The best answering service in Australia: human and AI options compared
The best answering service depends on who you want answering and how many calls you get. Human services suit callers who expect a person and usually charge per call. AI receptionists answer every call at once for a monthly fee. We compared eight Australian options on price, usage charges, setup fees and trials.
Disclosure: Vereo publishes this comparison and is one of the options listed. Options appear in alphabetical order, not ranked. Every price comes from the provider's own website, checked on 28 October 2026.
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What should you look for in an answering service?
Decide first whether callers should reach a person or an AI receptionist. Then compare how calls are charged, what the operator or AI can do on the call (messages, bookings, transfers), the hours covered, setup fees, trials and contract terms. Check where calls are answered if that matters to your customers.
- Who answers: live operators, AI, or a mix.
- How you pay: per call, call bundles, included minutes or unlimited minutes.
- What happens on the call: messages only, appointment booking, or warm transfers.
- Hours covered, and whether after-hours costs more.
- Setup fees, free trials and lock-in contracts.
- Where calls are answered and where call data is kept.
How do the options compare?
Human services we checked start at $25 a month plus a charge per call, or a quote. The AI options charge a monthly fee with included or unlimited minutes. Compare them on a typical month of your calls, not the headline price.
| Option | Type | Entry price (as at 28 Oct 2026) | How calls are charged | Setup, trial and contract | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alltel | Human team or AI virtual agent | Not published for answering | Not published | Not stated on the pages checked | Businesses that want to choose between AI and human answering from one provider. |
| Answer Right | Live operators (boutique) | Quote on request | Quoted per business; calls not timed | No contracts or setup fees | Businesses that want the same small team answering every call. |
| Hey Jodie | AI receptionist | A$99 a month, excluding tax | Unlimited minutes | No setup fee. 7-day free trial. Month to month | Businesses with lots of calls that want one flat monthly price. |
| OfficeHQ | Human receptionists, with a hybrid AI option | From $25 a month +GST (MessageExpress) | Per-call charges not shown on the pricing page | 7-day free trial. Month to month, no cancellation fees | Businesses that want a large bureau with optional around-the-clock live answering. |
| OracleCMS | Australian contact centre | Quote on request | Quoted | Not stated on the home page | Larger organisations that need a staffed 24/7 contact centre. |
| Ruby Receptionist | Human receptionists | $25 a month (Message Express) | $2.50 per call, or 25 / 50 call bundles | No setup fee. 7-day free trial | Low-volume message taking with bundles of 25 or 50 calls. |
| Vereo | AI receptionist | $79 a month +GST | 100 inbound minutes, then $0.35 a minute +GST | $295 +GST setup for most setups. Month to month | Businesses that want every call answered at once and bookings made during the call. |
| Virtual Headquarters | Human receptionists | $25 a month +GST | $2.50 per call, or 20 / 50 call bundles | No setup fee. 7-day free trial. Cancel any time | Small businesses that want per-call pricing and a free local number. |
Listed alphabetically. Prices are as published on each provider's website on 28 October 2026, in Australian dollars, with GST shown the way the provider shows it. Vereo's row is shaded so you can find it, not because it ranks higher. Check each provider's site for current terms.
Which option is best for your situation?
Each pick is tied to one need: a familiar human voice, per-call pricing, flat pricing or every call answered at once. None of them is best for everyone, so match the pick to how your callers behave and what a missed call costs you.
Alltel · Human team or AI virtual agent
Best for: Businesses that want to choose between AI and human answering from one provider.
Alltel offers contact centre outsourcing with an onshore Australian team, plus an AI Virtual Agent, and says you can switch between AI and human support. Its home page says it is available 24/7 to answer your calls. Answering-service prices were not published on the pages we checked.
Visit Alltel's websiteAnswer Right · Live operators (boutique)
Best for: Businesses that want the same small team answering every call.
Answer Right is a small, family-owned answering service. The same staff take your calls, it says calls never go offshore, and it doesn't time calls. Operators book appointments, send reminders, take messages and warm-transfer calls. It quotes each business and says it has no contracts or setup fees.
Visit Answer Right's websiteHey Jodie · AI receptionist
Best for: Businesses with lots of calls that want one flat monthly price.
Hey Jodie's Australian plans start at A$99 a month excluding tax, with unlimited minutes on every plan, no setup fee, a 7-day free trial and no contract. Bookings and call transfers start on the A$199 Professional plan.
Visit Hey Jodie's websiteOfficeHQ · Human receptionists, with a hybrid AI option
Best for: Businesses that want a large bureau with optional around-the-clock live answering.
OfficeHQ's message-taking plan starts from $25 a month +GST and its receptionist plan from $33, with hybrid AI from $20. It says most calls are answered by receptionists in Australia, with support from global teams, and that it can answer around the clock if you turn on after-hours live answering. There is a 7-day free trial and no lock-in.
Visit OfficeHQ's websiteOracleCMS · Australian contact centre
Best for: Larger organisations that need a staffed 24/7 contact centre.
OracleCMS runs an Australian inbound and outbound contact centre offering live phone answering, 24/7 call handling and after-hours emergency support. Pricing is by quote on 1300 760 011.
Visit OracleCMS's websiteRuby Receptionist · Human receptionists
Best for: Low-volume message taking with bundles of 25 or 50 calls.
Ruby's Message Express starts at $25 a month with calls at $2.50 each, or $70 for 25 calls and $115 for 50. Its receptionist plans start at $33 a month +GST with calls at $3.89, or $80 for 20 calls. There is no setup fee on these plans and a 7-day free trial.
Visit Ruby Receptionist's websiteVereo · AI receptionist
Best for: Businesses that want every call answered at once and bookings made during the call.
Vereo answers with AI, 24/7, up to 20 calls at once. Starter is $79 a month +GST with 100 inbound minutes, then $0.35 a minute. It books into your calendar during the call, warm-transfers to your team and sends a summary. Most setups have a one-off $295 +GST fee. Call data is stored and processed in Australia.
See Vereo pricingVirtual Headquarters · Human receptionists
Best for: Small businesses that want per-call pricing and a free local number.
Virtual Headquarters starts at $25 a month +GST with calls at $2.50 each, or $33 a month with calls at $3.89. Bundles are $80 for 20 calls and $185 for 50. Call plans include a free local number and no setup fee. There is a 7-day free trial and you can cancel any time.
Visit Virtual Headquarters's websiteHow much does an answering service cost in Australia?
Human answering services we checked start at $25 to $33 a month plus GST, then charge per call: $2.50 for message taking and $3.89 for a receptionist call on pay-as-you-go plans. AI receptionists charge a monthly fee with included or unlimited minutes. Boutique services and contact centres such as Answer Right and OracleCMS quote on request.
As a rough check, 100 receptionist calls a month at $3.89 each comes to $389 plus the monthly fee on a pay-as-you-go plan. Bundles bring the per-call cost down. Work out your own numbers from your call log.
Should you use a human answering service or an AI receptionist?
Use a human service if your callers need a person, for example to handle a sensitive call or a judgement a script can't cover. Use an AI receptionist if you want every call answered at once, any hour, with bookings made during the call and a transcript afterwards. Some businesses use AI first with transfers to staff.
How did we put this comparison together?
On 28 October 2026 we read each provider's own website and recorded the entry price, how calls are charged, setup fees, trials and contract terms. We included human bureaus that rank in Australian searches for answering services and two AI options. We did not use third-party reviews or test each service.
Options are listed alphabetically. Where a provider does not publish a price, we say so. Prices change, so confirm with the provider before you sign up.
Vereo publishes this comparison and is one of the options listed. If you spot an error about any provider, email hello@vereo.com.au so we can check it.
Hear Vereo answer a call
Ring 07 3524 2161. Vereo's AI receptionist answers that line, so you can hear how it sounds, ask it questions and try booking before you compare anything else.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best answering service in Australia?
There isn't one best service for every business. For a personal service with the same operators, look at Answer Right. For per-call pricing, Ruby Receptionist or Virtual Headquarters. For a large bureau with around-the-clock options, OfficeHQ. For every call answered at once with live booking, an AI receptionist such as Vereo or Hey Jodie.
How much does a phone answering service cost per call?
On the pay-as-you-go plans we checked, message taking was $2.50 a call and a receptionist call $3.89, on top of a monthly fee from $25 to $33 plus GST. Call bundles lower the per-call cost. AI receptionists charge by minutes instead, or offer unlimited minutes.
Do answering services offer free trials?
Several do. OfficeHQ, Ruby Receptionist, Virtual Headquarters and Hey Jodie each advertise a 7-day free trial. Vereo doesn't advertise a trial; you can call its live demo line on 07 3524 2161 instead.
Why is Vereo on its own comparison list?
Vereo is an answering option for Australian businesses, so we included it. We disclose that Vereo publishes this page, list options alphabetically and give Vereo's row the same facts as everyone else's.
Sources
Each provider's details come from its own website, checked on 28 October 2026. Vereo publishes this comparison and is one of the options listed.