Answering service cost calculator
What it costs to have your phone answered: an in-house receptionist, a live answering service and an AI receptionist, side by side for your call volume.
Free, no signup, works on your phone.
900 call minutes a month
In-house receptionist
$4,117 /mo
$49,402 a year · $13.72 per call
Live answering service
$2,700 /mo
$32,400 a year · $9.00 per call
AI receptionist (Dial Milo)
$113 /mo
$1,350 a year · $0.38 per call
AI receptionist (Dial Milo) saves you
$48,052 a year
Against the most expensive option
Dial Milo: 12.2¢ a minute, billed per second, plus $3 a month for a US number. Estimates from your inputs.
How it works
In-house receptionist = hourly wage × hours per week × 52 ÷ 12 × (1 + payroll taxes and benefits). It doesn't depend on how many calls you get. The default wage is the US median for receptionists, $18.27 an hour in May 2025. The 30% overhead is an assumption; change it to yours.
Live answering service = calls × average length × price per minute + monthly fee. Plans that bundle minutes or bill per call vary a lot, so the default $3 a minute is only a starting point; use your own quote.
AI receptionist = calls × average length × Dial Milo's published rate + $3 a month for a US number.
Questions
Answer every call for cents
Milo answers your business line in your voice and style, books appointments and texts you each call. Pay only for talk time, about 12¢ a minute, with $1 free credit to start.
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