Guide· UK prices
How much does an AI receptionist cost in the UK?
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Most AI receptionist plans in the UK cost between £30 and £500 a month, excluding VAT. Self-serve apps you set up yourself mostly cost £30 to £99 a month, with no setup fee. Done-for-you services, where a provider builds and manages the receptionist for you, usually charge £500 to £2,000 or more to set up, then £99 to £500 a month. A full-time receptionist costs a business about £1,800 to £2,400 a month.
AI receptionist prices in the UK, by type of service
| Type | Typical price | Setup fee | Who sets it up | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-serve AI phone answering | £30 to £99 a month (plans range from £10 to £300) | Usually none | You | Calls answered and messages taken; booking on mid-range plans; a monthly limit on calls or minutes |
| Human call answering service | About £55 to £75 a month for 30 calls, £154 to £230 for 100 calls, then about £2 to £3 a call | Usually none | The provider | A person answers and takes messages; booking varies |
| Done-for-you AI receptionist | £99 to £500 a month | £500 to £2,000 or more | The provider | Built around your business, connected to your calendar and CRM, managed every month |
What changes the price?
- Channels: phone only, or phone plus WhatsApp and website chat.
- Volume: most plans include a set number of calls or minutes, then charge per call or per minute.
- Booking and CRM: booking straight into your calendar and logging every lead usually costs more than message-taking.
- Follow-ups: quote follow-ups, missed-call text-back, reminders and review requests are often extra.
- Who does the work: with a self-serve app you set it up and keep it updated; with a done-for-you service the provider does.
- Contract: many plans are month-to-month; some agencies ask for 3 to 12 months.
- VAT: most business prices exclude VAT at 20%.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring a receptionist?
Yes, usually by a wide margin, although they do different jobs. A full-time receptionist in the UK earns about £21,000 to £25,000 a year. On top of that, employers pay at least 3% into a workplace pension and 15% employer National Insurance on earnings above £5,000 (some small employers offset this with the Employment Allowance). That comes to roughly £21,400 to £28,600 a year, for cover during working hours only, with holidays and sickness still to cover.
An AI receptionist answers 24 hours a day, including evenings and weekends, and handles several calls at once. It can't greet visitors or do office admin, so many businesses use both: the AI answers out of hours and when the line is busy.
| Option | Year-one cost | Hours covered |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time receptionist | About £21,400 to £28,600 | Working hours, about 37.5 a week |
| Self-serve AI app | About £360 to £1,200 (£30 to £99 a month) | 24/7, usually phone only |
| SoluGenius Starter | £3,961 (£997 setup + 12 × £247) | 24/7 on one channel, set up and managed for you |
| SoluGenius Professional | £7,361 (£1,997 setup + 12 × £447) | 24/7 on phone, WhatsApp and website chat, with follow-ups |
How much does SoluGenius cost?
- Starter: £997 setup + £247 a month. One channel (phone, or WhatsApp and website chat), calendar booking, 250 voice minutes a month, then 25p a minute.
- Professional: £1,997 setup + £447 a month. Phone, WhatsApp and website chat, 600 voice minutes, handover to your team, quote follow-ups, reminders and review requests.
- Growth: from £3,997 setup + from £797 a month, for several locations, numbers or your own software.
All prices exclude VAT. Month-to-month with 30 days' notice; monthly fees start at go-live.
Which type should you choose?
- A self-serve app suits you if you get a few calls a week, only need messages taken, and are happy to set it up and keep it updated yourself.
- A human answering service suits you if every caller needs a person's judgement and you're happy to pay per call.
- A done-for-you AI receptionist suits you if enquiries come in by phone, WhatsApp and your website, and you want them answered, booked and followed up without touching the technology.
Sources: National Careers Service, receptionist job profile; GOV.UK, rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027; GOV.UK, workplace pensions; published prices on UK providers' websites, October 2026.