ReceptionHQ alternatives in 2026: what you pay and what to switch to

ReceptionHQ is a low-cost answering service billed per call: its message-only plan is $1.99 a call and its receptionist plan with transfers is $2.99, with surcharges for after-hours calls and transfers. For about 80 calls a month that’s roughly $155 to $240. Alternatives include PATLive (about $430 at that volume) if you want people, or an AI receptionist that books the job on the call (about $79 to $163). Below: ReceptionHQ’s published prices, what its terms say, and the alternatives side by side as of October 2026.

What does ReceptionHQ cost?

ReceptionHQ sells several US plans, each on its own page. The two most people compare, from its message-taking and virtual receptionist pages:

There’s also a 15-call ReceptionistPlus plan at $39, per-minute plans for appointment setting (MyDiary, from $49 plus $2.20 a minute, with a setup fee from $99), and an AI plan, MyAI Receptionist, from $10 for 10 calls to $90 for 100. Prices are plus sales tax, and there’s a 7-day free trial with no card required.

Spanish is included on every account at no extra cost, there are no setup fees on the two call plans, and there’s no lock-in contract.

Five things in ReceptionHQ’s terms to know

From its terms of service and FAQ, October 2026:

1. After-hours calls cost more. Calls outside 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phoenix time on weekdays, and on federal holidays, add $0.20 a call on MessageExpress and $0.30 on ReceptionistPlus. Phoenix doesn’t change its clocks, so on the East Coast that’s every call before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in winter (8 a.m. and 10 p.m. in summer), plus weekends.
2. Overnight calls are answered in Australia. The FAQ says “overnight calls are handled by our equally skilled, English-speaking team in Australia.” ReceptionHQ LLC is in Phoenix and part of the Australian OfficeHQ group.
3. Transfers are extra. ReceptionistPlus charges $0.30 for each call transfer, and MessageExpress doesn’t transfer at all. Message texts can carry a small per-message fee too.
4. Wrong numbers count. Calls under 5 seconds and telemarketing calls are free, but calls from “callers who misdialled, or… who do not leave messages” still count. (Metered AI services count a wrong number too; ours rounds it up to a minute.) Unused calls don’t roll over.
5. Keep your own number. If you use a ReceptionHQ number, the terms say that after you cancel, it “will retain the assigned telephone number… (including assigning it for use by another customer),” unless agreed otherwise in writing. Holding the account to keep the number costs $5 a month. If customers know a ReceptionHQ number, get its release agreed in writing before you leave. Cancelling takes notice at least three days before your renewal date.

None of these is unusual for a per-call service, but together they mean your bill starts at the plan price and goes up from there.

What do ReceptionHQ alternatives cost?

Published prices from each provider’s own page, October 2026:

AnswerConnect is another common name here, but it shows prices only after a quote form.

A worked month: 80 calls, 20 of them after hours

Say 80 calls a month at about three minutes each, from about 60 different people, with 20 after hours and 20 transferred to you.

So among human services, ReceptionHQ is the cheapest here, well under PATLive at this volume, as long as messages are what you need. Most of the AI receptionists cost less again and book the appointment while the caller is still on the line (ReceptionHQ’s own MyAI plan takes messages).

Should you stay human or switch to AI?

Stay with a person if your calls are emotional, negotiated or high-stakes, or if you simply want a human voice on every call. PATLive includes scheduling, Spanish and 24/7 answering in its minutes and has no after-hours surcharge; Ruby is the premium choice. Our answering service vs AI receptionist guide covers when people are worth the premium.

Switch to AI if most calls are routine (“are you open,” “how much for,” “can you come Tuesday”) and what you want is the job booked while the caller is on the line. Check how each one counts usage: minutes, calls or unique callers.

Where Stack Space fits: it’s the AI receptionist built into a CRM. The receptionist Stax trains answers your line 24/7 within your plan’s minutes, with no after-hours surcharge. It asks what the job is, books it onto the calendar built into Stack Space (Outlook sync available), moves or cancels an existing appointment while the caller is on the phone, and emails the confirmation. It transfers callers to you live when they ask for a person, have an emergency or are upset, if you set a transfer number. After the call, the transcript is on the contact and the estimate, invoice and review request go out from the same place.

Plans are $30 (45 minutes), $125 (250) and $355 (900). Past your minutes you buy prepaid packs that never expire (100 for $24, 500 for $105); without one, callers hear a short message that you can’t take the call right now, the call is logged as missed, and your missed-call text-back goes out if you’ve switched it on. Nothing is billed beyond your plan. There’s no free trial; you pay monthly and cancel yourself. If you only need answering and booking, Goodcall and Beside cost less.

How to switch from ReceptionHQ

1. Check which number your customers call. If it’s a ReceptionHQ number, agree in writing that you can port it out before you cancel; otherwise its terms let ReceptionHQ keep it.
2. Give notice in time: at least three days before your renewal date.
3. Run the new service alongside for a week by forwarding overflow to it, and read every message or transcript.
4. Move your scripts across: services, prices, service area, and who gets transferred when.
5. Switch your forwarding. Our guide to forwarding calls to an AI receptionist has the carrier codes.

For more options in the same price band, see our PATLive alternatives and Smith.ai alternatives.

FAQ

How much does ReceptionHQ cost?

MessageExpress starts at $25 a month plus $1.99 a call, or $170 for 100 calls. ReceptionistPlus, which adds call transfers, starts at $35 plus $2.99 a call, or $260 for 100 calls. After-hours calls add $0.20 to $0.30 each, and transfers $0.30 (ReceptionHQ’s plan pages and terms, October 2026). Prices are plus sales tax.

Is ReceptionHQ based in the US?

Its US company, ReceptionHQ LLC, is in Phoenix, Arizona, and its US-based receptionists work 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phoenix time. Its FAQ says overnight calls are answered by its English-speaking team in Australia; it’s part of the Australian OfficeHQ group.

Does ReceptionHQ charge for wrong numbers?

Yes, per its terms: calls from callers who misdialled or don’t leave a message still count, though calls under 5 seconds and telemarketing calls don’t.

Can I keep my phone number if I leave ReceptionHQ?

Yes if it’s your own number forwarded to them: change the forwarding. If you use a number ReceptionHQ assigned, agree its release in writing before you cancel, because its terms say it keeps assigned numbers after cancellation unless otherwise agreed.

What’s the cheapest ReceptionHQ alternative?

For AI answering that books on the call, Beside starts at $29 for 30 calls and Smith.ai’s AI plan is free for 25 calls a month; Goodcall’s $79 plan covers up to 100 different callers. Among human services, PATLive starts at $99 for 50 minutes.