Alternatives

Looking at answering services? Meet the AI receptionist.

Voicemail loses you jobs. Human answering services know their script, not your business, and bill by the minute. Sayora is the AI receptionist that answers every call, knows your prices and services, and texts you the lead in seconds, for a flat £49/mo. Here's how the options actually compare.

What to look for

Four things that actually matter.

How you pay

Flat monthly fee, or metered by the call/minute? Per-minute and per-call plans look cheap at the entry tier, then climb with every call you take.

Who actually answers

A human team, an AI, or a mix. Humans bring warmth and judgement; AI brings consistency, instant pickup, and a price a small business can live with.

When they answer

Round-the-clock or weekday office hours? Several services charge extra for 24/7 cover, and the evening and weekend calls are the ones you can least afford to miss.

How UK-native it is

A dedicated UK number, UK call handling, Ofcom-compliant caller ID, and, for any AI, disclosure that it’s an AI. Some big names are US services with a UK front door.

At a glance

Every option, side by side.

Pricing for the quote-only services is from independent reviews (June 2026) and varies by quote; figures are indicative, not official rates.

Sayora

AI

AI receptionist trained on your business. Answers every call, captures the lead, texts you in seconds.

Price
£49/mo, unlimited
Cover
24/7, included
Based
UK-native

Moneypenny

AI + human

The UK's best-known answering service, human PAs with a newer AI add-on, sold on bespoke quotes and minimum-term contracts.

Price
Quote-based; AI reportedly from ~£99/mo, on top of a human plan
Cover
AI 24/7; human 9–5 (24/7 +£35/mo)
Based
UK-based (Wrexham)
Sayora vs Moneypenny →

Smith.ai

AI + human

US AI-plus-human receptionist with deep CRM integrations, billed per call in dollars.

Price
From ~$97.50/mo AI; per-call (USD)
Cover
24/7
Based
US-based
Sayora vs Smith.ai →

AnswerConnect

Human

Human-only 24/7 answering (“real people, not bots”) with a UK arm and per-minute pricing.

Price
From £45/mo, per-minute + overage; setup on some tiers
Cover
24/7
Based
UK arm of US company
Sayora vs AnswerConnect →

JAM

Human

The UK's longest-running answering service (since 1977): human, bespoke, billed per minute on a quote.

Price
From £35/mo; per-minute, quote-based
Cover
24/7
Based
UK-based (Hertfordshire)
Sayora vs JAM →

alldayPA

Human

Established UK human call-answering with a Manchester team and quote-based pricing.

Price
Quote-based; reportedly from ~£90/mo
Cover
24/7
Based
UK-based (Manchester)
Sayora vs alldayPA →

AnswerForce

Human

US-built 24/7 human answering with strong trades integrations (Jobber, ServiceTitan); UK by quote.

Price
From ~$349/mo (USD), per-minute; UK on quote
Cover
24/7
Based
US-based (UK quotes)
Sayora vs AnswerForce →
Common questions

Picking an answering service, answered.

What’s the best alternative to a traditional answering service? +

It depends what you want. If you specifically need human receptionists, established UK services like Moneypenny, JAM and alldayPA do that well. If you want an answering service that’s always on, knows your business, and costs a flat £49/mo, Sayora is an AI receptionist built for exactly that, it answers every call, captures the lead, and texts it to you the moment the call ends.

Are AI receptionists cheaper than human answering services? +

Usually, yes, and more predictable. Human services tend to bill per minute or per call, so the cost rises with your call volume, and 24/7 cover often costs extra. Sayora is a flat £49/mo with unlimited minutes and round-the-clock cover included.

Can I keep my existing number? +

With Sayora, yes. You get a dedicated UK number and forward your calls to it whenever you can’t pick up; your existing number stays exactly as it is.

Two deeper dives: the best UK answering services, ranked honestly, and what they really cost.

The quickest way to compare? Hear her.

Fifteen minutes with Jacob. We'll set Sayora up on a real call from a business like yours, and you decide how she stacks up.

Book a 15-minute call

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