How much does an AI receptionist cost in 2026?
Self-serve AI receptionists run $49 to $599 a month as of July 2026. Here is every published price we verified, what the stickers hide, and the payback math.
7 min
Resources
What a missed call
actually costs.
Straight answers for owner-operators: what the phone data says, what after-hours coverage costs, and what the rules allow when you ask for a review. No fluff, sources linked.
Ruby receptionist alternative: human vs AI front office
Ruby puts a live human on your line from $250 a month in minute blocks. Cloverly is a flat-rate AI front office that books the call. Where each wins, honestly.
7 min
Smith.ai for a trade shop: pricing, fit, alternatives
Smith.ai bills per call and backs its AI with live receptionists. Cloverly is flat-rate and trades-only. What a storm month costs, and who should pick which.
8 min
Utah's AI disclosure law and your shop's phone
Utah Code 13-77 says a supplier must disclose generative AI when a customer asks. There's a safe harbor if it says so up front. The script and the audit.
8 min
What a missed call actually costs a trade shop
Voicemail loses the job in roughly forty seconds. Here's what one call is worth by trade, how to count the ones you miss, and what to change this week.
6 min
HVAC
Why HVAC calls keep arriving after hours
Cooling load peaks at 5pm, and business hours cover 27% of the week. What an after-hours no-cool call is worth, and how to build the coverage flow yourself.
6 min
Voicemail vs answering service vs AI receptionist
Voicemail, a live answering service, and an AI receptionist do three different jobs. Here is what each one actually books, what it costs, and where it fails.
7 min
tree service
Should your Utah trade shop answer calls in Spanish?
Salt Lake County is 20.6% Hispanic; 160,965 residents speak Spanish at home. Most shops have Spanish on the crew, none on the phone. The greeting and the audit.
6 min
How to ask for Google reviews without breaking FTC rules
The FTC review rule took effect October 2024 and enforcement began December 2025. Here is the compliant ask: when to send it, what to write, who gets it.
7 min