Expect to pay between $0.06 to $2.00 per minute depending on the provider, complexity, and usage — or $99/month to $1,000+/month per agent seat for SaaS platforms with bundled minutes.
💼 Pricing Models (How You’re Charged)
AI call center solutions typically charge in 1 of 3 ways:
1. Per Minute
Best for voicebots handling inbound/outbound calls.
Charged based on usage — similar to Twilio.
Great for scaling up or down quickly.
✅ Cost range: $0.06 – $0.25/min
🔥 Example: Twilio + GPT-4o DIY bot, Google CCAI, Cognigy Voice
2. Per Agent License (Monthly Subscription)
Best for AI SaaS platforms.
Fixed monthly cost for unlimited or capped usage.
Often includes tools, dashboards, CRM integrations.
✅ Cost range: $99 – $1,000/month/AI agent seat
🔥 Example: Replicant, Observe.AI, Cognigy, Five9 with AI
3. Custom API + Cloud Usage
For devs or businesses integrating OpenAI/Gemini/Claude via API.
Pay based on compute, tokens, and phone minutes.
✅ Rough cost breakdown:
AI model API calls (e.g. GPT-4o): $0.001–$0.03 per call
Text-to-Speech (TTS): $4–$16 per 1M characters
Telephony (Twilio, Vonage): $0.0075/min inbound, $0.01–$0.03/min outbound
Overall DIY stack cost: ~$0.10–$0.20/minute if built right
🔍 Real-World Examples
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Per Minute Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replicant.ai | Custom pricing (starts ~$500/mo) | Included | Enterprise-grade voice AI for inbound/outbound |
| Twilio + GPT-4o (DIY) | Pay-as-you-go | ~$0.15/min (blended) | Requires setup, gives total control |
| Google CCAI (Cloud Contact Center AI) | ~$0.10–$0.20/min | Usage-based | Powerful, needs Google Cloud setup |
| Talkdesk AI Voice | ~$100–$300/user/mo | N/A | Integrates with Talkdesk contact center |
| Observe.AI | ~$800+/month | Included | Great for call analysis and AI coaching |
🧠 What Impacts Cost?
🤖 Complexity of the AI (simple menu vs fully autonomous)
📞 Volume of calls (bulk usage = better rates)
🔄 Languages and voice quality (TTS tech level)
🌎 Region (rates vary by country)
💬 Multi-turn convo depth (more AI = more $)
🔌 Integrations (CRM, support platforms, etc.)
💰 Is It Cheaper Than Humans?
✅ YES — Big time.
Let’s compare:
| Cost Type | Human Agent | AI Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $2,000+ per agent | $99–$500+ (flat) |
| Call Volume Limit | ~1,000 calls/month | 10,000+ calls/month |
| Training Time | Weeks/months | Minutes |
| 24/7 Availability | ❌ | ✅ |
Bottom line? AI can cut call center costs by 60–90% while increasing availability, speed, and consistency.
🛠 Want to Build Your Own AI Call Agent?
With tools like:
Twilio + GPT-4o
ElevenLabs for ultra-realistic voices
Zapier for automation
Notion or Airtable as CRMs
You could run your own mini call center empire for under $150/month.
Final Answer:
AI call center agents cost around $0.10–$0.25 per minute or $99–$1000/month per seat, depending on your provider, use case, and features.
