Independent buying guide for AI at local businesses

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PATLive

7/10

Situational

Live US receptionists from $49 a month, but that $49 plan includes zero minutes at $2.99 each. The 50-minute plan at $99 is the real floor.

$49/mo · Published · Updated

Visit PATLive

Pros

  • Public ladder on patlive.com/pricing (fetched Oct 10, 2026): pay as you go $49 with 0 minutes, 50 minutes $99, 100 minutes $189, 200 minutes $349 (marked most popular), up through 5,000 minutes at $6,899
  • 14-day free trial on any plan, no contracts, cancel online or by phone. Nights, weekends, holidays, bilingual Spanish, and call flow changes carry no extra fee per the pricing page
  • Bills only time a receptionist is live on your call, not after-call notes or wrap-up. Human web chat and live outbound callbacks are sold as separate public plans

Cons

  • Pay as you go is $49 with no minutes and $2.99 for every minute. Fifty minutes there costs $198.50 versus $99 on the 50-minute plan
  • No AI answering at all, by PATLive's own statement. If a bot would do, Rosie is $49 for 250 AI minutes and Upfirst is $24.95 for 30 AI calls on our cards
  • Business texting on the included phone system has a one-time $50 registration fee, and prices are plus taxes and fees. The affiliate program is email-only, so no public link here
  • PATLive is a live answering service with US receptionists, 24/7. Its pricing page says plainly that it does not use AI to answer calls.
  • On patlive.com/pricing, October 10, 2026: pay as you go $49 with 0 minutes at $2.99 each, 50 minutes $99, 100 minutes $189, 200 minutes $349, and larger buckets up to 5,000 minutes for $6,899.
  • Every plan gets a 14-day free trial and no contract. Skip the $49 plan unless your month is a few short calls.

What it actually does

PATLive answers your business line with a person in the United States. You forward calls to a PATLive number, or have it ring you first and roll over when you do not pick up. The receptionist follows a call flow you write together: take a message, screen and transfer, book in your scheduling software, collect lead details into your CRM, or take an order. You get the result by email, text, the app, or an integration. The homepage claims an average speed of answer of 9 seconds. That is PATLive’s number, not ours.

The pricing page lists what is not extra: nights, weekends, holidays, Spanish, and changes to your greeting or call flow. Billing covers only the time a receptionist is live on your call, not the notes afterward. A cloud phone system comes free with one number and 100 texts a month, with a one-time $50 fee to register business texting.

Two add-ons fit lead follow-up. Live outbound calling starts at $199 for 25 outreaches, each up to three call attempts, placed 8am to 6pm ET on weekdays. Human web chat starts at $149 for 25 chats. Both are people, not bots.

Who should buy it

Buy it

Buy it if your callers expect a person and you can name your monthly minutes. Law offices, clinics, property managers, and home service businesses that lose jobs to voicemail all fit. On our human desk cards, PATLive is the cheaper ladder. Fifty minutes is $99 here, $130 on Posh Vogue, and $250 on Ruby. One hundred minutes is $189 here and $215 on Posh Elegant. AnswerConnect starts at $350 for 200 minutes with a 90-day minimum in its terms. PATLive’s 200 is $349 with no contract printed.

Skip it

Do not buy it if a bot would have handled the call. PATLive meters every live minute. Rosie is $49 for 250 AI minutes and Upfirst is $24.95 for 30 AI calls, both cheaper when nobody needs a human voice.

The catch

The reason not to buy is the $49 plan. It looks like the entry price and includes no minutes. At $2.99 each, 50 minutes costs $198.50, double the $99 plan with those minutes included. One hundred minutes costs $348, almost twice the $189 plan. PATLive estimates 50 minutes at about 20 calls, so a slow week burns through it fast. Use the free trial to measure real minutes, then pick the plan.

Want help sizing PATLive and setting up the forward? Email support@counterandcrew.com. We set this up nationwide, done for you: start at /start/ or see /installs/.

Who installs this

These listings declare the same aisle PATLive sits on, or they name the software itself. It is not a vendor partner badge. Buying the subscription is the easy part. Getting it configured is the work.

See who installs PATLive Get it installed nationwide

More in this aisle

All AI receptionists reviews

Posh

7/10

Situational

Live US receptionists from $65 a month, but the $65 Chic plan includes zero minutes at $2.30 each. Affiliate path is unknown or apply-only.

$65/mo · Best for: Businesses that need a real US person on every ring, will size minutes honestly, and can start on Vogue or Elegant instead of the zero-minute floor

Ruby

7/10

Situational

Live US receptionists with a public price list. The minutes round up, and overage is not on the marketing page.

$250/mo · Best for: Solo law and other low-volume offices that want a human at 2 a.m. High-volume call businesses should keep walking.

AnswerConnect

6/10

Situational

Live humans from $350 a month for 200 minutes. Marketing says cancel anytime. The terms lock you for 90 days.

$350/mo · Best for: Law firms, medical offices, and high-ticket trades that already pay for a human desk

Abby Connect

6.5/10

Situational

US receptionists and an AI receptionist on one plan from $165 a month for 50 minutes. AI minutes count half. Human minutes cost more than most desks we list.

$165/mo · Best for: Businesses that want a person on new-client and sensitive calls and an AI on routine or overnight calls, on one bill, with a real trial and no contract

FAQ

What does PATLive cost?

On patlive.com/pricing (October 10, 2026) live call answering is pay as you go at $49 a month with no included minutes and $2.99 per minute, 50 minutes for $99 ($2.29 overage), 100 for $189 ($2.09), 200 for $349 ($1.99), 300 for $479 ($1.89), 500 for $759 ($1.79), and 1,000 for $1,499 ($1.69), with larger plans up to 5,000 minutes for $6,899. Prices are plus taxes and fees.

Does PATLive use AI to answer calls?

No. The pricing page says PATLive does not use AI to answer calls and that 100% of calls are answered in the US by its own staff. Its web chat is also human, with no bots.

Does PATLive have a free trial or a contract?

The pricing page offers a 14-day free trial on any plan and says there are no contracts. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime, online or by phone, with no change fees. After the trial, your chosen plan starts without a break in service.