How much does a law firm answering service cost?
At 100 three-minute calls a month, the AI receptionists that mention law firms cost $68 to $212.50 a month, or $0.68 to $2.125 per call, across the 8 we can price (Quo AI agent lowest, Smith.ai AI Receptionist highest); Answering Legal, the one legal answering service in our data, publishes no price. At 30 calls the range is $15 to $99 a month ($0.50 to $3.30 per call); at 200 calls it is $99 to $385 ($0.495 to $1.925). We have not test-called any tool, so this is a price answer, not a quality ranking.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes our order.
Chart data as a table
| Rank | Tool | Est. cost at 100 calls | Plan used, or why there is no estimate | Entry price | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quo (formerly OpenPhone) AI agent | $68/mo | AI credits tier 3 | $0/mo | |
| 2 | Upfirst | $69.95/mo | Premium | $24.95/mo | |
| 3 | ViFi | $79/mo | Starter | $49/mo | |
| 4 | AptaBook | $99/mo | Starter | $49/mo | |
| 5 | Nextiva XBert AI Employee | $99/mo | XBert AI Employee | $99/mo | |
| 6 | VoiceFleet | $99/mo | Starter | $99/mo | |
| 7 | Rosie | $149/mo | Scale | $49/mo | |
| 8 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $212.50/mo | Pro | $0/mo | |
| 9 | Answering Legal | not published | No prices published. | — |
Which tools do we pick?
Each pick states its reason below; affiliate status never decides a pick or its order.
Lowest cost per call at 30 calls
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
$15/mo at 3-minute calls (Free plan: 25 calls, then $3 each) = $0.50 per call.
Lowest cost per call at 100 calls
Quo (formerly OpenPhone) AI agent
$68/mo including its required $19 phone plan = $0.68 per call.
Second-lowest cost per call at 100 calls
Upfirst
$69.95/mo (Premium: 90 calls, then $1 each) = $0.70 per call.
Third-lowest at 100 calls; month to month
ViFi Partner
$79/mo (Starter: 100 minutes, then $0.15) = $0.79 per call; no contract.
Lowest cost per call at 200 calls
AptaBook
$99/mo Starter (400 conversations, no overage) = $0.495 per call.
Order rule: lowest estimated monthly cost at 100 three-minute calls (list prices from data/tools.json), then lowest published entry price, then name, for tools whose own sites mention law firms. The set and order match /best/law-firms. Affiliate status does not change the order, the picks or any label.
How we calculated the cost
Each figure is the site's own estimate (best_tier in scripts/estimator.py, reading only data/tools.json) at 3-minute calls: the cheapest published plan that covers the volume, plus any published overage, plus any required base fee (Quo's phone plan). Plans with no published overage are used only up to their allowance, then the next plan up is priced. Cost per call is the monthly estimate ÷ the number of calls. Figures are rounded to the cent; where float rounding and half-up rounding disagree on an exact half cent we show three decimals. Setup fees, taxes and add-ons are not included. Prices checked 2026-10-19 to 2026-10-29.
Which tools count as law-firm tools: those whose sites mention law firms (a keyword match recorded in tools.json, unverified), the same rule as /best/law-firms. 8 of the 9 have a computable price.
Cost per call for law firms at 30, 100 and 200 calls
Derived from data/tools.json with the method above, in the site's order (lowest at 100 calls first). Each cell is monthly estimate / cost per call.
| Tool | 30 calls (month / per call) | 100 calls | 200 calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quo AI agent | $39 / $1.30 | $68 / $0.68 | $118 / $0.59 |
| Upfirst | $24.95 / $0.83 | $69.95 / $0.70 | $159.95 / $0.80 |
| ViFi | $49 / $1.63 | $79 / $0.79 | $124 / $0.62 |
| AptaBook | $49 / $1.63 | $99 / $0.99 | $99 / $0.495 |
| Nextiva XBert AI Employee | $99 / $3.30 | $99 / $0.99 | $198 / $0.99 |
| VoiceFleet | $99 / $3.30 | $99 / $0.99 | $299 / $1.495 |
| Rosie | $49 / $1.63 | $149 / $1.49 | $149 / $0.745 |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $15 / $0.50 | $212.50 / $2.125 | $385 / $1.925 |
| Answering Legal | no published price | no published price | no published price |
How each number is calculated:
- Quo AI agent (tools.json, checked 2026-10-22):
- 30 calls: $0 + 20 calls over 10 included × $1 + $19 required base fee = $39 → ÷ 30 = $1.30 per call
- 100 calls: $49 AI credits tier 3 plan (100 of 100 calls used) + $19 required base fee = $68 → ÷ 100 = $0.68 per call
- 200 calls: $99 AI credits tier 4 plan (200 of 250 calls used) + $19 required base fee = $118 → ÷ 200 = $0.59 per call
- Upfirst (tools.json, checked 2026-10-22):
- 30 calls: $24.95 Starter plan (30 of 30 calls used) = $24.95 → ÷ 30 = $0.83 per call
- 100 calls: $59.95 + 10 calls over 90 included × $1 = $69.95 → ÷ 100 = $0.70 per call
- 200 calls: $159.95 Pro plan (200 of 300 calls used) = $159.95 → ÷ 200 = $0.80 per call
- ViFi (tools.json, checked 2026-10-28):
- 30 calls: $49 Starter plan (90 of 100 min used) = $49 → ÷ 30 = $1.63 per call
- 100 calls: $49 + 200 min over 100 included × $0.15 = $79 → ÷ 100 = $0.79 per call
- 200 calls: $49 + 500 min over 100 included × $0.15 = $124 → ÷ 200 = $0.62 per call
- AptaBook (tools.json, checked 2026-10-28):
- 30 calls: $49 Solo plan (30 of 50 conversations used) = $49 → ÷ 30 = $1.63 per call
- 100 calls: $99 Starter plan (100 of 400 conversations used) = $99 → ÷ 100 = $0.99 per call
- 200 calls: $99 Starter plan (200 of 400 conversations used) = $99 → ÷ 200 = $0.495 per call
- Nextiva XBert AI Employee (tools.json, checked 2026-10-19):
- 30 calls: $99 XBert AI Employee plan (30 of 100 interactions used) = $99 → ÷ 30 = $3.30 per call
- 100 calls: $99 XBert AI Employee plan (100 of 100 interactions used) = $99 → ÷ 100 = $0.99 per call
- 200 calls: $99 + 100 interactions over 100 included × $0.99 = $198 → ÷ 200 = $0.99 per call
- VoiceFleet (tools.json, checked 2026-10-22):
- 30 calls: $99 Starter plan (90 of 500 min used) = $99 → ÷ 30 = $3.30 per call
- 100 calls: $99 Starter plan (300 of 500 min used) = $99 → ÷ 100 = $0.99 per call
- 200 calls: $299 Growth plan (600 of 1000 min used) = $299 → ÷ 200 = $1.495 per call
- Rosie (tools.json, checked 2026-10-29):
- 30 calls: $49 Professional plan (90 of 250 min used) = $49 → ÷ 30 = $1.63 per call
- 100 calls: $149 Scale plan (300 of 1000 min used) = $149 → ÷ 100 = $1.49 per call
- 200 calls: $149 Scale plan (600 of 1000 min used) = $149 → ÷ 200 = $0.745 per call
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist (tools.json, checked 2026-10-21):
- 30 calls: $0 + 5 calls over 25 included × $3 = $15 → ÷ 30 = $0.50 per call
- 100 calls: $150 + 25 calls over 75 included × $2.50 = $212.50 → ÷ 100 = $2.125 per call
- 200 calls: $270 + 50 calls over 150 included × $2.30 = $385 → ÷ 200 = $1.925 per call
Ranked: lowest estimate for a law firm at 100 calls
The list and chart below are generated from data/tools.json in the same order as the table (tools with no estimate last).
Tools on this page with a partner link, in that same order (rule: cost only):
Visit ViFi Visit VoiceFleet Visit Rosie AFFILIATE50: 50% off your first month checked 2026-10-20
Pros and cons by tool
Each point comes from data/tools.json; we have not tested these tools. Vendor wording is not repeated here unless tools.json records it.
Quo AI agent: $0.68 per call at 100 calls
Pros - Lowest estimate at 100 calls in this set: $68/mo ($0.68 per call), including the required $19 phone plan. - Its site mentions law firms and Clio (keyword-matched, unverified). - 7-day free trial.
Cons - Needs a Quo phone plan (Starter $19 per user per month billed monthly); the estimate assumes 1 user, so a multi-user firm pays the plan per user. - US business texting adds a one-time $19.50 registration fee and $1.50 to $3 a month, not in the estimate.
Source: tools.json, quo, checked 2026-10-22
Upfirst: $0.70 per call at 100 calls
Pros - $69.95/mo at 100 calls ($0.70 per call); $24.95/mo at 30 calls. - Its site mentions law firms and Clio (keyword-matched, unverified). - 14-day free trial; spam, telemarketing and robocalls are not counted, and calls under 15 seconds or where the caller never speaks are not billed.
Cons - Small allowances: Starter covers 30 calls and Premium 90, then $1 a call on Premium; Pro ($159.95) covers 300.
Source: tools.json, upfirst, checked 2026-10-22
ViFi: $0.79 per call at 100 calls
Pros - $79/mo at 100 calls ($0.79 per call) and $124 at 200 ($0.62). - Month to month, no contracts, cancel anytime. - 7-day free trial, no credit card (25 AI minutes). - Every plan has the full agent (summaries, transcripts, recordings); plans differ in usage and overage.
Cons - Overage is $0.15 a minute on Starter (100 minutes), and each call is rounded up to a whole minute. - The trial gives no transfers to a person until you subscribe. - Service countries are not stated.
Source: tools.json, vifi, checked 2026-10-28
AptaBook: $0.99 per call at 100 calls
Pros - No overage charges: at the limit you upgrade. Starter is $99 for 400 conversations: $0.99 per call at 100 calls, $0.495 at 200. - 15-day free trial, no credit card. - Serves the US and Canada.
Cons - A conversation counts the same on any channel (phone, chat or email), so a phone-only estimate is a floor if you also take chats and emails. - Solo ($49) covers only 50 conversations, so a 30-call month is $1.63 per call.
Source: tools.json, aptabook, checked 2026-10-28
Nextiva XBert AI Employee: $0.99 per call at 100 calls
Pros - $99/mo covers 100 interactions ($0.99 per call at 100 calls). - 30-day money-back guarantee.
Cons - Single published tier: $99/mo even at 30 calls ($3.30 per call), and $0.99 for each interaction past 100 ($198 at 200 calls). - Sold as an add-on to a phone system (tools.json category).
Source: tools.json, nextiva, checked 2026-10-19
VoiceFleet: $0.99 per call at 100 calls
Pros - $99/mo Starter covers 500 minutes, about 166 three-minute calls ($0.99 per call at 100 calls). - 7-day free trial. USD prices on voicefleet.ai/us.
Cons - $99/mo minimum, so $3.30 per call at 30 calls. - Extra minute packs exist but the rate is not shown, so at 200 calls (600 minutes) our estimate jumps to Growth at $299 ($1.495 per call).
Source: tools.json, voicefleet, checked 2026-10-22
Rosie: $1.49 per call at 100 calls
Pros - $49/mo at 30 calls ($1.63 per call); $149/mo at 100 and 200 calls (Scale, 1,000 minutes). - No per-minute overage: going over moves you to the next plan at its standard price. - 7-day free trial.
Cons - The automatic move up to the next plan stays until you downgrade (Terms 3(c), heyrosie.com/legal/terms, checked 2026-10-29). - Professional texts a booking link; booking on a calendar starts on Scale. Only Zapier is mentioned as an integration.
Source: tools.json, rosie, checked 2026-10-29
Smith.ai AI Receptionist: $2.125 per call at 100 calls
Pros - Lowest estimate at 30 calls: $15/mo ($0.50 per call); Free plan covers 25 calls, then $3 each. - Its site mentions law firms and legal, and Clio and Calendly (keyword-matched, unverified). - Category notes human options are available.
Cons - Highest estimate in this set at 100 and 200 calls: Pro is $150 with 75 calls, then $2.50 a call, so $212.50/mo at 100 ($2.125 per call) and $385 at 200 ($1.925).
Source: tools.json, smithai, checked 2026-10-21
Answering Legal: quote only
Pros - Categorized as a legal answering service with live and AI options; its site mentions law firms and legal, and Spanish and bilingual (keyword-matched, unverified). - Lists a free trial.
Cons - Quote-only: prices appear only after you submit a lead form (checked 2026-10-21), so there is no cost per call to compute.
Source: tools.json, answeringlegal, checked 2026-10-21
What about a people-staffed answering service?
Answering Legal is the only legal answering service in our data and it is quote-only. Our other people-staffed services are not tagged for law firms in tools.json, so treat them as a general reference only: Posh Virtual Receptionists ($7.17 per call at 30 calls, $6.30 at 100), Ruby ($13.17 at 30, $17.25 at 100) and Abby Connect ($10.97 at 30), from the same tier math (Ruby at 100 calls uses its 500-minute plan: $1,725 ÷ 100 = $17.25). The cheapest AI figure for a law firm at 100 calls is $0.68 per call.
What the data does not tell us
tools.json has no confidentiality, privilege, security or compliance information for these tools beyond what is noted above, and no test-call results. Ask each vendor how it handles confidential client calls before you route them, and trial two tools on your own line.
Verdict
- About 30 calls: Smith.ai AI Receptionist, $15 ($0.50 per call), then Upfirst ($24.95) and Quo ($39).
- About 100 calls: Quo, $68 ($0.68 per call, including its $19 phone plan), then Upfirst ($69.95) and ViFi ($79, month to month).
- About 200 calls: AptaBook, $99 ($0.495 per call, no overage), then Quo ($118) and ViFi ($124).
- Quote only: Answering Legal publishes no price.
Try your own volume in the calculator, see the wider market in AI receptionist cost per call, or compare every published price on AI receptionist pricing.
For every tool in one table, with a free CSV, see the 2026 AI Receptionist Price Index.
Related
Every tool on this page, sorted by estimated cost at 100 calls
| Tool | Entry price | Est. at 30 calls × 3 min | Est. at 100 calls × 3 min | Est. at 200 calls × 3 min | Free trial | Books jobs vs takes messages | Caveats | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) AI agent Phone system with AI call handling | from $0/mo | $39 (AI credits tier 1) | $68 (AI credits tier 3) | $118 (AI credits tier 4) | 7-day free trial | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | Required Quo phone plan: Starter $19/user/mo billed monthly ($15 billed annually), quo.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-22. Estimates assume 1 user. | Compare alternatives to Quo (formerly OpenPhone) AI agent |
| Upfirst AI receptionist | from $24.95/mo | $24.95 (Starter) | $69.95 (Premium) | $159.95 (Pro) | 14-day free trial | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Compare alternatives to Upfirst |
| ViFiPartner AI receptionist (AI phone assistant with post-call briefings) | from $49/mo | $49 (Starter) | $79 (Starter) | $124 (Starter) | 7-day free trial, no credit card (25 AI minutes) | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Visit |
| AptaBook AI receptionist (chat, voice, email) | from $49/mo | $49 (Solo) | $99 (Starter) | $99 (Starter) | 15-day free trial, no credit card | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Compare alternatives to AptaBook |
 Nextiva XBert AI EmployeeAI receptionist (add-on to phone system) | from $99/mo | $99 (XBert AI Employee) | $99 (XBert AI Employee) | $198 (XBert AI Employee) | 30-day money-back guarantee | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Compare alternatives to Nextiva XBert AI Employee |
 VoiceFleetPartnerAI receptionist | from $99/mo | $99 (Starter) | $99 (Starter) | $299 (Growth) | 7-day free trial | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Visit |
 RosiePartnerAI receptionist | from $49/mo | $49 (Professional) | $149 (Scale) | $149 (Scale) | 7-day free trial | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Visit |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist AI receptionist (human options available) | from $0/mo | $15 (Free) | $212.5 (Pro) | $385 (Pro 150 calls) | Free plan (25 calls/mo) | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Compare alternatives to Smith.ai AI Receptionist |
 Answering LegalLegal answering service (live + AI) | quote-based pricing | not estimated | not estimated | not estimated | Free trial | Books appointments (mentioned on site) | — | Compare alternatives to Answering Legal |
Estimates use published list prices plus required fees; see how estimates work.
Feature fields marked “keyword-matched” are mentions found on the vendor's website and haven't been independently verified yet. Prices are hand-copied from vendor pricing pages. How we make money.
Best AI receptionist by budget
What do people ask most?
These are the questions we get most, answered from published vendor data.
How much does a law firm answering service cost?
For the 8 AI receptionists in our data whose sites mention law firms, estimates at 3-minute calls are $15 to $99 a month at 30 calls, $68 to $212.50 at 100 and $99 to $385 at 200 (about $0.50 to $3.30, $0.68 to $2.125 and $0.495 to $1.925 per call). Answering Legal, a legal answering service with live and AI options, publishes no price (quote only, checked 2026-10-21).
What is the cheapest option for a firm with about 30 calls a month?
Smith.ai AI Receptionist at $15 ($0.50 per call: 25 free calls, then $3 each), then Upfirst at $24.95 ($0.83) and Quo at $39 ($1.30, including its $19 phone plan). Prices checked 2026-10-19 to 2026-10-29.
What is the cheapest option at 200 calls a month?
AptaBook's Starter at $99 ($0.495 per call, no overage charges), then Quo at $118 ($0.59) and ViFi at $124 ($0.62). Smith.ai AI Receptionist is highest at $385 ($1.925).
Does Answering Legal publish its prices?
No. Its pricing is quote-only: prices are shown only after you submit a lead form (checked 2026-10-21). It lists a free trial and is categorized as a legal answering service with live and AI options, so we cannot compute a cost per call for it.
Do any of these tools mention Clio?
Quo, Smith.ai AI Receptionist and Upfirst mention Clio on their sites; that is a keyword match, not a verified integration. Check with the vendor before you rely on it.