A traditional answering service puts a live operator on your calls. An AI receptionist like Juni answers from your own information and books straight into your calendar. Both beat a ringing phone; here is how to pick.
Plans from $59/month.
Free 7-day trial with 15 minutes of calls. No card needed.
Answering services vary a lot, so the right column says "usually" and "often". Ask any provider you're considering.
| What matters | JuniVoice | Answering service |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Juni, an AI assistant that tells callers it's an AI | A live operator, usually shared with other businesses |
| Hours | 24/7 on every plan | Often 24/7; some plans cover business hours only |
| What it knows | Your hours, services, prices and FAQs, updated the moment you teach it | A script you provide, updated through the provider |
| Booking | Books open times into your calendar during the call | Usually takes a message; some book into calendars they support |
| After the call | Summary, recording and full transcript in the app and by email | Usually a message by email, text or portal |
| Languages | 19 languages on every plan, switching with the caller | Depends on the provider's staff; often English and Spanish |
| Judgment | Follows your info and instructions; anything else becomes a message for you | A person can improvise, calm an upset caller and handle the unusual |
| Spam calls | Blocked and never billed | Depends on the provider |
| Pricing model | Monthly plans from $59 with included minutes; extra minutes 45¢ to 29¢ | Commonly per minute or per call on top of a monthly fee; ask for a quote |
We don't quote other providers' prices: they change and vary by plan. Compare the total for your real call volume.
Some businesses let Juni handle the routine calls and bookings and keep a person for the calls that need one. With transfers on, Juni introduces the caller and passes them to your cell during the hours you choose.
Whichever you pick, the expensive option is the call nobody answers. A three-line worksheet for your own numbers:
Missed calls a month × share that would have booked × value of one customer
We don't publish industry averages because yours is the only number that matters. For scale: the Lite plan is $59 a month. If answering the phone wins you one extra customer a month worth more than that, it has paid for itself.
Every plan includes everything on this page. Plans differ only by how many minutes of calls are included each month.
Free 7-day trial with 15 minutes of calls. No card needed.
Often, but compare with your own volume. JuniVoice plans start at $59 a month with 100 minutes included, and spam is never billed. Ask an answering service what your real monthly call minutes would cost there.
Yes, Juni tells them. Most callers just want an answer or an appointment, and Juni can give them one at any hour.
Juni stays calm and polite, takes the details and marks the call "Needs you". It doesn't negotiate or make exceptions; if those calls are common for you, a person (or a transfer to you) is better.
Yes. Forward your existing business number to Juni instead of the answering service. It takes about a minute from your business phone, and you can switch back the same way.
No. JuniVoice doesn't sign compliance agreements such as HIPAA business associate agreements. Clinics use Juni for scheduling and general questions; if you need that agreement, choose a provider that offers it.
Setup takes about five minutes. Try it free on your own line: 7 days and 15 minutes of calls, no card needed.
Plans from $59/month. Free 7-day trial with 15 minutes of calls. No card needed.