- Solutions
- Solutions primary
- BY TEAM
- BY INDUSTRY
- BY USE
- BY SIZE
- Solutions secondary
- Success stories of our clients
- Success stories of our clients
- Solutions primary
- Features
- Features primary
- Most popular
- first column
- second column
- third column
- fourth column
- Most popular
- Features primary
- Integrations
- Resources
- Resources secondary
- Latest Blogs
- Latest Blogs
- Resources secondary
IT & Operations
Sales
Customer support
Company-wide
Software & Tech
Financial Services
Professional services
Education & E-learning
Remote teams
Business phone system
Calling for Salesforce
Calling for HubSpot
Micro Business
Small businesses
Medium & Large businesses
Power Dialer
Text Messages
Analytics
Smart Dialer
WhatsApp Inbound Messages
Call Transcription
Call Queuing
Call Flow Designer
Skill-Based Routing
Call Recording
Call Monitoring
Workflow Automation
Interactive Voice Response
Voicemail
3 Way Calling
Topics Extraction
HubSpot
Pipedrive
Zoho CRM
Zendesk
Plecto
Front
Salesloft
+44 20 3868 0167
+1 888-487-1675
+1 647 724 4714
+34 911 98 79 28
+49 32 221099159
+55 11 4680-2723
+52 55 4170 3698
+32 2 808 12 83
+41 43 508 21 35
+40 31 630 0197
+60 3-4065 2168
+61 2 8311 6777
+48 22 292 25 18
Answering Service Pricing: Smart Support Without the Overhead
Never miss a customer call again—without hiring around the clock. Discover IVR and hybrid answering services that give your business 24/7 availability at a fraction of the cost of live agents. Scalable, affordable, and built for growing teams.
Industry average
$45.00 / Per user monthly
Average price is based on 30 main competitors pricings.
Highest price
$175.00 / Per user monthly
The highest price is based on 30 main competitors pricings.
Our price
$25.00 / Per user monthly
- Unlimited inbound & intracompany calls
- Click to call
- Automated call distribution
- Mobile app
Trusted by 230 companies worldwide
Answering Service Pricing Comparison
Company
Starting Price
Top Features
Best for
More Details
CloudTalk
$19 – $49 per user/month
Power Dialer, Smart Dialer, International Numbers, Call Flow Designer, IVR, Click to Call
3CX
$195 – $245 per user/month
Live Chat,
Call Recording,
Real-time Transcription
Five9
$175 – $325 per user/month
Automatic Outbound Caller,
Call Queues,
Notifications,
Call Tagging,
Callback
Kixie
$35 – $95 per user/month
Contact Personalization,
Progressive Dialer,
Information Locater,
Daily Summary,
Prospects Sorting
Aircall
$19 – $42 per user/month
Comprehensive Integrations,
Number Panel,
Shared Call Inbox,
Live Activity Feed
Justcall
$24 – $48 per user/month
Call Tracking,
Recording & Monitoring,
SMS & MMS,
Auto Dialers,
Telemarketing Management
Ringover
$21 – $54 per user/month
International Numbers,
Simultaneous Listening,
Call Statistics,
Call Forwarding, Auto Dialer,
Unlimited Calling
Grasshopper
$21 – $80 per user/month
Call Forwarding,
Voicemail
Transcription,
SMS,
Virtual Receptionist,
Custom Greetings
RingCentral
$20 – $35 per user/month
Real-time Metrics,
Voicemail Transcriptions,
SMS,
International Numbers,
Conference Calls
CallHippo
$18 – $42 per user/month
Free Call Recording,
Ring Groups,
Fax,
PBX,
Desk-to-Desk Calls,
Conference Calls
Dialpad
$15 – $25 per user/month
Conference Video Calls,
Sentiment Analysis,
Voicemail Transcriptions,
Speech-to-Text,
Automatic Call Recording
IVR Answering Service Pricing Explained
24/7 and After-Hours Coverage
Need around-the-clock support? Many providers offer extended hours or full 24/7 coverage at a premium. Expect higher rates for after-hours handling—especially if you’re combining IVR with live agents for hybrid coverage.
Per-Call vs. Per-Minute Pricing
Some providers charge per call, while others bill by the minute. Per-call pricing is ideal for short interactions, while per-minute gives more flexibility for longer or complex conversations. Your costs will depend on average call duration and volume.
Add-Ons and Feature-Based Costs
Features like call routing, voicemail-to-email, CRM integration, or HIPAA compliance (for medical practices) can affect your monthly rate. Some tools are bundled, others are pay-as-you-need. Be sure to factor these into your total cost of ownership.
How Much Does an Answering Service Cost?
Small businesses typically pay $30 to $150 per month for IVR answering services, depending on the number of users, call volume, and feature set. Live agent services are priced higher, usually around $1 to $2 per minute. Some providers offer per-call models as a flexible alternative for businesses with unpredictable call traffic. Your total cost depends on the coverage hours, add-ons, and whether you need 24/7 support.
How to Compare Answering Service Pricing
To find the right fit, look beyond the monthly rate and evaluate what you’re actually getting:
- Cost structure: Are you paying per call, per minute, or per user?
- Included features: Does the plan include IVR, call routing, voicemail, or CRM integrations?
- 24/7 coverage: Some providers charge extra for nights, weekends, or holidays.
- Support quality: Is support live and reliable when you need it?
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your team as your business scales?
Comparing these factors helps ensure you’re not just picking the cheapest option—but the smartest one.
Additional Costs to Consider
Initial pricing rarely tells the full story. Keep an eye out for hidden fees that can drive up your monthly bill:
- Setup fees: One-time charges to activate or onboard your account
- After-hours surcharges: Extra costs for evenings, weekends, or holidays
- Call transfer fees: Charges for forwarding calls to another number or department
- Usage overages: Costs incurred when you exceed your call or minute limits
- HIPAA compliance fees: Especially relevant for medical answering services
Clarifying these upfront can save your business from costly surprises down the line.
Best Practices for Choosing the Right Answering Service
Choosing the right answering service means aligning the solution with your daily operations and future growth. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Know your call volume: High call volume may justify per-minute or unlimited plans, while low volume might work best with per-call pricing.
- Decide on support hours: Do you need full 24/7 coverage, just after-hours, or weekday support? Coverage needs will impact your final pricing.
- IVR vs. live agents: IVR is great for routing and automating simple tasks. Live agents offer a personal touch but come at a higher cost.
- Check integration options: Look for platforms that sync with your CRM, helpdesk, or internal tools to streamline workflows.
A service that fits your current needs—and scales with your business—is the one worth investing in.
Plans worth every dollar
"With CloudTalk's Analytics I now get to see every step of the way. We can find discrepancies between our agents and gain a much better understanding of our teams' setup."
Nelly Donnelly Service Delivery Manager
See customer story
"CloudTalk improved our team's cost and efficiency. The script feature allows us to lead the calls in a much more systematic way, as well as all the action buttons to trigger actions directly into our backend."
Yohann Bensadoun Global Supply Growth
See customer story
"Our call volume tripled in only 2 years, from around 10,000 calls to 30,000 per quarter and with CloudTalk, we can now handle all of this communication easily. It was an excellent choice."
Frederico Lopes Head of Customer Service
See customer story
"We have seen a significant increase in our outbound call volume since we started using CloudTalk and we can now reach out to more prospects and customers than ever before."
Elay Sasson Call Center Manager
See customer story
"CloudTalk’s AI has cut our call quality analysis from 2 hours to 20 minutes daily and reduced mis-targeted leads by 24%, allowing us to focus on strategic growth."
Sara Konickova Sales Ops Manager
See customer story
FAQs
What is the average cost of an IVR answering service?
IVR answering service pricing typically ranges from $30 to $150/month, depending on features, usage, and support coverage.
Is live answering service more expensive than IVR?
Yes, live answering service pricing is higher—usually $1–$2/min—compared to flat monthly rates for IVR answering services.
Can I get 24 hour answering service without paying for live agents?
Yes, 24 hour answering service pricing can stay low by using automated IVR systems instead of staffing live agents full-time.
How does medical answering service pricing compare?
Medical answering service pricing is higher due to HIPAA compliance. Physicians answering service pricing often includes after-hours support.
What factors influence telephone answering service pricing?
Telephone answering service pricing depends on call volume, coverage hours, per-call vs. per-minute billing, and feature bundles.
What is the difference between IVR and answering machine?
An IVR answering service routes calls with menus and logic. An IVR answering machine just records messages, offering no caller interaction.
CloudTalk is a data-driven solution for exceptional customer experience and intelligence is a key part of it.
Schedule a demo today and find out for yourself.
