Comparison
AlwaysGreet vs a human answering service
Answering services solve the right problem. The complaint owners actually have isn't that a person picked up — it's what happened next.
| AlwaysGreet | Human answering service | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers 24/7 | Yes, every call, no queue | Usually yes, though after-hours can be a smaller team |
| Knows your services and prices | Works from your own service list and price ranges | Reads the script you supplied — depth varies by operator |
| Tells urgent from routine | Triage rules you write, per situation | Typically a flag on the message, not a judgement |
| Books the work | Books into a slot and confirms to the caller | Often takes a message for you to call back |
| Cost shape | Flat monthly plan, per-minute only past your included time | Commonly billed per minute or per call — a busy month costs more |
| Handles two calls at once | Yes, up to your plan's limit | Depends on staffing at that moment |
| Spam and robocall filtering | Rate limits and abuse flags before the call is answered | A person answers it, and you're usually billed for it |
Being straight with you
Where this comparison stops
Where a human is genuinely better
An unusual, emotional, or complicated call. A person can improvise, read a caller who's upset in a way a script can't anticipate, and handle the situation nobody wrote a rule for. If most of your calls are like that, hire the human.
Get an actual quote before you decide
Answering service pricing varies enormously by operator, region, and how they count a minute. We're describing how the category is usually structured, not quoting any specific company. Ask for their real number and compare it to yours.
See also: vs voicemail.
Pricing
Priced like one customer, not like payroll
No setup fee, no contract, cancel whenever. Minutes are talk time — a typical call runs under two minutes.
Save 17% with annual — 2 months free.
Starter
$99/mo
$99 billed monthly
Stop missing the one call that pays for the month.
- 200 talk minutes
- 1 call at a time
- After-hours call capture
- Then $0.30/min, only if you go over
Pro
Popular$149/mo
$149 billed monthly
For businesses busy enough to drop calls.
- 500 talk minutes
- 2 calls at a time
- Owner SMS + booking
- Then $0.28/min, only if you go over
Multi
$249/mo
$249 billed monthly
Multiple locations or lines, one AI front desk.
- 900 talk minutes
- 3 calls at a time
- Lowest overage rate
- Then $0.25/min, only if you go over
Talk minutes are allocated monthly on both plans — annual changes how you pay, not what you get each month. Overage is billed as it happens. Cancel any time; annual is refunded pro rata on unused whole months.
Compare it on a real call
Run a scenario from your own trade and judge the answer yourself.