AI answering, a live answering service, or the AI in your software?

Four ways to stop missing calls, and they suit different businesses. Here is what each one is, who does the work, and when it is the better choice, including when that isn’t us.

The four options.

The biggest difference is not the technology. It is who sets it up, who keeps it right, and who a caller ends up talking to.

A self-service AI answering app

You sign up, configure the AI yourself, and forward your calls to it.

Who does the work: You: the setup, the wording, the testing and any fixes.
Example price: $45–99/mo on the entry plans of one provider we checked (see note below). Others differ.
Better choice when: You are comfortable setting up software, your calls are simple, and you want the lowest monthly cost.

A managed AI answering line (what Callwright sells)

An AI assistant answers the calls you miss, and a company sets it up and runs it for you.

Who does the work: Us: the greeting you approve, your rules and emergency contacts, testing on your phone, monthly fixes and a report.
Our price: $500 setup, then $150 to $500 a month by call-minutes. Full pricing.
Better choice when: You want calls answered and booked without configuring anything, and you would rather a person keeps it right.

A live answering service

People at a call centre answer your calls, usually from a script you agree with them.

Who does the work: Their staff answer; you agree the script and the rules with them.
Typical price: Varies widely by provider and volume. We don’t have a sourced range to print.
Better choice when: Your callers need a human voice every time, the calls need judgement no script can capture, or your customers will not talk to an AI.

The AI already in your job software

Some field-service software includes its own AI receptionist or missed-call feature, depending on your plan.

Who does the work: You or your software vendor, inside the software you already pay for.
Typical price: Part of, or an add-on to, your software plan. Check what your plan includes.
Better choice when: You already run your jobs in that software and its answering feature covers what you need.

Price note. Self-service example: one vendor's published plans, the two lowest of its four tiers, checked 10 Sep 2026. For comparison, managed AI receptionist services ran $350–750/mo in our own market survey (not a published study), checked 03 Sep 2026. Prices change; treat these as a rough guide, not a quote.

When Callwright is not the right choice.

We would rather say so now than after you have paid a setup fee.

Your callers expect a human every time, or will hang up on an AI. A live answering service fits better.
Your job software already answers and books the way you want. Use what you pay for.
You need calls answered in a language other than English. Our line speaks English only today.
You need text messages sent to customers. Answer doesn’t text anyone yet.
You run a medical, dental or other health business. We don’t serve health businesses.
You would rather set everything up yourself and pay the least possible each month. A self-service app will cost less.

Questions worth asking any provider.

Does the caller hear that it is an AI, and that the call is recorded, in the first sentence?
Who writes the greeting, and do I approve it before it goes live?
What happens in an emergency, and is the transfer tested on my real phone?
How do I turn it off, and does my number stay mine?
What exactly am I told after each call, and when?
What happens when a caller wants a person?

Our answers are on how it works and after hours.

Not sure which fits?

Tell us how you handle calls today. If one of the other options suits you better, we will say so.

Get your setup plan