# Virtual receptionist service: answered by AI, from $79 a month

Julius Answer by DealsFlow is an AI virtual receptionist. It answers your business phone in your name, around the clock, for less than a live virtual receptionist charges for a few dozen calls.

A virtual receptionist answers your business phone remotely, so you don't need someone at a front desk. Julius Answer is an AI virtual receptionist for small businesses: it answers every call 24/7 in your business's name, books appointments, takes messages and transfers calls, from $79 a month with every feature included.

## At a glance
- A receptionist on every call, 24/7, with your greeting, your information and the spoken name you choose.
- Books appointments, takes messages, transfers calls and remembers returning callers.
- Says it's an AI assistant. Speaks natural American English, and Spanish or another language when the caller does.
- From $79/month for 300 minutes. No per-call fees, no contract, 7-day free trial.

## Virtual receptionist pricing, compared

Live virtual receptionist services bill for each minute or call a person spends on your line. An AI virtual receptionist costs a fraction of that because no one is staffing a desk for you. A full-time in-house receptionist costs a median $38,010 a year in pay alone (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025), for about 40 of the week's 168 hours.

Starting prices (live services as listed on their pricing pages on October 19, 2026)
| Virtual receptionist | Starting price | Billed by | Who answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $250 a month for 50 minutes | Minute | Live receptionists |
| Smith.ai live receptionists | $300 a month for 30 calls | Call | Live receptionists |
| Smith.ai AI receptionist | $150 a month for 75 calls | Call | AI, with live transfer available |
| Julius Answer | $79 a month for 300 minutes | Minute | AI (says so) |

Compare them in detail: [Julius Answer vs Ruby](/compare/julius-answer-vs-ruby/) and [Julius Answer vs Smith.ai](/compare/julius-answer-vs-smith-ai/).

## A virtual phone receptionist that does what a front desk does

### Greets every caller

Your business name and greeting, a natural voice, and the receptionist name you pick. Regulars are greeted by first name.

### Books appointments

Offers up to three open times and books the one the caller wants, as a request you confirm with one tap.

### Takes messages

Name, number, reason and when to call back, read back to confirm, then emailed to you with a summary of the call.

### Transfers calls

Puts callers through to the right person on your team; if nobody picks up, it takes a message instead.

### Knows your business

Answers from your services, hours, prices you share and policies, and asks you about anything it couldn't answer.

### Screens the noise

Sales pitches, robocalls and wrong numbers are handled politely and kept off your phone.

## When a live virtual receptionist is the better choice

We'd rather you pick the right service. A live receptionist is worth the higher price if your calls are long, emotional or unusual, if you need intake that depends on judgment, or if your callers expect a person. If most of your calls are questions, bookings and messages, an AI virtual receptionist does that work around the clock for much less. Our guide compares [human and AI virtual receptionists](/guides/virtual-receptionist/) side by side.

## Your virtual receptionist, live in about ten minutes
1.

### Sign up

Business name, email and area code; add a card in the console to start the 7-day free trial with up to 150 call minutes.
1.

### Tell it about your business

Type or talk to the setup assistant. It fills in your hours, services, team and greeting as you answer.
1.

### Forward your calls

Keep your number and forward it, all calls or only missed ones, to your new local number.

## A receptionist on every call, from $79 a month

Start a 7-day free trial. No contract, every feature included, and you keep your business number.

[Start free trial](/signup/) [See pricing](/pricing/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What does a virtual receptionist do?

A virtual receptionist answers your business phone from somewhere other than your office. It greets callers in your business's name, answers common questions, books appointments, takes messages and transfers calls. Some are live people working remotely; an AI virtual receptionist like Julius Answer does the same work with a voice AI. Read [what a virtual receptionist is, human vs AI](/guides/virtual-receptionist/).

### How much does a virtual receptionist cost?

Live virtual receptionist services charge by the minute or by the call: Ruby from $250 a month for 50 minutes, and Smith.ai's live receptionists from $300 a month for 30 calls, as listed on their pricing pages on October 19, 2026. Julius Answer, an AI virtual receptionist, starts at $79 a month for 300 minutes.

### Is a virtual receptionist worth it for a small business?

It is if you miss calls. In CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 US consumers, 82% said they would call a competitor if a business doesn't answer. If one or two of those callers a month become customers, a virtual receptionist usually pays for itself.

### What is a virtual phone receptionist?

A virtual phone receptionist is a receptionist service that answers your business calls from outside your office: it greets callers, answers questions, books appointments, takes messages and transfers calls. Julius Answer is an AI virtual phone receptionist, so it answers around the clock and several callers can be answered at once on the larger plans (3 on Pro, 10 on Business).

### Is the virtual receptionist a real person?

No. Julius Answer is an AI virtual receptionist. It tells callers it's an AI assistant when it greets them and never claims to be human. If a caller wants a person, it takes a message or puts them through to your team.

### What's the cheapest virtual receptionist?

AI virtual receptionists cost far less than live ones; several start under $50 a month for a small number of calls or minutes. Julius Answer starts at $79 a month and includes every feature. Our guide to the [cheapest AI answering services](/guides/cheapest-ai-answering-service/) compares the low-cost options, with prices and their limits.

### Can a virtual receptionist book appointments?

Julius Answer can. It checks your open times, offers up to three, and books the caller's choice as a request you confirm with one tap. With Google Calendar connected it never offers a time you're busy, and confirmed visits appear on your calendar.

## Sources
1. [Ruby pricing](https://www.ruby.com/pricing/), Ruby, checked October 19, 2026
1. [Smith.ai pricing (Virtual Receptionist plans)](https://smith.ai/pricing), Smith.ai, checked October 19, 2026
1. [Missed calls cost businesses more than ever (survey of 1,000 US consumers)](https://www.callrail.com/blog/missed-calls-cost-businesses-more-than-ever), CallRail, September 25, 2025
1. [Receptionists: Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/receptionists.htm), US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 data

Checked 2026-10-20. Third-party prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.

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Source: https://julius.dealsflow.ai/virtual-receptionist/
Updated: 2026-10-20