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Receptionist cost — human vs answering service vs AI.
Slide your monthly call volume. See real published rates side-by-side. Find where you actually break even.
Your numbers
Human receptionist
$5670 /mo
Loaded incl. benefits + after-hours premium
Doesn't scale past 1 FTE
Smith.ai
$1645 /mo
$285 base + $8/call above 30 included · 200 calls
Human-answered, US-based
Ruby Receptionists
$619 /mo
$319 base + $3/call above 100 included · 200 calls
Human-answered, US-based
Morthn (Sarah)
$99 /mo
$99 base + voice overage · 200 calls × 3 min
AI · 24/7 · scales to ∞
Annual savings switching to Sarah
$67K
vs human receptionist
$19K
vs Smith.ai
$6.2K
vs Ruby Receptionists
Try Sarah free before you switch.
FAQ
How the math works.
Where do the price benchmarks come from?
Public pricing as of 2026-05. Human receptionist: BLS data + 2026 average for a US-based full-time receptionist ($3,800-4,800/mo loaded cost including benefits). Smith.ai: published Starter plan ($285/mo, 30 calls included, $7-9 per additional). Ruby Receptionists: published plan ($319/mo, 100 calls included, $2.85-3.25 per additional). Morthn: $99/mo Solo tier, 1,000 conversations/600 voice minutes included.
Why is Morthn so much cheaper than the answering services?
They use humans. We use AI. The marginal cost of an AI call is fractions of a cent. The marginal cost of a human-answered call is ~$5-9 once you load wages, benefits, training, and turnover. Different unit economics, same output (in most cases).
When does an answering service or human receptionist still make sense?
Complex consultative sales calls where every lead is worth $10K+ and trust matters more than speed. Very high-empathy situations like grief counseling intake. Anything where the caller demands a known-human voice. For most service businesses booking appointments and quoting prices, AI is materially better economics and similar outcomes.
What about after-hours?
Human receptionists work business hours unless you pay 2x for after-hours. Answering services typically charge premium rates 6pm-8am. AI works 24/7 at the same cost. After-hours calls are often where the highest-intent customers are (emergencies, late-evening browsers ready to book).