Hey Jodie
£49/mo unlimited · £99 with booking
Unlimited AI minutes for a flat fee, so a storm week doesn't double your bill. 7-day trial with no card.
See Hey Jodie prices ↗UK Prices checked 11 Oct 2026 · 13 services compared
The phone rang while you were up a ladder. That was a job.
Compare every serious UK call answering service and AI receptionist for trades, priced at your call volume. Answer six questions and get the three that fit, from about £10 a month.
Recents4 missed
- 07700 900461Missed · "Water coming through ceiling"09:41
- 07700 900128Missed · no voicemail09:12
- Mrs PatelAnswered · booked Thursday08:55
- 07700 900877Missed · no voicemail08:30
- 01632 960 214Missed · "Quote for full rewire"07:48
Example call log. Most callers who reach voicemail ring the next number on Google instead.
What missed calls cost you
Job values are examples for each trade; change them to your own. Vendor surveys put UK small businesses at 4 to 9 missed calls a week.
£16,848
of work walking away each year
The cheapest service that fits your volume costs about £588 a year. Find yours
The short answer
Which call answering service is cheapest?
Worked out from published list prices, ex VAT, checked 11 Oct 2026. Your own numbers go in the matcher.
| Your situation | Cheapest fit | Est. a month | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 calls a month, short calls, messages only | Answer.co.uk AI | £27 | Fasthosts / IONOS AI Receptionist (£39) |
| About 60 calls a month, messages only | Answer.co.uk AI | £38.50 | Hey Jodie (£49) |
| About 60 calls a month, books jobs into your diary | Ringmere | £49 | Team-Connect (£54.98) |
| About 150 calls a month, 24/7 | Hey Jodie | £49 | Fasthosts / IONOS AI Receptionist (£88.50) |
| About 60 calls a month, a real person answers | Answer.co.uk (human) | £132 | Pocket Receptionist (£145) |
| About 60 calls a month, a person answers 24/7 | Answer.co.uk (human) | £132 | – |
Quick answers
Our picks for most trades
Chosen on published prices, billing and features as of 11 Oct 2026. We haven't placed live calls; see how we rank.
Whoza
from £59/mo · priced by booked jobs
Plans are built around booked jobs and minutes, with calendar sync and a 7-day trial.
See Whoza prices ↗Pocket Receptionist
£75/mo for 30 calls
UK receptionists answer in your business name, 8am to 8pm, on a monthly rolling plan with a 7-day trial.
See Pocket prices ↗Answer.co.uk
AI £10/mo + 85p a call · human £2.20 a call
Pay only for the calls you get, with AI or a person answering round the clock.
See Answer prices ↗Find my match
Six questions. Three answers.
Your answers set the call volume and features. We price every service with a published price list at those numbers and rank what fits. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Your top three so far
Updates as you answer. Monthly cost excludes VAT unless stated.
1
Answer.co.uk AI AI
£25 minimum deposit on Lite. Live-agent transfer fee not published.
£38.50est. a month
See Answer.co.uk AI prices ↗Price checked 11 Oct 2026
2
Hey Jodie AI
flat bill, unlimited minutes · trial: 7 days, no card. Booking only on the £99 plan and above. Prices exclude tax.
£49est. a month
See Hey Jodie prices ↗Price checked 11 Oct 2026
3
Ringmere AI
trial: 7 days, card needed. Overage 25p a minute (20p on Pro). Prices exclude VAT.
£49est. a month
See Ringmere prices ↗Price checked 11 Oct 2026
Compare all
Every service, priced for you
The estimate column uses your numbers from the matcher. Change them here too. List prices, ex VAT unless noted; always confirm on the provider's site before you buy.
| Service | Type | From | Billed by | Hours | Books jobs | Contract | Trial | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer.co.uk AI True pay-as-you-go for quiet months, from a long-running UK answering group. Watch: £25 minimum deposit on Lite. Live-agent transfer fee not published. |
AI | £38.50ex VAT est. | £10/mo + 85p a call | Per call or call bundles | 24/7 | From £120 plan | Monthly, cancel anytime | Free test call | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Hey Jodie Flat monthly price with unlimited minutes, so a busy week doesn't change your bill. Watch: Booking only on the £99 plan and above. Prices exclude tax. |
AI | £49ex VAT est. | £49/mo | Flat fee, unlimited minutes | 24/7 | From £99 plan | Month to month | 7 days, no card | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Ringmere Low per-minute overage, so it stays cheap as call volume grows. Watch: Overage 25p a minute (20p on Pro). Prices exclude VAT. |
AI | £49ex VAT est. | £49/mo | Minutes | 24/7 | Yes | Month to month | 7 days, card needed | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| RingCentral AIR Worth a look if you already run your phones on RingCentral. Watch: Needs a RingCentral phone plan, which isn't in our estimate. |
AI | £52ex VAT est. | £32/mo add-on | Minutes (30-second steps) | 24/7 | Listed as coming soon | Add-on to a RingCentral plan | Audio samples | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Fasthosts / IONOS AI Receptionist Big UK hosting brands with simple call bundles and a free first month. Watch: Overage 49p a call on the 30-call plan. Scheduling sits on the Plus plan. |
AI | £53.70ex VAT est. | £39/mo | Calls (30, 100 or unlimited) | 24/7 | Plus plan | Cancel anytime | 1 month free | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Team-Connect UK company with a low entry price and top-up packs when you run over. Watch: Entry plan has only 30 AI minutes. Annual billing cuts the entry plan to £14.99. |
AI | £54.98ex VAT est. | £19.99/mo | Minute bundles + top-ups | 24/7 | Yes | No contract | Demo video | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Whoza Priced around booked jobs, which suits trades that live by their diary. Watch: Plans cap booked jobs (10, 20 or 40); extra jobs cost £2.25 to £4.50 each. |
AI | £79ex VAT est. | £59/mo | Booked jobs + minutes | 24/7 | Yes, calendar sync | No contract | 7 days (Starter) | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Norango AI first, with a live person available when a call needs one. Watch: Live-agent time costs £1.50 to £2.00 a minute. Integrations from £295 one-off. |
Hybrid | £124ex VAT est. | £69.95/mo | AI minutes + live-agent minutes | 24/7 | Yes | Monthly or yearly (15% off) | 30 days | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Answer.co.uk (human) A person answers round the clock, and you only pay for calls you get. Watch: £2.20 plus VAT per call for new customers. Messages only, no booking. |
Human | £132ex VAT est. | £2.20 a call | Pay as you go, per call | 24 hours | Message taking | Pay as you go | None stated | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Pocket Receptionist Real UK receptionists answering in your business name, on simple call bundles. Watch: Extra calls £2.99 each. No cover after 8pm on these plans. |
Human | £145ex VAT est. | £75/mo (30 calls) | Calls | 08:00 to 20:00 | Message taking | Month to month | 7 days free | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| My AI Voice Agent Higher-volume plans up to 2,000 calls; calls under 10 seconds aren't counted. Watch: One-off setup £500 to £1,000 (spread over 12 months in our estimate). Excludes VAT. |
AI | £242ex VAT est. | £200/mo | Calls | 24/7 | Google Calendar | Month to month, 30 days' notice | Demo on request | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Moneypenny The best-known UK name: named receptionists, with an AI option alongside. Watch: No published price list for human answering, so we can't estimate your cost. |
Human | Quote only | Quote (AI from £25) | Quote after a call | 24/7 available | Yes | Quote | Sector demo lines | Visit ↗ Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| alldayPA Manchester-based team with tiered plans and 24/7 cover included. Watch: Entry plan is message-only, and minute bundles can run over. |
Human | Quote only | £29.99/mo | Minute bundles | 24/7 | Higher plans | Monthly plans | Ask | Visit ↗ Checked May 2026 |
Also on our list, without enough published pricing to estimate: AnswerConnect, Face For Business, Answer4u, ReceptionHQ, Bizik, JAM and Connect Communications. Ask them for a quote using the demo-call checklist.
AI or human?
Where each one earns its keep
Most trades end up with AI for the routine calls and a fallback for the ones that need a person.
AI receptionist
From about £10 a month plus 85p a call, or £49 flat.
- ✓ Answers every call at once, all night, at no extra cost
- ✓ Books into your calendar and texts you a summary
- ✓ Same price whether you get 20 calls or 200 on flat plans
- Can mishear addresses and unusual names; ask for an SMS confirmation to the caller
- Some callers hang up on a bot, so test it on a few customers first
Human answering
From about £2.20 a call, or £75 a month for 30 calls.
- ✓ Handles upset, elderly and emergency callers well
- ✓ Sounds like your office, which helps on bigger quotes
- ✓ Can judge what's urgent and put it through to you
- Costs climb fast with volume; extra calls run £2 to £3 each
- Budget plans often stop at 6 or 8pm
The rule of thumb: under 30 calls a month, pay per call. Above about 60, a flat-fee AI plan almost always wins. If emergencies are your business, pay for a plan that can transfer urgent calls to you or to a person.
By trade
What your callers actually ask
Brief your service on these and it will sound like it knows the job.
Plumbing & heating
Calls split into emergencies that need you now and quotes that can wait for a callback.
- "Water's coming through the ceiling" or "no heating, no hot water"
- Boiler make, model and age; any error code on the display
- Postcode, to check you cover the area
- Landlord or homeowner, and who pays
Best setup
AI with urgent transfer, 24/7. Let the AI take quotes and bookings, and send leaks and no-heat calls straight to your mobile.
Look at: Hey Jodie, Whoza, Answer.co.uk
Electricians
Mostly quote requests, with a few no-power emergencies.
- "Half the house has no power" or "the RCD keeps tripping"
- EICR for a sale or a let, and the deadline
- EV charger or rewire quotes: property size and fuse board age
- Photos by text for quick quotes
Best setup
AI that books survey slots. Most calls are quotes, so a booking-capable AI covers the bulk cheaply.
Look at: Ringmere, Team-Connect, Whoza
Roofers
Storms bring bursts of calls all at once, then quiet weeks.
- "Tiles came off in the wind" or "water coming in"
- House type, number of storeys, and access
- Insurance claim or private job
- Photos from the ground by text
Best setup
Flat-fee unlimited AI. Storm weeks spike your calls, and a per-call plan punishes you for being busy.
Look at: Hey Jodie, Fasthosts unlimited
Chimney sweeps
Almost all bookings, with a September to December rush.
- Appliance type: open fire, wood burner, multi-fuel, Aga
- When it was last swept, and whether a certificate is needed for insurance
- Bird nests, smoke back, or smells
- Preferred day and time window
Best setup
AI that books straight into your diary. Calls are short and repetitive, which is exactly what AI does best.
Look at: Whoza, Ringmere, Team-Connect
Locksmiths
Lockouts are urgent, often at night, and price-sensitive.
- "Locked out", "key snapped", or "break-in, need a board-up"
- Location and how quickly you can get there
- Call-out price, asked straight away
- Lock type: uPVC, mortice, or Yale
Best setup
24/7 with instant transfer. A lockout caller rings the next locksmith within a minute, so speed beats everything.
Look at: Answer.co.uk human, Norango, Moneypenny
Cleaners
Recurring bookings, changes and cancellations.
- One-off, end-of-tenancy or regular clean
- Bedrooms, bathrooms and pets
- Day and time, and how they'll let you in
- Rescheduling an existing booking
Best setup
Booking AI on a low-cost plan. Calls are simple, and a cheap booking plan pays for itself after one new regular.
Look at: Ringmere, Team-Connect, Fasthosts
Salons
High volume of short booking calls while your hands are busy.
- Treatment, stylist and time
- Rescheduling and cancellations
- Prices and how long a treatment takes
- Patch tests and deposits
Best setup
Unlimited AI linked to your booking system. High volume favours flat pricing; check it connects to your salon software.
Look at: Hey Jodie, Fasthosts unlimited
Test before you buy
The five-minute demo-call checklist
Most services have a demo line or a free trial. Ring it with these and you'll know more than any review can tell you.
Say this
- Give a tricky address: a flat number, a house name, and a postcode with an "S" and an "F" in it.
- Describe an emergency, such as "water pouring through the light fitting", and see whether it treats it as urgent.
- Ask "how much is a call-out?" and check what it says.
- Ask to book next Tuesday morning, then change your mind to Wednesday.
- Talk over it halfway through a sentence.
Then check
- Did the text or email summary reach you within a minute, with the address right?
- Was the urgent call flagged or put through to you?
- Did it make up a price, or say someone would confirm?
- Did the booking land in your calendar correctly?
- Would your best customer have stayed on the line?
How we rank
Our method, and how we're paid
We compare what providers publish. For each service we record list price, what's included, overage, billing unit, hours, booking, contract and trial from its own pricing page. We haven't placed live calls; the demo-call checklist shows you how to test a service yourself.
We price your situation, not a headline. The estimates take your calls and call length, pick the cheapest plan that fits, and add overage and any setup fee spread over 12 months. They're estimates from list prices, not quotes.
We re-check prices regularly and show the date next to every figure. Last full check: 11 October 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us and we'll update it.
How we make money. Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, the provider may pay us a commission at no cost to you. Commission never changes the order: services are ranked only by estimated cost and how well they fit your answers, and services that pay us nothing are listed the same way.
Reviews. We don't publish customer reviews or star ratings, so nothing here comes from paid or fake reviews. Check independent review sites before you commit.
Your data. The matcher and calculator run in your browser. We don't ask for your name, number or email.
Questions
Straight answers
How much does a call answering service cost in the UK?
On prices published in October 2026, AI receptionists start at about £10 a month plus 85p a call, or £49 a month flat for unlimited minutes. Human answering starts at about £2.20 a call pay-as-you-go, or £75 a month for 30 calls. Most prices exclude VAT.
Is an AI receptionist good enough for a trade business?
For routine calls such as quotes, bookings and messages, usually yes, and it costs far less than a person. For emergencies, complaints and elderly callers, pick a plan that can transfer to you or to a live person.
What's the cheapest way to stop missing calls?
At low volume, a pay-per-call AI service is cheapest. Above roughly 60 calls a month, a flat-fee AI plan with unlimited minutes usually wins. Use the matcher to see it at your numbers.
Do I need to change my phone number?
No. Almost every service works by diverting your existing number when you don't answer, are busy, or switch off. Your mobile network sets the divert in a couple of minutes.
Will callers know it's AI?
Many will. Good systems say up front that they're an assistant taking details for you, which most callers accept if it gets their job booked. Hiding it tends to backfire when it misunderstands something.
Can it handle emergency calls?
It can spot them if you brief it with your emergency words, then text you or put the call through. Check transfer is included on the plan, and test it with the demo-call checklist before you rely on it.