2026 Pricing Guide
Straight answer: most services charge per call or per minute, bundled into a monthly plan. Here are the real 2026 numbers — and the flat-fee option that doesn't spike when your phone runs hot.
Australian virtual receptionist pricing lands in one of these buckets.
| Pricing model | Typical rate |
|---|---|
| Per call | $3–$4 per call |
| Per minute | ~$2.50–$3 per min |
| Entry message-taking | $25–$80 / month |
| Small-business live plan | $250–$700 / month |
| 24/7 premium live | $1,500+ / month |
| After-hours & weekend | 1.5x–2x surcharge |
Figures reflect published 2026 rates from Australian providers. Exact pricing depends on call volume and features.
This is the choice that decides your real annual bill.
Per call / per minute
You pay for every call and every extra minute. A quiet winter looks cheap. Then summer hits, the phone runs hot, and your invoice doubles. A service business taking 250 calls a month often lands between $600 and $900 once after-hours surcharges are counted.
Flat monthly fee
You pay the same figure whether the phone rings 50 times or 500. Your busiest month costs exactly the same as your quietest. That's how BackOnTools prices — from $197 a month, unlimited calls handled by your AI receptionist, no per-call charges and no after-hours surcharge.
Why most tradies never put a receptionist on the payroll.
$30,000+
Part-time receptionist
Wage, super, leave, desk, training
$250–$700
Human virtual service
Per month, plus per-call overage
$197
BackOnTools Starter
Per month, flat, free setup
A human receptionist clocks off at 5pm and takes annual leave. An AI receptionist answers at 2am on a Sunday for the same flat rate — and never misses a call while you're under a house on the tools.
Flat monthly fee. Free setup. No lock-in. No per-call surprises.
Starter
$197/mo
AI answers every call, qualifies the job, texts you a summary. For sole traders sick of missed calls.
Pro
$297/mo
Everything in Starter plus calendar booking and ServiceM8 job-management sync. For growing crews.
Premium
$497/mo
Full receptionist — books, quotes, sends invoices, handles overflow. For established businesses.
See the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Book a 20-minute demo and listen to the AI handle a real call in your trade — or ring the live line right now. If a flat $197 a month doesn't beat what you're paying, we'll tell you straight.
Setup in 7 days · Free setup · No lock-in contracts
Most Australian virtual receptionist services charge either per call (around $3–$4 a call) or per minute (about $2.50–$3 a minute), usually bundled into a monthly plan. Entry message-taking plans start near $25–$80 a month, small-business plans typically run $250–$700 a month, and full 24/7 live answering can pass $1,500 a month. After-hours and weekend calls often carry a 1.5x to 2x surcharge.
Yes, in almost every case. A part-time in-house receptionist costs a wage plus super, leave, training and desk space — well over $30,000 a year even part-time. A virtual receptionist only charges for the calls handled, so a sole trader or small crew pays a fraction of that and gets cover outside business hours as well.
Per-call and per-minute pricing means every call and every extra minute adds to the bill, so a busy month or a run of long calls can spike your invoice with no warning. Flat-fee pricing is one predictable monthly figure no matter how many calls come in. For a tradie whose phone runs hot in summer, flat-fee removes the guesswork.
BackOnTools is a flat monthly fee. Starter is $197 a month, Pro is $297 a month, and Premium is $497 a month. Setup is free — there is no setup fee, ever — and there are no lock-in contracts. Unlike per-call services, the price does not climb when your call volume does.
It depends on the provider. Human answering services often charge a $150–$500 setup fee to build your call flow, and some tie you into minimum terms. BackOnTools charges no setup fee and runs month to month with no lock-in, so you can cancel any time.
Most human services do. After-hours, weekend and public-holiday calls commonly carry a 1.5x to 2x surcharge because a live operator has to be rostered on. An AI receptionist answers around the clock at the same flat rate, so nights and weekends cost you nothing extra.