Guide
How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia?
Prices run from under A$100 a month for self-serve software to several thousand dollars a month for a managed service. The right number depends on how many calls you take, what you want the receptionist to do and who supervises it.
Short answer
Self-serve AI receptionist software is commonly advertised from under A$100 a month, usually with a limit on calls or minutes. Managed services, where someone designs the call flow, monitors real calls and fixes problems, cost more because you are paying for supervision as well as software. Excelsior AI's managed AI receptionist starts at A$390 a month for trades and A$590 for healthcare. AI voice agent pricing follows the same pattern.
The main pricing models
- Self-serve subscription: a flat monthly fee for software you configure and monitor yourself.
- Usage-based: you pay per minute or per call, which is cheap when quiet and costly when busy.
- Human answering or virtual receptionist: usually priced per call or per minute, with a monthly base.
- Managed AI service: a monthly fee that includes set-up, supervision and regular reviews, often with an allowance of voice minutes.
What drives the cost
- Call volume and call length, because voice minutes are the main running cost.
- What it does: capturing a message costs less than qualifying callers and booking jobs.
- Integrations with your calendar, CRM or practice software.
- Sector requirements, such as the privacy and safety controls a medical practice needs.
- Supervision: whether someone watches real calls and corrects mistakes.
- Contract length and any guarantee.
Costs people forget to ask about
- Charges for minutes above the monthly allowance.
- Set-up or onboarding fees.
- Per-call or per-message fees on top of the subscription.
- Telephony and number costs.
- Minimum terms and what it costs to leave.
What our plans include
Plans start at A$390 a month for trades and service businesses and A$590 for healthcare. Each includes a monthly allowance of voice minutes, with extra minutes at A$0.35 each, and implementation is covered by the monthly fee. Initial terms run 6 to 12 months depending on the plan. Your first 14 live days carry no management fee, and you pay actual call usage at cost. The top plan carries an outcome guarantee, with the terms set out in the written agreement.
Is it worth it for you?
Work out what the missed calls cost you. The missed-call value calculator turns your own call volume, win rate and customer lifetime value into the value going to voicemail each month, so you can judge whether it is worth acting on. It leaves the cost of the service out on purpose; see the plan levels above for that, and the cost guide for the charges to ask any provider about. If the estimate is small, simpler fixes such as call forwarding or voicemail-to-text are usually enough.
FAQ
Questions.
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month in Australia?
Self-serve software is commonly advertised from under A$100 a month. Managed services cost more. Ours starts at A$390 a month for trades and A$590 for healthcare.
How much does an AI voice agent cost?
It follows the same models: a software subscription, usage-based minutes, or a managed service. The total depends on call volume, features and supervision.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
Usually, for routine calls, but it is not a like-for-like replacement. It suits overflow, after-hours and busy periods. People remain better for judgement-heavy calls.
Are there set-up fees?
Not with ours. Implementation is covered by the monthly fee. Always ask any provider about set-up, overage and minimum-term charges.
Start with a conversation.
Thirty minutes with Alban. You leave with a clear next step.
For established, multi-employee businesses.
By Alban de Vaucorbeil, founder of Excelsior AI. Published . Practical guidance, not a guarantee of results.