AI Receptionist vs Virtual Receptionist: Which Is Right for Your Business?

An AI receptionist costs $25-$300/month and handles unlimited simultaneous calls 24/7. A human virtual receptionist costs $245-$2,100/month and provides a personal touch for complex conversations. For most small service businesses, an AI receptionist handles 80% of inbound call needs at a fraction of the cost—with the option to route complex calls to a human when needed.

The choice between AI and human depends on your call volume, the complexity of your calls, and your budget. Small businesses miss 62% of their inbound calls (411 Locals), and 85% of callers who don't get through won't call back. Whether you choose AI, human, or a combination—any answering solution is dramatically better than voicemail.

What Is a Virtual Receptionist?

A virtual receptionist is a real person, working remotely, who answers your business calls. Companies like Ruby, Smith.ai, and AnswerConnect employ trained receptionists who answer on your behalf using your business name and a custom script.

What they do:

• Answer calls with your business greeting
• Take messages and forward them to you
• Transfer calls to the right person
• Schedule appointments (with calendar access)
• Answer basic questions about your services
• Qualify leads with custom intake questions

What they cost:

Overage charges range from $1.85-$11.50 per additional minute or call, depending on the provider and plan.

Strengths: Human receptionists excel at complex, nuanced conversations. They can handle upset callers with empathy, navigate unusual requests, and make judgment calls that follow-up systems can't.

Limitations: They work in shifts—most services cover business hours or charge extra for 24/7 coverage. They can only handle one call at a time per receptionist. And at $245+/month for the cheapest plan, costs add up quickly for high-volume businesses.

What Is an AI Receptionist?

An AI receptionist is software that answers your phone calls using conversational AI. It sounds natural, responds to caller questions, captures information, books appointments, and routes urgent calls—all without a human in the loop.

What they do:

• Answer every call instantly, 24/7/365
• Greet callers with your business name and a custom script
• Ask qualifying questions (What service do you need? What's your address? How urgent is this?)
• Book appointments directly into your calendar
• Send call summaries to you via text or email
• Transfer urgent or complex calls to your cell phone
• Handle multiple simultaneous calls with no wait time

What they cost:

AI receptionist pricing typically falls into two tiers:

AI interactions cost approximately $0.25-$0.50 per interaction versus $3.00-$6.00 for human agents—a 6-12x cost difference per call.

Strengths: AI receptionists never sleep, never take breaks, and can handle unlimited simultaneous calls. They respond in under a second. They cost a fraction of human services. And 72% of callers can't distinguish AI receptionists from human receptionists.

Limitations: AI struggles with highly emotional callers, complex multi-step conversations, and situations requiring human judgment. Callers with heavy accents or poor phone connections may experience lower accuracy. And some customers (particularly older demographics) still prefer speaking with a person.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Cost Comparison in Real Numbers

Let's compare all three options for a service business receiving 80 inbound calls per month:

Option 1: Full-Time In-House Receptionist

• Median salary: $37,232/year (BLS)
• Benefits, payroll taxes, overhead: ~$13,000-$15,000/year
• Total cost: ~$50,000+/year ($4,200/month)
• Coverage: Business hours only (40 hours/week)
• After-hours: Voicemail

Option 2: Human Virtual Receptionist

• 80 calls × ~3 minutes = 240 minutes/month
• Smith.ai Basic plan (90 calls): $810/month
• Or Ruby 200-minute plan: $705/month
• Total cost: $705-$810/month ($8,460-$9,720/year)
• Coverage: Business hours standard; 24/7 at premium
• After-hours: Available at higher cost

Option 3: AI Receptionist

• 80 calls/month: Well within most AI plans
• Mid-tier AI service: $99-$199/month
• Total cost: $99-$199/month ($1,188-$2,388/year)
• Coverage: 24/7 included
• After-hours: Included at no extra cost

Option 4: Hybrid (AI + Human Backup)

• AI handles routine calls (70-80%): ~56-64 calls
• Human handles complex calls (20-30%): ~16-24 calls
• AI service: $99-$199/month
• Human backup (low-volume plan): $245-$300/month
• Total cost: $344-$499/month ($4,128-$5,988/year)
• Coverage: 24/7, best of both worlds

Which One Is Right for Your Business?

Choose AI Receptionist If:

You're a solo operator or small team. You're on job sites all day and can't answer the phone. You need every call answered, 24/7, and you need it affordable. An AI receptionist at $99-$199/month is a fraction of the cost of any alternative and ensures no call goes to voicemail.

Your calls are mostly routine. If 80%+ of your calls are appointment requests, service inquiries, and basic questions (pricing, availability, service area), AI handles these well. It captures the caller's information, books appointments, and sends you a summary.

After-hours calls matter. 27% of calls to home services businesses come outside normal business hours. If you're losing emergency plumbing calls at 10pm or storm damage calls on weekends, AI covers these at no extra cost.

You need to scale fast. During storm season or a marketing push, call volume can spike 500%+. AI handles 5 calls or 500 calls simultaneously with no degradation. Human services require plan upgrades and still can't handle simultaneous surges the same way.

Choose Human Virtual Receptionist If:

Your calls are complex. If callers regularly need detailed consultations, insurance discussions, or multi-step problem-solving that requires human judgment, a human receptionist handles these better.

Your customers expect a personal touch. Some industries (high-end renovations, legal, medical) have customers who strongly prefer talking to a real person. If your customer base skews older or your services are high-ticket ($50,000+ projects), the personal touch can justify the cost.

You need flexible call handling. Human receptionists can improvise. If a caller has an unusual request or an emotional situation, a human can adapt in ways AI currently can't.

Choose a Hybrid Approach If:

You want the best of both. AI answers every call instantly. Routine calls (appointments, basic questions, after-hours) get handled automatically. Complex or high-value calls get transferred to a human receptionist or directly to you. This is the setup most growing service businesses end up with.

How AI Receptionists Work With Your Existing Systems

A common concern: "Will this work with the tools I already use?"

Modern AI receptionist systems integrate with:

• Scheduling tools: Google Calendar, Calendly, Jobber, ServiceTitan, HouseCall Pro
• CRMs: GoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce
• Communication: SMS follow-ups, email notifications, Slack alerts
• Call routing: Transfer urgent calls to your cell, route by department

The AI answers the call, qualifies the lead, books the appointment (or sends you the details), and logs everything—without you touching anything.

The ROI Math

For a service business where the average job is worth $300-$500:

Without any answering solution:

• Miss 62% of calls (industry average per 411 Locals)
• 80 calls × 62% missed = ~50 missed calls/month
• 50 missed × 20% would-have-booked = 10 lost jobs
• 10 × $400 average = $4,000/month in lost revenue

With AI receptionist ($150/month):

• 0% of calls go to voicemail
• Recover even 30% of previously lost jobs = 3 extra jobs/month
• 3 × $400 = $1,200/month in recovered revenue
• ROI: 8x return on the $150 investment

For higher-value services (roofing at $15,000-$30,000, HVAC replacements at $5,000-$15,000), recovering a single lost lead per month pays for the AI receptionist for the entire year.

97% of small businesses using AI voice agents report increased revenue, and 82% say AI tools improved customer engagement and reduced missed calls (Vida/SurveyMonkey survey of 320 SMBs).

What About Missed Call Text Back?

An AI receptionist and a missed call text back system solve the same core problem—missed calls—in different ways:

• AI receptionist: Answers the call live. The caller talks to an AI, gets their questions answered, and books an appointment.
• Missed call text back: Lets the call go to voicemail, then instantly texts the caller. The conversation continues via text.

Some businesses use both: the AI receptionist answers during high-volume periods, and missed call text back catches any calls that slip through.

At Opus Labs, missed call text back is part of our automation packages. AI receptionist integration is available as an add-on or part of our Dominant tier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best AI receptionist for small business?

The best AI receptionist depends on your call volume and needs. For basic call answering and appointment booking, standalone AI services like Synthflow, Rosie, or My AI Front Desk work well at $25-$199/month. For a complete system that includes AI answering, lead qualification, follow-ups, and CRM integration, a done-for-you automation setup ensures everything works together.

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

AI-only receptionist services range from $25-$300/month for small businesses. Hybrid systems (AI + human backup) cost $300-$2,000/month. Compare this to human virtual receptionists at $245-$2,100/month or a full-time in-house receptionist at $50,000+/year. AI is typically the most cost-effective option for handling routine calls.

Should I use an AI or human virtual receptionist?

Use AI if your calls are mostly routine (appointment requests, basic questions, lead capture) and you need 24/7 coverage at low cost. Use human if your calls are complex, emotional, or require significant judgment. Many businesses use a hybrid: AI handles routine calls and after-hours, while complex calls get routed to a human. 72% of callers can't tell the difference between AI and human receptionists.

Can an AI receptionist book appointments?

Yes. Modern AI receptionists integrate with scheduling tools (Google Calendar, Calendly, Jobber, ServiceTitan) to book appointments in real time during the call. The caller picks an available time, the AI confirms it, and the appointment appears on your calendar. No manual entry needed.

Will customers know they're talking to AI?

Most won't. 72% of callers cannot distinguish AI receptionists from human receptionists. Modern conversational AI sounds natural, responds contextually, and handles interruptions. That said, transparency is important—many businesses include a brief disclosure ("You're speaking with our AI assistant") which most callers don't mind.

The Bottom Line

The question isn't whether you need call answering help—if you're missing calls, you do. The question is which solution fits your situation:

• Tight budget, routine calls, need 24/7: AI receptionist ($25-$300/month)
• Complex calls, personal touch required: Human virtual receptionist ($245-$2,100/month)
• Best of both worlds: Hybrid approach ($344-$499/month)
• Any of the above: Better than voicemail, which loses 85% of callers permanently

Want to see which approach makes sense for your business?

Book a free audit. We'll review your current call volume, missed call rate, and the types of calls you receive—then recommend the most cost-effective solution. 30 minutes, no cost, no pressure.

Or take our AI Readiness Assessment for a quick snapshot of where automation fits in your business.

Opus Labs helps service businesses across the United States stop losing calls and leads through AI-powered automation and lead generation systems. If missed calls are costing you jobs, we build the systems that fix it.

Sources and Citations

1. 411 Locals — Small Business Owners Don't Answer 62% of Phone Calls
2. Ring Eden — How Much Business Do I Lose from Voicemail
3. Invoca — Home Services Business Call Analytics Report
4. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Receptionists Occupational Outlook
5. ResonateApp — AI Receptionists: 50+ Statistics
6. PRNewswire / Vida — 97% of SMBs Using AI Voice Agents See Revenue Boost
7. Ruby — Plans and Pricing
8. Smith.ai — Virtual Receptionist Pricing
9. Dialzara — Missed Calls Hidden Costs and AI Solutions