Plain-Language Guide

How much does an AI receptionist actually cost?

There's no single number — it depends on how much your business needs handled and how hands-on you want to be. Here's how Standby's pricing actually breaks down, with no invented numbers and no bait-and-switch.

What changes the price

Most "AI receptionist" pricing you'll find online is either a flat subscription that doesn't reflect what your business actually needs, or a vague "contact us for pricing" with no real numbers at all. Standby works differently: every engagement starts with an audit, so the price reflects your actual call volume, schedule complexity, and how much you want handled — not a one-size-fits-all package.

The two things that move the price most are how much of your business gets automated (just the phone, or phone plus scheduling plus follow-up plus admin) and whether you want to run it yourself after it's built, or have Standby keep running it for you.

  • AI Readiness Audit: ~$300–750, credited toward a build if you move forward
  • Build & Teach (we build it, train you to run it): ~$1,500–5,000
  • Managed AI Team (we build it and keep running it): build fee + ~$300–1,000/month
  • Website with an AI receptionist built in: ~$750–10,000+ depending on scope
Book an AI Readiness Audit
Starts withAI Readiness Audit
Fee creditedToward any build
NoInvented or padded pricing

Which tier fits your business?

A quick way to think about where you'd likely land.

Just exploring

Start with the AI Readiness Audit — a plain-language look at where AI would help, with an honest "not yet" if it wouldn't. The fee is credited if you move forward.

Want to own it

Build & Teach sets up your support team and trains you and your staff to run it yourselves — done-with-you, not done-to-you.

Want it handled

Managed AI Team means Standby builds it and keeps running it every month — monitoring, tuning, and improving it so you don't have to.

Common questions

Is the audit fee separate from the build cost?+

The audit fee is credited toward your build if you move forward, so you're not paying twice — it's simply the first, smaller step.

What makes the price go up or down within a tier?+

Call and message volume, how many systems need to connect (phone, calendar, booking software, inbox), and how much ongoing tuning you want all factor in — your audit spells out exactly where your business lands.

Are there hidden monthly fees?+

No. Managed AI Team is the only tier with an ongoing monthly cost (~$300–1,000/mo on top of the build fee), and that's stated up front, not buried.

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Get real numbers for your business.

The audit gives you an actual, scoped price — not a guess.

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