Same job. A fraction of the cost.
Hiring a receptionist costs thousands a month and still only covers business hours. Vereo answers every call, day or night, books the appointment and sends you a summary, from $79+GST a month. Here is how they stack up.
Hear it now: call our AI receptionist on 07 3524 2161
Try asking it: “How much does Vereo cost, and how long does setup take?”
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Last reviewed: 28 October 2026
How does an AI receptionist compare with a human receptionist?
A full-time receptionist costs about $5,000 to $5,800 a month plus super and leave, and covers business hours one call at a time. Vereo costs $79+GST a month with 100 inbound minutes, answers 24/7 and takes up to 20 calls at once. A person still does in-person work and face-to-face judgement better.
| Feature | Human receptionist | Vereo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $5,000 to $5,800 a month plus super and leave | $79+GST, including 100 inbound minutes; extra minutes $0.35+GST each |
| Hours covered | Business hours only | 24/7/365 |
| Calls at once | One at a time | Up to 20 |
| Response time | Varies, often after a few rings | Under 1 second |
| Sick days and leave | Yes, plus turnover and training | None |
| Books appointments | Yes, when free to take the call | Yes, when connected to your calendar or booking system |
| Call transcripts and summaries | Rarely | After every call |
| Languages | Depends on the person | 30-plus languages on the Custom plan |
| In-person welcome and face-to-face judgement | Yes | No, phone only |
As at October 2026. Receptionist costs are based on SEEK's average Australian receptionist salary of $60,000 to $70,000 a year, before super and leave. The Starter plan includes 100 inbound minutes a month and each extra minute is $0.35+GST, so compare against your real call volume on the pricing page, or see the full AI receptionist cost breakdown. Weighing up a human answering service instead? Compare Vereo with Answer Right.
When a human still makes sense
We will be straight with you. A great receptionist who greets people in person, reads the room and handles delicate face-to-face moments is worth keeping. Vereo is not here to replace that. Most of our customers run Vereo alongside their team: it answers everything instantly, covers overflow and after-hours, books the routine appointments, and warm-transfers the calls that genuinely need a person. Your team stops drowning in the phone and gets back to the customers in front of them.
The honest comparison.
Is an AI receptionist as good as a human?
For answering, qualifying and booking calls, Vereo matches or beats a human receptionist on speed, availability and consistency, and never misses a call. A human still has the edge on complex in-person hospitality and nuanced face-to-face judgement, which is why many businesses use Vereo alongside their front desk rather than instead of it.
Will my callers know it is AI?
Vereo uses natural voices with sub-second response, so most callers have a normal conversation and never realise they are speaking with AI. You can also choose to disclose it.
Can I use Vereo and a human receptionist together?
Yes, and many businesses do. Vereo answers everything instantly, handles overflow and after-hours, and warm-transfers the calls that need a person to your team.
How much cheaper is Vereo than hiring?
A full-time receptionist costs roughly $5,000 to $5,800 a month plus super and leave, based on SEEK's average salary of $60,000 to $70,000 a year. Vereo starts at $79+GST a month with a one-off $295+GST setup fee for most setups and no lock-in. More complicated integrations are quoted separately during initial scoping.
No per-seat fees. No surprises.
Just answered calls.
Starter
100 inbound minutes included. Everything a growing business needs.
- 100 inbound minutes per month
- 24/7/365 answering, 20 calls at once
- Natural voice, sub-second response
- Calendar booking and warm transfer
- CRM integration and call summaries
- Email, SMS and Teams/Slack alerts
- Knowledge base trained on your business
- Monthly reporting dashboard
- Call recording with consent management
Opens a short form. We respond within one business day.
$295+GST one-off fee for most setups · extra minutes $0.35+GST/min
Custom
High volume, complex call flows or bespoke integrations.
- Everything in Starter
- Volume minute discounts
- PMS, EHR and booking-system integrations
- Multi-number and multi-agent
- Outbound campaign management
- Multilingual agents (30-plus languages)
- Dedicated account manager and SLA
Tailored to your call volume
More complicated integrations are quoted separately during initial scoping. All prices exclude GST. Outbound calls are charged separately at $0.15+GST/min plus carrier termination and are not deducted from your 100 included minutes. Your phone provider may charge for forwarded calls. An integrated phone system may reduce this, see the FAQ.
Choose how your calls connect
Use your existing phone service
Keep your number and forward calls from your current provider to Vereo, for example when you're busy or after hours. Your provider may charge for forwarded calls, and transfers back to your team are charged as outbound calls.
Integrate your business phones
We set up your phone system and Vereo together through our partner Dynamite IT. Integration could reduce forwarding and transfer charges, and is quoted separately.
A quick note about call forwarding costs
- Forwarding a call to Vereo can create a separate chargeable call through your existing provider.
- Some phone plans include forwarding and others charge for it.
- Transfers to your team are charged at $0.15+GST/min plus carrier termination.
- We check your phone setup with you during scoping.
Want to see how forwarding works first? Our call forwarding guide lists the codes for Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and TPG.
Answer every call for $79+GST a month.
No hiring, no training, no lock-in. Live in days.