What an AI receptionist does
- Answers every call, including after hours and when the team is busy.
- Answers common questions from your own information: hours, services, prices, location.
- Books and reschedules against your real calendar, and confirms by text or email.
- Qualifies and routes: asks your intake questions and transfers urgent calls to a person.
- Logs everything: a summary and transcript of every call in your CRM or inbox.
Buy or build?
| Off-the-shelf AI receptionist | Custom build | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Standard answer-and-book needs | Your own intake rules, systems and data |
| Setup | Hours to days | About four weeks |
| Pricing | Monthly subscription, often with per-minute or per-call limits | From $8,000 once, then roughly $0.08–$0.15 per minute in provider costs |
| Integrations | What the product supports | Anything with an API |
| Ownership | Vendor's platform | You own the code and data |
If a subscription product does what you need, use it; we will tell you so on the first call. Build when the receptionist must work exactly like your best front-desk person, inside your systems.
What it costs
A custom AI receptionist starts at $8,000 fixed price. Running costs are per minute, usually $0.08 to $0.15 all-in, plus about $1 to $2 a month per phone number. Read the full breakdown: how much an AI voice agent costs, or try the cost calculator.
Who uses one
- Clinics and dental practices: booking, rescheduling, reminders.
- Law firms: intake calls after hours.
- Real estate: instant callbacks to listing inquiries.
- Home services and trades: answering while the team is on a job.
What we've built
We built a voice-first clinical platform where consultation notes write themselves from the conversation. The same pieces (live speech-to-text, an assistant that follows rules and takes actions, natural text-to-speech) are what an AI receptionist is made of. See AI voice agent development and our open-source voice caller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Subscription products charge monthly, often with call or minute limits. A custom AI receptionist from Kortex Labs starts at $8,000 fixed price, then roughly $0.08 to $0.15 per minute in provider costs, and you own it.
Is an AI receptionist worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when calls go unanswered: after hours, during busy periods, or when staff are with customers. If almost every call is already answered, the gain is small.
Will callers know it's an AI?
They should. Ours say they are an AI at the start of the call and hand over to a person when asked.
Can it book appointments in my calendar?
Yes. It checks real availability in your calendar or booking system and confirms by text or email.