How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia?
Usage is the cheap part. As listed in October 2026 (USD), Retell charges $0.07 to $0.31 a minute for voice agents, Vapi's calculator example works out at about $0.08 to $0.13, and a Twilio Australian local number is $3.00 a month plus $0.0100 a minute to receive calls. The bigger costs are building the call flows and integrations, then monitoring and improving them.
Key takeaways
- An AI receptionist has four cost layers: voice platform minutes, phone numbers and call charges, setup, and ongoing management.
- In an illustrative 1,000-minute month, platform plus telephony usage comes to roughly US$95 to US$142 using published October 2026 rates.
- A full-time employee at Clerks award Level 1, Year 1 costs at least $1,024.70 a week before 12% super and other on-costs.
- The comparison is not like for like: an AI receptionist answers calls around the clock but does not greet visitors or do general office work.
What makes up the cost of an AI receptionist?
An AI receptionist is a voice agent that answers your business line, holds a natural conversation, captures details, books appointments or transfers calls, and writes the outcome into your systems. Its cost has four layers:
- Voice platform minutes: speech-to-text, the language model, text-to-speech and platform hosting, billed per minute of call.
- Telephony: the phone number and per-minute carrier charges.
- Setup: call flows, scripts, the knowledge it answers from, transfer rules, calendar and CRM connections, and testing.
- Management: reviewing calls, fixing wrong answers, updating information and handling changes.
What do voice AI platforms charge per minute?
As listed on Vapi's pricing page in October 2026 (USD), pay-as-you-go hosting is $0.05 a minute, with models passed through at cost. Its calculator example adds transcription at $0.0095 to $0.0099 a minute, a language model at $0.0077 to $0.0452 a minute and an ElevenLabs voice at $0.0146 to $0.0238 a minute. The pay-as-you-go tier includes one Vapi phone number and 4 concurrent calls.
As listed on Retell's pricing page in October 2026 (USD), AI voice agents cost $0.07 to $0.31 a minute. The components are voice infrastructure at $0.055 a minute, text-to-speech from $0.015 a minute for most voices to $0.040 a minute for ElevenLabs voices, plus the language model you choose. Retell's own example comes to about $0.11 a minute. Its phone numbers are $2.00 a month, the first 20 concurrent calls are free, and billing covers the whole call, including silence and hold time.
What do Australian phone numbers and calls cost?
Many builds use Twilio for the number. As listed on Twilio's Australian voice pricing page in October 2026 (USD), a local number is $3.00 a month, a mobile number $8.25 a month and a toll-free number $20.00 a month; receiving calls on a local number is $0.0100 a minute; and outbound calls are $0.0252 a minute to landlines and $0.0750 a minute to mobiles. Outbound rates matter if the receptionist also returns missed calls.
| Cost component | Example published rate (USD, October 2026) | How it is billed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform hosting | Vapi $0.05/min; Retell voice infrastructure $0.055/min | Per minute of call | Models and voices billed on top |
| Language model | Vapi example $0.0077 to $0.0452/min | Per minute (pass-through) | Varies most with the model chosen |
| Voice (text-to-speech) | Retell $0.015 to $0.040/min | Per minute | Premium voices cost more |
| Phone number | Twilio AU local $3.00/month; Retell number $2.00/month | Monthly | Confirm who owns the number |
| Inbound call charge | Twilio AU local number $0.0100/min | Per minute | Added to platform minutes |
| Setup and management | Not published as a standard rate | One-off and monthly | Quoted per business; ask what is included |
What would 1,000 minutes a month cost? (illustrative)
This is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a quote. The 1,000-minute volume is hypothetical; the rates are the published October 2026 figures above.
- Vapi route: $0.05 + $0.0095 + $0.0077 + $0.0146 = $0.0818 a minute at the low end, and $0.05 + $0.0099 + $0.0452 + $0.0238 = $0.1289 at the high end. That is $81.80 to $128.90 for 1,000 minutes, in line with the $82 to $129 Vapi's own calculator shows.
- Australian number: a Twilio local number at $3.00, plus 1,000 inbound minutes at $0.0100, adds $13.00.
- Total usage: roughly US$95 to US$142 for the month. Using Retell's example of about $0.11 a minute instead gives about $110 plus telephony.
Convert to Australian dollars at the current exchange rate. This excludes setup, management, your CRM and calendar subscriptions, and any provider margin.
How do you estimate your own AI receptionist cost?
- Export three months of call logs: number of calls and average length.
- Split calls into business hours, after hours and overflow (calls you currently miss).
- Decide which calls the AI should take. Many businesses start with after-hours and overflow only.
- Multiply the minutes by a per-minute range from the platforms above, then add numbers and inbound charges.
- Ask providers to quote setup and monthly management separately from usage.
- Compare the total with the human option for the same hours and the same scope.
What does a human receptionist cost under the award?
The Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020 is the award that commonly covers office and clerical roles; check the classification for your role. It defines clerical work to include receiving and answering calls, operating a switchboard and attending a reception desk, and lists reception or switchboard duties as typical at Levels 1 and 2. Full-time minimum rates (38 ordinary hours a week) from 1 July 2026 are below, with the 12% super guarantee added.
| Classification | Minimum weekly | Minimum hourly | Weekly with 12% super |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, Year 1 | $1,024.70 | $26.97 | $1,147.66 |
| Level 2, Year 1 | $1,119.10 | $29.45 | $1,253.39 |
| Level 2, Year 2 | $1,139.90 | $30.00 | $1,276.69 |
These are base rates only. Penalty rates, casual loading, overtime, allowances, leave loading, payroll tax and recruitment all add to the real cost.
Is it a fair comparison?
Not entirely. A receptionist greets visitors, handles the post, notices when something is off and does general office work. An AI receptionist only handles calls, but it can answer at 2am, pick up several calls at once and write every call into the CRM. For many small businesses the better question is whether an AI receptionist covers the calls nobody answers now, and frees existing staff from interruptions, rather than whether it replaces a person. For the general method of weighing cost against hours saved, see how to work out AI employee ROI.
If calls are recorded, the rules on consent apply. In NSW, for example, the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (s 7) prohibits recording a private conversation with a listening device, with an exception where all principal parties consent; other states have their own laws. Our guide to whether AI phone calls are legal in Australia covers recording notices and outbound calling rules.
Where does Wharq fit?
Wharq builds managed AI employees that can answer inbound calls, ask qualifying questions, transcribe and summarise, and update the CRM, using voice tools such as Twilio and Vapi (listed on our services page). It is charged as a monthly investment after an audit, and does not publish a price list. For one industry example, see how real estate agencies automate qualifying calls.
Vendor prices change often and are shown as listed in October 2026, in US dollars. Award rates are minimums; check the current award and your classification. General information, not legal or financial advice.
AI receptionist cost: frequently asked questions
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
For call handling alone, usage costs are usually far lower than wages. But setup and management add to the bill, and an AI receptionist does not do the rest of a receptionist's job, so compare the same scope and hours.
Why are AI receptionist prices quoted in US dollars?
Most voice AI and telephony platforms, including Vapi, Retell and Twilio, publish their rates in US dollars. Convert at the current exchange rate, and expect the Australian dollar cost to move with it.
Am I charged when the caller is on hold or silent?
On Retell's published pricing, yes: billing covers the whole call, including silence and hold time, because speech recognition keeps listening. Check each platform's billing rules.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Often yes, by forwarding calls to the AI receptionist's number or porting the number to a provider. Ask your provider which option they support and who owns the number afterwards.
What should a setup fee include?
Call flows and scripts, the knowledge base the AI answers from, transfer and escalation rules, calendar and CRM connections, test calls, and a recording notice if calls are recorded.
Sources
- Vapi, "Pricing" (USD) (accessed October 2026)
- Retell AI, "AI Phone Agent Pricing" (USD) (accessed October 2026)
- Twilio, "Voice pricing: Australia" (USD) (accessed October 2026)
- Fair Work Commission, "Clerks—Private Sector Award 2020" (consolidated to 1 July 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Australian Taxation Office, "Super guarantee" (accessed October 2026)
- NSW Legislation, "Surveillance Devices Act 2007 No 64" (accessed October 2026)