Vapi pricing for a receptionist, minute by minute
Vapi prices a voice agent by the minute, in layers. Its own hosting fee is $0.05 a minute. On top of that you pay the speech-to-text, the language model and the voice, each at the provider's cost. Vapi's calculator puts 1,000 minutes at $82 to $129 a month, before any support package.
Those layers are why one Vapi minute has no single price. On the calculator, Deepgram transcription runs $0.0095 to $0.0099 a minute, an OpenAI model $0.0077 to $0.0452 and an ElevenLabs voice $0.0146 to $0.0238. Vapi's own phone numbers carry no transport fee, while Twilio inbound adds $0.008 a minute.
Support and capacity come as packages. You can start with no package on $5 of free credit, one Vapi number and four calls at once. Core is $29 a month for ten calls at once, and Pro is 10% of your hosting fee with a $999 monthly minimum. We read every figure on vapi.ai on 24 September 2026.
Vapi packages, published on the pricing page
| Package | Monthly | Vapi numbers | Calls at once | Data kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No package | $0, pay per minute | 1 | 4 | 14 days |
| Core | $29 | 5 | 10 | 30 days |
| Pro | 10% of hosting, $999 minimum | 10 | 30 | 180 days |
| Premier | Contact sales | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Read on vapi.ai/pricing, September 2026 (checked 2026-09-24). Every package pays the $0.05-a-minute hosting fee and model costs passed through at cost. Extra concurrent lines cost $10 each a month; extra organizations $20 each a month.
What one Vapi minute is made of
| Layer | Example provider on the calculator | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Vapi hosting | Vapi | $0.05 |
| Transcription | Deepgram | $0.0095 to $0.0099 |
| Language model | OpenAI | $0.0077 to $0.0452 |
| Voice | ElevenLabs | $0.0146 to $0.0238 |
| Phone line | Vapi telephony or Twilio inbound | Free, or $0.008 |
Read on the vapi.ai/pricing calculator, September 2026 (checked 2026-09-24). Vapi's own estimate for 1,000 minutes: $50 hosting, $10 transcription, $8 to $45 model, $15 to $24 voice, $82 to $129 in total.
What moves a Vapi bill for a phone line
- Minutes, not calls. A caller who takes six minutes to explain a leak costs twice what a three-minute caller costs.
- The model you pick. On Vapi's own calculator the model layer alone spans $8 to $45 for 1,000 minutes.
- Calls that land together. The free start allows four at once and Core allows ten; each extra line is $10 a month.
- The phone carrier. Vapi's own numbers add no transport fee, while a Twilio number adds $0.008 for every inbound minute.
- The package. Pro's floor is $999 a month however few minutes you run.
Worked example
A plumbing firm takes 400 calls a month and calls average three minutes, so the line runs 1,200 minutes.
Vapi hosting
1,200 minutes at $0.05. $60.
Vapi model, voice and transcription at the calculator's ranges
about $0.032 to $0.079 a minute. $38 to $95.
Vapi with a Twilio number
1,200 inbound minutes at $0.008. $9.60 more, or $0 on a Vapi number.
GreetKeeper Starter
$49 for 200 answered calls, then 200 more at $0.45. $49 + $90 = $139, the same at three minutes or at ten.
On Vapi's own rates the 1,200 minutes cost roughly $98 to $165 before anyone has written the call script, connected a calendar or set the transfer rules. Every extra minute of talk moves that number. GreetKeeper's $139 holds however long each caller talks, because we count calls.
Where our own price sits
GreetKeeper is a finished receptionist, priced per answered call: $49 for 200, $149 for 750 and $349 for 2,000. Past the allowance a call costs $0.45, $0.35 or $0.25 by plan, and a long call costs the same as a short one.
Booking into Google Calendar or Outlook, transfers to your team and a transcript with a summary of every call come on every plan. Point it at your website for a first draft of your hours, services and FAQs, then correct it.
| 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 |
Pricing a Vapi receptionist before you build
Pull your average call length from your phone bill. Vapi's meter multiplies everything by it.
Run Vapi's calculator twice, once with the cheapest model and once with the one you'd actually use, and keep the higher total.
Count your busiest hour. If more than four calls overlap, price the Core package or extra lines at $10 each.
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
How much does Vapi cost per minute?
Vapi charges $0.05 a minute for hosting, plus transcription, model and voice at provider cost. On Vapi's calculator a full minute lands at about $0.08 to $0.13 (September 2026). A Twilio number adds $0.008 a minute; Vapi's own numbers add nothing.
Is Vapi free to start?
Yes. Vapi's no-package start costs $0 up front, gives $5 of free credit and includes one Vapi phone number and four calls at once. After the credit, every minute is billed at the $0.05 hosting rate plus provider costs (September 2026).
What is included in Vapi's Pro package?
Vapi Pro costs 10% of your hosting fee with a $999 monthly minimum. It includes ten Vapi numbers, 30 calls at once, 180 days of data retention and a one-business-day support response (September 2026).
What would a receptionist on Vapi cost for 1,000 minutes?
Vapi's own calculator estimates $82 to $129 a month for 1,000 minutes: $50 hosting, $10 transcription, $8 to $45 for the model and $15 to $24 for the voice (September 2026). The build work to turn that agent into a receptionist sits on top.
How does GreetKeeper's price compare with Vapi's?
GreetKeeper's Starter plan is $49 a month for 200 answered calls, with $0.45 for each extra call and booking included. Vapi bills by the minute, so at three minutes a call 200 calls run 600 minutes, about $49 to $77 on Vapi's calculator (September 2026).
Skip the minute meter
GreetKeeper answers, books and transfers from day one: $49 for 200 answered calls, and $0.45 a call past that.