--- title: "Answering service pricing calculator (per-minute vs dedicated)" description: "A free answering service pricing calculator that sets per-minute cover beside a dedicated receptionist, with every formula shown. Run your own numbers." url: https://assistbpo.com/tools/answering-service-pricing-calculator/ updated: 2026-09-21 publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # Answering service pricing calculator (per-minute vs dedicated) Free tool This free answering service cost calculator compares what per-minute and per-call answering plans would cost for your monthly call volume with the hours a dedicated receptionist would need for the same calls, using published 2026 plan tiers. Estimates are for orientation, not an AssistBPO price. Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Nimra Khalid](https://assistbpo.com/team/nimra-khalid/) - Formula shown - Runs in your browser - Sources listed ## How does the calculator work? Billable minutes equal calls times average minutes. Per-minute plans follow the published tiers: about $235 a month for 50 minutes, about $1,095 for 500 minutes, and $2.95 to $4.70 for each minute over the tier. The per-call line uses a published $9.75 per call rate. Dedicated receptionist hours equal billable minutes times 1.5 to allow for wrap-up, messages and bookings, rounded up to whole hours; the model follows the hours. ## What is it based on? - Per-minute tiers and overage from the September 2026 OnceHub, NextPhone and AIRA receptionist pricing roundups: Ruby about $235 for 50 minutes to $1,095 for 500 minutes at $4.70 a minute overage; AnswerConnect about $325 for 100 minutes at $2.95 a minute. - Per-call rate from Smith.ai's published Live plan overage of $9.75 a call (2026). - Wrap-up allowance of 50 percent on talk time is an operational rule of thumb for bookings, messages and CRM notes. - AI receptionists are published at $25 to $300 a month flat and are not modelled here. - AssistBPO prices a dedicated receptionist per person for a block of hours, not per minute; no figure is shown because plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. ## What should you do with your result? If your minutes sit above the 500-minute tier, per-minute plans climb fast and a dedicated receptionist usually fits. If they sit well under 100 minutes, a shared front desk priced per call is the honest answer, and we will say so. Either way, request a demo call to hear the difference, then get a staffing plan for the hours the calculator shows. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/)[Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) ## Frequently asked questions ### How does AssistBPO price a receptionist? Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Get a staffing plan within 1 business day. We price per person for a block of hours (80 or 160 a month for a dedicated receptionist) rather than per minute, so a busy month does not produce a surprise bill. ### Why do per-minute plans get expensive? Because overage minutes at $2.95 to $4.70 add up quickly once you pass the tier, and long calls (intake, bookings, upset callers) are exactly the ones you want handled well. The tiers published in 2026 make per-minute plans cheapest for low volumes and dearest for busy front desks. ### Does the dedicated receptionist handle anything else? Yes. Between calls a dedicated receptionist does admin: messages, bookings, callbacks, CRM updates, voicemail sweeps and the end-of-day report. Per-minute plans bill talk time only and stop there. ### What about after-hours calls? Run the calculator for daytime and after-hours separately. Evenings and weekends usually fit a shared after-hours desk or a 24/7 pod rather than a dedicated person; the staffing plan combines both. ### Are the published rates current? They are the September 2026 figures from the roundups named in the assumptions. Providers change plans often; treat the outputs as orientation and check the provider pages if you are comparing a live quote. ## More free tools - [Virtual assistant cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/virtual-assistant-cost-calculator/) - [In-house vs virtual assistant cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/in-house-vs-virtual-assistant-calculator/) - [Hours planner](https://assistbpo.com/tools/hours-planner/) - [Missed-call cost calculator](https://assistbpo.com/tools/missed-call-cost-calculator/) - [Delegation audit](https://assistbpo.com/tools/delegation-audit/) Next step ## Turn the estimate into a plan Send the hours, the desk and the tools you use. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan based on your real numbers, not a calculator. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/). - A named assistant proposed within 72 hours - Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers - Your hours, your tools, your data --- Source: https://assistbpo.com/tools/answering-service-pricing-calculator/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt