Buying guide
How much does an AI receptionist cost? Pricing models explained
The pricing models behind AI receptionists and answering services, the costs outside the plan, and a simple way to compare them for your business.
The four pricing models you will meet
Two products with the same headline price can produce very different bills. Start with how the price is worked out.
| Model | How it works | Suits you when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly | One price for the receptionist, with limits on receptionists or channels | Your volume is steady or growing | What is included and what is an add-on |
| Per minute | You pay for time spent on calls | Calls are few and short | Long calls, spam calls and busy seasons |
| Per call or conversation | You pay for each contact | Volume is low and predictable | What counts as one conversation |
| Per resolution | You pay when the AI counts a conversation as resolved | You trust how resolution is measured | Who decides what counts, and the bill when it does well |
Human answering services are mostly priced per minute or per call on a monthly plan. AI receptionists are usually a monthly plan, often with an allowance of minutes or conversations, and some charge per conversation or per resolution.
Costs outside the plan
The plan is rarely the whole bill. Before comparing, list the costs that sit around it.
- Setup: your own time, or a paid setup service if you want it done with you.
- Phone: a phone number and call minutes, if the receptionist answers calls.
- Channel fees: Meta charges for some WhatsApp Business messages, depending on the message type and country.
- Scheduling: a subscription to the booking tool the receptionist books into, if you do not already have one.
- Your team's time: someone still reads the inbox and replies to what the receptionist hands over.
- Growth: what happens to the price when you add a second location or brand.
Work out what you need before comparing
Prices only mean something against your own numbers. Five figures from the last month are enough.
- How many enquiries you received, by channel: phone, website, WhatsApp, email.
- How many arrived outside your opening hours.
- How many were questions already answered on your website.
- How many became a booking or a paying customer.
- What a first booking or new customer is worth to you, on average.
If you do not track enquiries yet, count one normal week by hand. It will tell you more than any vendor's calculator.
A worked example
The numbers below are made up to show the method. Use your own.
A salon receives 300 enquiries a month. A third arrive after closing, and many of those wait until the next day for a reply. Its average first booking is worth $80.
If answering those evening enquiries promptly turns just five more of them into bookings each month, that is $400 of new business against a $500 plan, before counting the hours the front desk no longer spends answering the same questions.
Run the same sum for a per-minute service: estimate your minutes, include the evenings, and check what happens in your busiest month. The cheaper option on paper is often the more expensive one in December.
What Helm costs
Helm has no per-resolution or per-conversation fees. Building and testing chat is free, and a plan unlocks going live.
| Plan or add-on | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $500 a month | One receptionist on website chat, with WhatsApp and email in early access, unlimited teammates in one inbox |
| Scale | $700 a month | Up to 5 receptionists for locations or brands, with advanced procedures and custom connectors |
| Voice: website + phone | $99 a month | Spoken conversations on your website, plus a phone line in early access with 300 phone minutes a month once live; extra minutes and numbers at cost, once metered billing ships |
| Managed Setup | $1,000 once | With Core: we import your information, set up the channel and handoff, and test before you go live |
Current details are always on the pricing section.
Keep the bill predictable
Whichever product you choose, a few habits keep the cost where you expect it.
- Prefer a price that does not rise with each extra conversation, unless your volume is small and steady.
- Test on your own information before you pay, so you are not paying to find out it does not fit.
- Start on one channel and add others when the first is working.
- Review the handoffs in your inbox each week. A question the receptionist keeps passing on is usually a gap in your information that costs your team time.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free AI receptionist?
Some tools have free tiers with tight limits. With Helm, building a receptionist and testing it on chat is free; a paid plan is needed to go live with customers.
Is flat pricing better than paying per resolution?
Neither is always better. Flat pricing is easier to budget and does not penalise you when the receptionist does well. Per-resolution pricing can suit very low volume, as long as you trust how a resolution is counted.
Do I need a phone number for an AI receptionist?
Only if it will answer phone calls. Website chat and voice on your website need no phone number.