24/7, no contract, 30 days' notice |
| AnswerConnect | $1,325 (950-minute plan) | No lock-in |
| Smith.ai | $2,100 (Pro, 300 calls), about $1,890 on 12 months | 24/7, month to month, 30-day refund |
| Ruby | $1,725 covers 500 min; overage not shown, ask for a quote | 24/7, no activation fee |
| Allo | $96 minimum, call volume to confirm | AI 24/7 inside the Allo phone system |
Calculated from official pricing pages in 2026. Smith.ai's annual price applies the 10% discount it lists for a 12-month term.
Moneypenny
Moneypenny's US pricing page does something rare: it puts live receptionists and an AI receptionist on the same grid, both available 24/7, both without a contract. For a business that hasn't decided between people and AI, that's the easiest way to try both with one vendor and one bill.
At our benchmark, the two options sit far apart. 900 minutes of live reception means the 500-minute plan at $985 plus 400 minutes at $2.09, about $1,821 a month. The AI plan bills calls instead, and the 250-call tier at $435 plus 50 calls at $1.89 comes to $529.50 for 300 calls. Plenty of companies land in between: AI picks up nights and weekends, live receptionists take business hours.
The catch is the overage. Live minutes past your plan cost $2.09 to $2.85 each, so a busy month can jump fast. Watch usage after two weeks and move up a tier before the bill does it for you. The 30-day notice is fair, but put the cancellation request in writing.
- Live and AI plans on one page
- 24/7 coverage
- No contract, 30 days' notice
- ✓Cheapest 24/7 option at 300 calls (AI)
- ✓Easy to mix live and AI
- ✓Clear per-minute overage
- ✗Live minutes add up fast past 500
- ✗Overage up to $2.85 per minute
- ✗Not every AI tier lists its overage
The safest pick for a business that wants 24/7 cover without signing a contract. Start with AI on overflow and add live minutes where your callers need them.
Smith.ai
Smith.ai bills by the call, not the minute, which changes the math. Its Pro plan includes exactly 300 calls for $2,100 a month, then $8.50 per extra call. Commit for 12 months and the listed 10% discount brings it to about $1,890. Billing is month to month by default, coverage is 24/7, and new accounts get a 30-day refund window.
Per-call billing pays off when calls run long. A ten-minute intake call costs the same as a thirty-second wrong number. If your calls are mostly quick hand-offs, you'll pay more here than on a per-minute plan; if they're detailed intakes, Smith.ai gets cheaper. Add-ons stack: appointment booking is $1.50 per call and a Spanish-language line is $1 extra.
The 30-day refund window is the useful detail for a business: run a full month of real traffic, compare the call count with your own logs, and decide with numbers. If your volume sits between tiers, Basic at $810 for 90 calls plus overage can beat Pro, so do the math both ways.
- Billed per call, not per minute
- 24/7 live receptionists
- 30-day refund window
- ✓Pro covers exactly 300 calls
- ✓Appointment booking available per call
- ✓Spanish-language line available
- ✗Expensive for short calls
- ✗Booking adds $1.50 per call
- ✗Most expensive at our benchmark
The pick when each call is a potential client and you'd rather count calls than minutes. Check your average call length first.
AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect sells live answering in minute bundles, from 200 minutes up to larger plans listed further down its pricing page. That second group is the one a business should read: the smaller plans look cheap, but the per-minute overage makes them expensive once volume grows.
At 900 minutes, the 950-minute plan at $1,325 a month covers the whole volume with room to spare, and minutes beyond it cost $1.85. Stretching Growth ($395 for 300 minutes) instead would cost about $1,505, so skip it. At $1,325, AnswerConnect is the cheapest live-agent option in this ranking, ahead of Moneypenny's live plan at $1,821. The Entry plan looks cheaper on the page but costs $2.50 per extra minute plus a $49.99 setup fee, so it only makes sense for small volumes.
The official page states no lock-in. Some third-party sites mention a minimum term, which the vendor's own FAQ contradicts, so get the terms in writing before you sign.
- Lowest live overage we found
- No lock-in
- Plans by minute bundle
- ✓Cheaper than other live options at 900 min
- ✓950-minute plan covers 300 calls
- ✓Simple to scale up
- ✗Setup fee on Entry and Standard
- ✗Entry overage at $2.50 per minute
- ✗Standard overage rate not shown
The cheapest way to keep humans on every call. At 300 calls, go straight to the 950-minute plan; Entry only works below 200 minutes.
Ruby
Ruby carries the highest customer support score in this ranking. Coverage is 24/7, there's no activation fee, and AI is now included in its plans to help with routine calls.
The problem at our benchmark is price. The largest published plan, 500 minutes for $1,725, covers about 166 three-minute calls. Ruby doesn't list its overage rate or contract terms on the pricing page, so you'll need a quote for 900 minutes. Compare that quote with AnswerConnect's $1,325 and Moneypenny's $1,821 before deciding.
Ruby makes the most sense on part of your traffic: VIP lines, new client inquiries or business-hours overflow, with AI or another service on the rest.
- Top-rated support
- 24/7 coverage
- No activation fee, AI included
- ✓Polished, brand-consistent reception
- ✓Strong for client-facing firms
- ✓Simple minute bundles
- ✗Highest per-minute cost at entry
- ✗Overage and contract not on the page
- ✗Quote needed for 900 minutes
The premium choice for your most important lines. For full-volume coverage, get a quote and compare it with the cheaper options above.
Allo
Allo isn't an answering service; it's a mobile business phone system with an add-on AI receptionist. If your company is already shopping for new phones, that's the appeal: numbers, the team app, and an agent that picks up when nobody's free, with transcripts, summaries and in-call booking.
Pricing is per seat: $32 per seat billed annually, two seats minimum, plus $32 per AI receptionist, so $96 a month to start. For a 10-person team, compare it with your current phone bill rather than with answering services. The page doesn't state how many calls the receptionist covers, so confirm that in writing before relying on it for 300 calls.
The weak spot is support, rated slow and heavily automated in our full Allo review. For a line that carries your whole front desk, keep a backup forward to a mobile number.
- Phone system and AI in one app
- Transcripts and summaries
- In-call booking
- ✓One subscription for phones and reception
- ✓Flat per-seat price
- ✓Native CRM integrations
- ✗Slow support per user feedback
- ✗AI call volume to confirm
- ✗Two-seat minimum, annual pricing
Right if new phones are the real project. For answering alone, Moneypenny's AI line is more direct.
Three decisions before you pick a vendor
Most comparison posts list services without the questions that decide the bill. Settle these three first.
Business hours or 24/7?
Pull a month of call logs and look at when missed calls happen. If almost all land between 8am and 6pm, you can cover overflow during the day and send nights to voicemail. If you get after-hours emergencies or callers in other time zones, Moneypenny, Smith.ai and Ruby list live 24/7 coverage, and Moneypenny's AI plan is the cheapest way to cover nights.
Live, AI or both?
Live receptionists handle complaints, anxious callers and complex intakes better. AI handles repetitive calls (hours, bookings, order status, messages) instantly and at a fraction of the price. For a growing team, the hybrid usually wins: AI on volume, people on the calls that matter. Sort your last 50 calls by reason; the share of repetitive ones tells you the split.
Per call or per minute?
Smith.ai bills calls; Moneypenny, Ruby and AnswerConnect bill minutes. If your average call is under two minutes, per-minute is cheaper. If it's over five, per-call wins. At three minutes, our benchmark, Moneypenny's AI plan ($529.50) and AnswerConnect's 950-minute plan ($1,325) come out ahead.
- Export a month of call logs and note when missed calls happen.
- Time a week of real calls first: per-minute plans only win if your calls are short.
- Price every quote at your real monthly volume, overage included.
- Ask how many calls the service can take at once.
- Get the contract term, renewal date and notice period in writing.
- Confirm how calls get transferred to your team, and to whom.
Outsourcing your phones without callers noticing
Answering services mostly fail at the hand-off with your team. These steps cover what goes wrong in the first month.
Start with overflow, not everything
FirstForward only unanswered calls after three or four rings, or after hours. Your team keeps its regulars, you only pay for the overflow, and you can judge quality on a small volume before handing over the whole front desk.
- Setting
- Forward on no answer
Write a routing table, not just a script
TeamFor each call reason (quote, billing, support, booking, press), list who gets it, how (transfer, email, CRM note) and how fast. Receptionists and AI both follow it to the letter, so the clearer it is, the fewer useless messages your team gets.
- Format
- One reason, one owner
Plan for peaks, not averages
Volume300 calls a month averages 14 a day, but Mondays can hit 30. Ask how many calls the service handles at once and what happens to the next caller: hold queue, voicemail or a dropped call.
- Ask
- Concurrent calls
Check usage after two weeks
BillingMinute-based plans punish surprises: Moneypenny's live overage runs up to $2.85 a minute, AnswerConnect's Entry plan $2.50. Look at usage mid-month and move up a tier before the overage does the damage.
- Check
- Mid-month
Call your own number
QualityDuring month one, get a colleague to ring with a genuine question at 8am, around lunch, just before 7pm and on a Saturday. Your customers get exactly that experience.
- Slots
- 4 different times
Keep your own number
ContractForward calls from a number you own rather than using one issued by the service. You can switch providers in a day, and nobody needs to update your website or business cards.
- Tip
- Own the number
Where to go from here
These pages cover a different need.
PATLive, Posh, Abby Connect and more.
You want software, not a serviceVirtual phone systemsNumbers, menus and call queues.
You're rebuilding your phone stackVoIP phone systemsLines and calls over the internet.
You're considering AlloOur Allo reviewPlans, support, AI receptionist.
Your call center runs on CloudTalkOur CloudTalk reviewWhat its phone system is worth.
Your support team uses AircallOur Aircall reviewStrengths and limits.
Telephone answering service · FAQ
How much does a telephone answering service cost per month?
At 300 three-minute calls, expect $529.50 for Moneypenny's AI plan, $1,325 at AnswerConnect, $1,821 for Moneypenny's live receptionists and $2,100 for Smith.ai Pro. Entry plans start lower, at $99 to $350, but cover far fewer calls.Is it cheaper to pay per call or per minute?
It depends on call length. Per-call billing (Smith.ai) favors long calls; per-minute billing (Moneypenny, Ruby, AnswerConnect) favors short ones. Divide your monthly minutes by your call count before comparing.Can an AI receptionist replace a live answering service?
For routine calls, yes: hours, bookings, messages, order status. For complaints, emergencies or callers who refuse to talk to a machine, keep a person available. Moneypenny sells both on the same pricing page.Do answering services work 24/7?
Moneypenny, Smith.ai and Ruby all list 24/7 coverage. The cost difference is in the billing, not the hours, so price your night and weekend volume separately.Will I be locked into a contract?
Moneypenny has no contract and a 30-day notice period; Smith.ai is month to month with a 10% discount for a 12-month term; AnswerConnect states no lock-in. Ruby doesn't publish its terms, so ask.Can I keep my existing business number?
Yes. Forward your number to the service on no answer, after hours or all the time. You keep ownership and can switch providers without telling customers.How is an answering service different from a virtual phone system?
A virtual phone system is software that routes calls to your team; nobody answers for you. An answering service adds a person or AI who picks up and takes the message or booking. Many companies use both: the phone system routes, the service catches the overflow.