TalkyaMost AI receptionist pricing pages hide two things: whether the vendor will actually sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and what you pay once your practice gets busy. A BAA is the contract that lets a medical practice legally send patient calls through a vendor. Without one, a cheap plan is not usable for patient calls at all. Below is what the popular options cost for a practice that uses about 500 call minutes a month.
HIPAA AI receptionist prices side by side
Monthly cost at about 500 call minutes, from each vendor's public pricing page:
| Receptionist | Cost at ~500 min/month | Signs a BAA? | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talkya | $115 | Yes, included | $20/mo + $0.19/min, keep your number |
| Trillet | $119 | Only on Agency/Enterprise plans | $49 plan + $0.20/min |
| Upfirst | ~$137 | Only on custom-priced plan | Per-call pricing |
| My AI Front Desk | $174 | Not confirmed | $99 for 200 min + $0.25/min |
| Dialzara | $199 | Not published | 500-minute plan |
| Smith.ai (AI receptionist) | ~$309 | No, not HIPAA-compliant per Smith.ai | Per-call pricing |
| Ruby (live receptionists) | $1,725 | Yes | 500-minute human plan |
| Vapi | ~$2,050 | Yes, $2,000/mo add-on | Developer platform |
| Synthflow | $2,500+ | Enterprise contract | $30,000/yr minimum |
Per-call plans are estimated at about 3 minutes per call. Talkya also charges a one-time $997 setup fee. *Lowest monthly starting price among done-for-you AI receptionists that publish their pricing and sign a BAA, based on public pricing pages checked October 23, 2026. Competitor prices can change.
Why the BAA column matters more than the price
Several low-cost AI receptionists only sign a BAA on custom or enterprise plans, or do not offer one at all. Smith.ai states that its AI receptionist is not HIPAA-compliant. Upfirst and Trillet reserve BAAs for higher, custom-priced plans. If a vendor will not sign a BAA for the plan you are buying, a medical practice should not route patient calls through it, no matter how cheap it is.
What Talkya includes for $20 a month
- 24/7 answering: the AI receptionist answers every call, qualifies the request, and books the patient.
- Your current number: keep the phone number patients already know and forward calls to Talkya.
- 10 simultaneous calls: included, with each extra line at $1 a month.
- Urgent handoffs: clinical and urgent calls go to your staff with the context attached.
- Signed BAA: encrypted calls and transcripts and audit logs, on every plan.
- No contract: month-to-month, cancel anytime. Usage is $0.19 a minute and setup is a one-time $997.
How to estimate your own cost
Take the call minutes your practice handles in a month, multiply by $0.19, and add $20. A small practice with 300 minutes pays about $77. A busy clinic with 1,500 minutes pays about $305. Compare that with the cost of one missed new-patient call a week, and with a human answering service that charges $1,725 for 500 minutes.
When Enterprise makes more sense
If you want more than call answering, such as CRM follow-up, reminders, intake, recalls, EHR/EMR, telehealth, secure team messaging, or multiple locations, the Enterprise plan adds those automations. See pricing or book a call and we will scope it with you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest HIPAA AI receptionist?
Talkya has the lowest monthly starting price we found for a done-for-you AI receptionist that publishes its pricing and signs a BAA: $20 a month plus $0.19 a minute, based on public pricing pages checked October 23, 2026.
How much does a HIPAA AI receptionist cost per month?
For about 500 call minutes a month, Talkya costs about $115, while other options range from about $119 to over $2,000, and human answering services with a BAA cost around $1,725.
Do I have to change my phone number?
No. With Talkya you keep your current number and forward calls to the AI receptionist.
Is there a setup fee?
Yes, a one-time $997 setup fee covers building your receptionist: services, hours, booking rules, FAQs, urgent handoffs, and call forwarding.
How many calls can it handle at once?
Up to 10 simultaneous calls are included. Each extra simultaneous line is $1 a month.