The four answering service pricing models
There are exactly four billing models in this market, and choosing the right one saves more than choosing the right vendor within the wrong one. Per minute is the default for staffed services. Per call is what Smith.ai and we use. Goodcall counts unique callers. Slang.ai charges per location.
Two numbers from your own phone records decide which is cheapest for you: your average call length, and what share of your calls come from someone who already rang this month. You can get both from a month of logs in about ten minutes.
Under two minutes a call, a minute meter usually wins. Over three, per-call wins. Above roughly a third repeat callers, unique-caller pricing wins. Multi-site with low per-site volume is where per-location pricing stops making sense.
The four models, with who uses each
| Model | Who charges this way | Best when | Worst when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per minute | Ruby, PATLive, Posh, AnswerConnect, Rosie, Dialzara, Abby Connect | Calls are short | A good conversation costs you more |
| Per call | GreetKeeper, Smith.ai | Calls run long | Lots of very short or repeat calls |
| Per unique caller | Goodcall | Customers call back repeatedly | Every call is a new inquiry |
| Per location | Slang.ai | Several busy sites | A small second site pays what the flagship pays |
Model and vendor read from each pricing page, September 2026.
One month of 200 calls, priced under each model
| If your calls average… | Cheapest model | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 90 seconds, few repeats | Per minute | Rosie $49 for 250 min, or Dialzara $99 |
| Three minutes, few repeats | Per call | GreetKeeper $49 for 200 calls |
| Three minutes, half repeats | Per unique caller | Goodcall $79 for 100 unique callers |
| Any length, five sites | Depends entirely | Slang.ai $1,995, or one per-call plan |
The two numbers that decide it
- Your average call length. Total a month of minutes, divide by your call count. That one figure moves a per-minute bill more than anything else will.
- Your repeat-caller share. Count how many calls came from a number you'd already heard from that month. Past about a third, Goodcall's model starts winning for you.
- How many lines you run, which matters under per-agent and per-location pricing and not at all under the others.
- How much your volume swings, which decides whether the overage rate matters to you more than the base price does.
- Whether the feature you need sits behind a tier, which can change the model comparison entirely: Rosie's per-minute $49 doesn't include booking.
Worked example
A garage takes 240 calls a month. About 80 are the same customers calling back about a job in progress. Calls average three and a half minutes, so 840 minutes.
Per minute on PATLive
840 minutes needs the $1,499 plan covering 1,000. $1,499.
Per call on GreetKeeper
240 calls, so Starter's 200 plus 40 at $0.45. $49 + $18 = $67.
Per unique caller on Goodcall
240 calls from about 160 unique customers. The $129 plan covers 250. $129, with minutes uncapped.
Per call on Smith.ai Pro
240 calls sits in the 75 to 300 band. $150.
Per location on Slang.ai
one site, $399, with no allowance published.
Their repeat callers are a third of the volume, which lands right on the crossover. Per call wins on price here, though Goodcall's uncapped minutes would win if those follow-ups ran long. When your own numbers land this close, stop comparing rate cards and compare the products.
Where our own price sits
We chose per answered call and published the rate: $0.45, $0.35 and $0.25 by tier. The reasoning is that a minute meter charges most for the conversations you most wanted to happen.
The model has a real weakness and it's worth stating on a page about models. If your callers call back repeatedly within a month, Goodcall's unique-caller pricing will beat us, and we'd rather you worked that out here than after your first invoice.
| Plan | Monthly | Calls included | After that |
|---|---|---|---|
| StarterFor a single location taking calls one line at a time. | $49 | 200 | $0.45 per call |
| ProfessionalBooking, routing and transfers included, not an add-on. | $149 | 750 | $0.35 per call |
| ScaleFor busy phones and longer opening hours. | $349 | 2,000 | $0.25 per call |
Before you act on any of this
Every competitor figure on this page was read on that vendor's own pricing page in September 2026. Prices change. Check before you buy.
Questions people ask
Which pricing model is fairest?
Per unique caller is arguably fairest if you run a customer-service business, because someone with a problem can call you three times without costing you three times. It's also the hardest to reconcile against your phone bill, which is a real cost of its own.
Why do most services still charge per minute?
Because a staffed service pays its receptionists by the hour, so buying and selling time keeps their margin predictable. It makes complete sense for their business and rather less for yours.
Can I switch models mid-contract?
Not within one vendor, usually, since the model is the product they sell. You switch models by switching vendors. Check your notice period before you start: answering-service agreements often run on a term.
What about per-agent pricing?
Goodcall prices per phone number, treating each as an agent, which behaves like per-location if you run several lines. Three numbers means three subscriptions, so your floor is $237 before a single extra caller.
Get your two numbers
Average call length and repeat-caller share. Those decide your model, and the model decides more than the vendor.