Headline prices are not comparable until you know how each one bills. Here is the arithmetic.
AI receptionist cost generally runs from about $50 to $1,200 a month, depending on whether you buy a standalone app or a fully managed service. Per-minute plans look cheap and climb with call volume; flat-rate plans cost more at the outset but do not spike in a busy month. Crown AI Front Desk™ is $587 a month flat, with no per-minute charges.
| Calls / month | Minutes | At $3.50/min | Crown Front Desk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 75 | $263 | $587 |
| 56 | 168 | $588 | $587 |
| 100 | 300 | $1,050 | $587 |
| 200 | 600 | $2,100 | $587 |
| 300 | 900 | $3,150 | $587 |
At $3.50 a minute and a three-minute average call, the crossover is about 56 calls a month. That is a slow month for most trades. Above it, per-minute billing costs more than a flat rate every single month, and it costs the most in exactly the months you are busiest — which is the opposite of what you want from a bill.
One full-time receptionist runs roughly $2,800–$4,200 a month before payroll taxes, and covers 40 hours rather than 168. Matching round-the-clock cover with people takes about four of them. This is the comparison that matters if you are weighing an AI against a hire rather than against voicemail.
Crown AI Front Desk™ is $587 a month plus a one-time installation of $1,497. That covers the voice receptionist and everything in Crown Foundation™ — website, local SEO, GEO, the reviews engine, AI web chat and missed-call text-back. There are no per-minute or per-message charges on standard use, and no contract.
If your team already answers the phone reliably in business hours, Crown Foundation™ at $397 a month covers everything except the voice receptionist.
Usually at moderate volume, and reliably so once you pass a few hundred calls a month. Answering services bill per minute, so the cost tracks how busy you are. A flat rate does not, which makes budgeting easier and makes a busy month cheaper rather than more expensive.
Not on Crown's plan. Standard AI call handling, SMS text-backs and hosting are covered by the flat monthly fee. Many competitors do bill per minute, so it is worth confirming before comparing headline prices.
Crown Foundation at $397 a month covers the website, local SEO, GEO, reviews, AI web chat and missed-call text-back. It does not include the 24/7 voice receptionist, which is the $190 difference between the two plans.
No. Both plans are month-to-month with no cancellation fee, and the website, phone number, content and reviews are yours to keep if you leave.
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