Virtual receptionist
Virtual receptionist: a remote person or an AI
A virtual receptionist answers your business calls without sitting in your office. It is either a trained person working remotely or an AI agent. A person fits calls that need judgment; an AI fits routine calls at any hour and costs a monthly plan with an allowance of minutes and a per-minute rate beyond it, from $49 a month at Voxipo.
Updated .
Two meanings
What a virtual receptionist is
The phrase covers two different products. A human virtual receptionist is an employee of a service company who answers on your behalf from a remote location, using your business name and a script you supply. An AI virtual receptionist is software that answers in a synthetic voice using instructions you write.
Both take messages, answer common questions and pass details to you. The differences show up in which hours are covered, how booking works, how well they handle an odd call, and how the bill grows with your call volume.
Side by side
Human, AI and in-house compared
The table below compares the three ways to staff a front desk. The right column is a person on your payroll, included because it is what most owners weigh the other two against.
| Feature | Human virtual receptionist | AI receptionist (Voxipo) | In-house receptionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | Many services cover 24/7, depending on the plan | Any hour on calls that reach your Voxipo number | Shift hours; cover for lunch, sick days and holidays is yours to arrange |
| Call handling | Follows your script, takes messages, may hand calls to a person | Follows your instructions, saves a recording, transcript and summary | Handles anything, including a caller standing at the counter |
| Booking | Depends on the plan and the calendar; some charge extra | Books a standard time slot into Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com or GoHighLevel on the call | Books into whatever system you use |
| Judgment | Good with an unusual or upset caller | Handles routine calls; staff decide anything sensitive | Best of the three |
| Cost shape | Per minute or per call, with a monthly base | A monthly plan with an allowance of minutes and a per-minute rate beyond it | Wages, payroll tax and training |
Public prices
What human virtual receptionists charge
These prices come from the vendors' own websites as of October 2026 and may have changed. Ruby sells receptionist minutes; Smith.ai sells its human-first plans by the call.
| Service | Entry plan | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $250 a month | 50 receptionist minutes |
| Smith.ai human-first | $300 a month | 30 calls |
| Voxipo Solo | $49 a month | 250 AI minutes, a local number, calendar booking and callbacks |
Where each wins
When each one fits
Ruby and Smith.ai both offer staffed answering, which is something Voxipo does not. Smith.ai also has an AI plan. For details, see [Voxipo vs Smith.ai](/compare/voxipo-vs-smith-ai/) and [AI receptionist vs human](/blog/ai-receptionist-vs-human/).
- Choose a human virtual receptionist when callers are often upset, confused or in a hard situation, and when you want a person to hand calls to you.
- Choose an AI receptionist when most calls are routine, you want the same answer at 2am and 2pm, and you want booking to happen on the call.
- Choose an in-house receptionist when people also walk in, sign for deliveries or need a person at a desk.
- Some businesses mix them, and the business switches its own line between the two.
Front desk work
What Voxipo does at the front desk
What stays with your team: pricing you have not approved, diagnosis, safety calls, dispatch and arrival times. The agent can say it will pass the request on, in wording you set, and does not hand the live call to anyone.
- 01
Answer
The agent greets the caller after a short notice that this is an AI assistant and that the call may be recorded.
- 02
Intake
It asks the questions you wrote, such as name, address, what is wrong and the best number.
- 03
Book
If you connected a calendar, it offers open times and books one for the caller on the same call.
- 04
Call back
When your carrier forwards an unanswered call to the Voxipo missed-call number, Voxipo declines the call and schedules the callback from your own verified number. It places one callback, only between 8am and 9pm in the caller's time zone, and a callback can be delayed or missed when lines are busy.
- 05
Record
You get the recording, transcript, summary and a contact entry, so the morning starts with a list of calls to review.
Cost
How the cost shape differs
Human services scale with usage: more minutes or calls, higher bill. Voxipo plans are a monthly plan with an allowance of minutes and a per-minute rate beyond it: Solo $49 a month for 250 minutes, Starter $99 for 600, Growth $199 for 1,400 and Scale $399 for 3,000. Every plan includes a local number and unlimited AI agents. Your 14-day free trial starts when you create your first workspace, and a paid plan is needed to connect a phone number.
Read the full breakdown of both models in [answering service cost in 2026](/blog/answering-service-cost-2026/), or talk through your common calls with the agent in the browser during the trial.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist answers your calls from outside your office. It can be a remote person employed by a service, or an AI agent like Voxipo.
Is a virtual receptionist cheaper than hiring one?
The monthly bill is often lower than wages and payroll costs, but the comparison depends on call volume and hours. Ruby's entry plan is $250 for 50 minutes and Voxipo Solo is $49 for 250 minutes, as of October 2026.
Can Voxipo take over a call and put a person on the line?
No. Voxipo has no live transfer. It saves a summary and callback details so your team can follow up.
Does a virtual receptionist book appointments?
Some do, often at extra cost. Voxipo books a standard time slot into a connected Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com or GoHighLevel calendar on the call.
Can I try Voxipo before paying?
Yes. Your 14-day free trial starts when you create your first workspace, and no card is needed. During the trial you build the agent and talk to it in the browser. Connecting a phone number for live calls and callbacks needs a paid plan.
Keep exploring
Related pages
Try it on your own line
Build an AI front desk in a 14-day trial
Start the 14-day free trial, set the greeting and questions, and talk to the agent in your browser. Choose a plan, from $49 a month, when you want it on real calls.