AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist: which one actually books the job?
"Virtual receptionist" usually means a remote team of people who answer your calls and take messages. An AI receptionist like Vereo picks up in under a second, qualifies the caller, and books the appointment straight into your calendar, 24/7, from $79+GST a month. Both keep you off the phone. The difference is what happens after the call connects. Here is how they compare, and when each one makes sense.
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Last reviewed: 28 October 2026
What people mean by each term
A virtual receptionist is typically a human-staffed answering service. A remote operator picks up under your business name, takes a message or basic details, and passes them on. Because you are paying for people's time, the service tends to run on their roster and their pricing model, often per call or per minute.
An AI receptionist is software that holds the conversation itself. Vereo picks up in under a second, sounds genuinely human, knows your services, hours and FAQs, and books the appointment live on the call. It runs 24/7/365 without a roster, handles up to 20 calls at once, and sends you a transcript and summary after every call.
- Virtual receptionist: remote humans, usually message-taking, priced around their staffing
- AI receptionist (Vereo): answers, qualifies and books on the call itself, 24/7, from $79+GST a month
How does an AI receptionist compare with a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist gives you a person on the line, usually taking messages, on the provider's roster and pricing. Vereo answers in under a second, 24/7/365, takes up to 20 calls at once and books appointments on the call, for $79+GST a month. A person still has the edge on sensitive or unusual calls.
| Virtual receptionist (human team) | Vereo AI receptionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Remote operators answering under your business name | An AI voice agent trained on your services, hours and FAQs |
| Hours | Set by the provider's roster and plan | 24/7/365, including after hours and weekends |
| Calls at once | One per available operator | Up to 20 |
| Pickup | Depends on whether an operator is free | Under 1 second |
| On the call | Usually takes a message or basic details | Books into Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 or your booking system when it is connected |
| After the call | A message passed on to you | Transcript, plain-English summary and outcome |
| Pricing | Often per call or per minute, varies by provider | $79+GST a month with 100 inbound minutes, then $0.35+GST a minute; $295+GST setup for most setups |
| Languages | Depends on the staff on shift | 30-plus languages on the Custom plan |
| Sensitive or unusual calls | A person can read the situation | Transfers to your team with a summary |
As at October 2026. Virtual receptionist services differ by provider and plan, so check current terms with any provider you are considering. Vereo prices exclude GST.
Where a virtual receptionist still makes sense
We will be straight with you. If your callers regularly need a person to read a delicate situation or handle something genuinely unusual, a human on the line still has the edge. Vereo is not trying to pretend otherwise.
Many businesses run both. Vereo answers everything instantly, covers overflow and after-hours, books the routine appointments, and warm-transfers with a whispered summary when a call genuinely needs a human, so your team is never caught cold.
What it costs
Vereo is $79+GST a month with 100 inbound minutes included, plus a one-off $295+GST setup fee for most setups to build and tune your agent. Extra inbound minutes are $0.35+GST per minute, and you can see your usage in the dashboard anytime. More complicated integrations are quoted separately during initial scoping.
There are no per-seat fees and no lock-in contracts. It is month to month, and most businesses are live within a few business days. We deliberately are not quoting competitor pricing here because virtual receptionist services price in many different ways; run your own numbers against your real call volume with the missed-call calculator below.
- $79+GST a month, 100 inbound minutes included
- One-off $295+GST setup fee for most setups. More complicated integrations are quoted separately during initial scoping.
- Extra inbound minutes $0.35+GST per minute
- No per-seat fees, no lock-in, month to month
The fine print, in plain English.
What is the difference between an AI receptionist and a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is usually a remote human team that answers your calls and takes messages. An AI receptionist like Vereo answers the call itself in under a second, qualifies the caller and books the appointment live on the call, 24/7, then sends you a transcript and summary. One gives you a human voice; the other gives you instant pickup, live booking and a record of every call at a flat $79+GST a month.
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 Vereo book appointments, not just take messages?
Yes. Unlike a message-taking service, Vereo checks availability and books the appointment live on the call into Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 or your booking system, and sends you a summary afterwards.
Can I use Vereo alongside a virtual receptionist or my own team?
Yes, and many businesses do. Vereo answers everything instantly, covers overflow and after-hours, books the routine appointments, and warm-transfers the calls that genuinely need a person to your team.
How much does Vereo cost compared to a virtual receptionist?
Vereo is $79+GST a month with 100 inbound minutes included and a one-off $295+GST setup fee for most setups, with no lock-in. Extra inbound minutes are $0.35+GST per minute. Virtual receptionist services price in different ways, so the best comparison is to run your own call volume through the missed-call calculator. 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.