How much does a virtual receptionist cost in the UK in 2026?

The short answer

In the UK in 2026, you'll typically pay:

£49–£149 a month for an AI receptionist that handles calls and WhatsApp.
£75–£250 a month for an entry-level human virtual receptionist with a low call volume.
£250–£500 a month for a mid-tier human service with live transfer, message taking, and outbound capability.
£500+ a month for high-volume plans, often quoted bespoke.

The right tier depends on volume, channel mix, and how much you want done beyond just answering the phone.

The full UK virtual receptionist price landscape

These are typical 2026 prices for a UK trade business with low-to-moderate call volume (say, 50–150 inbound calls a month). Always check the live pricing page before committing - these move.

Human-answered services

Moneypenny - UK's most-recognised name. Plans typically start around £100 a month for a low-volume plan with basic message taking, scaling up to £400+ a month for higher volumes with live transfer, appointment booking and out-of-hours cover. Premium plans for full receptionist replacement can be £500+ a month. Answer4u - UK-based, generally cheaper than Moneypenny on a per-call basis. £75–£300/mo range for a small trade business. Smith.ai (UK plans) - US-headquartered but with UK plans, around £140–£500/mo depending on call volume and channel mix. Pat Live, Alldayplus, Ansaback - smaller UK and regional providers in roughly the £75–£250/mo range.

AI receptionist services

Qenn - £49/mo (Starter, 60 mins of AI phone), £99/mo (Professional, 120 mins), £149/mo (Business, 250 mins). Also includes the full admin assistant (quotes, invoices, payment chasing) on the same WhatsApp number. Down To Earth AI - WhatsApp-only, pricing varies by setup; typically in the £60–£120/mo range. AI Bridge Club - from £97/mo on 30-day rolling contracts. Focus on missed-call recovery. Team Connect - AI receptionist for trades, broadly in the £80–£150/mo range.

The DIY option

Voicemail and your own phone: £0/mo. The "free" option costs you whatever percentage of inbound leads you miss - usually 20–40% by published industry numbers - which for most trades adds up to more than any of the paid options.

What you're actually paying for at each tier

£49–£99/mo (AI tier)

What's included: AI voice answering, WhatsApp answering, automatic intake, message delivery, customer record. With Qenn specifically: also draft quotes from photos, draft invoices from voice notes, push to Xero/QuickBooks.

What's missing: live human voice, live call transfer, complex conversational handling.

£100–£250/mo (human entry tier)

What's included: UK-based human receptionist, message taking, business hours coverage, basic call screening.

What's missing: 24/7 cover (often), live transfer to mobile (sometimes extra), WhatsApp channel.

£250–£500/mo (human mid tier)

What's included: 24/7 cover, live call transfer, appointment booking, more detailed message handling, occasional outbound.

What's missing: deep integration with your admin tools (you're still copying details from email into your CRM).

£500+/mo (premium)

What's included: high call volumes, near-receptionist replacement, often bespoke onboarding and account management.

How to think about value for a UK tradesperson

The cost question is really three questions in disguise:

What percentage of inbound am I currently losing? If you miss 30% of calls and 30% of WhatsApp messages, the cost of inaction is usually larger than any of the prices above.

What's my average lead value? A joiner with a £5,000 average ticket can afford a £200 receptionist out of a single recovered lead. A handyman doing £80 jobs needs cheaper cover.

What channels am I missing on? If most of your inbound is WhatsApp, paying £300/mo for a phone-only service doesn't fix the problem.

For most UK trades - joiners, builders, electricians, plumbers at 1–10 employees - the cost/coverage maths tends to favour an AI receptionist at £49–£149 over a human service at £200+. The exceptions are real but they're exceptions.

Hidden costs worth checking before signing

Setup fees. Most human services have a setup fee of £50–£200. Most AI services do not.
Per-call overages. Some plans cap calls at 30 or 50 per month, then charge £2–£5 per extra call. Tradies with seasonal spikes (e.g. heating engineers in winter) get hit hard.
Contracts. Most human services are rolling monthly. Some require 30 days' notice. Most AI services are cancellable any time.
VAT. All prices above are usually quoted ex-VAT. Add 20%.