TL;DR
Abby (many people still search for Abby Connect) sells live US-based receptionists plus an AI option, on plans from $164/month for 50 minutes to $1,380/month for 500. HireJosie is an AI receptionist at $29/month for 200 minutes, with real-time calendar booking and a 7-day free trial. Abby is the better fit if you want live humans available on demand. HireJosie is the better fit if you want every call answered at a much lower price.
What Abby offers
Abby is a virtual receptionist service with a US-based team and a hybrid setup. You can have a live receptionist answer, an AI answer, or a mix. Plans are month-to-month, every plan includes a free trial, there's no setup fee, and you can choose custom answering hours, including 24/7 coverage with no weekend upcharge.
Abby also has an AI option that stretches your allowance. According to its pricing page, one minute of human answering counts as one Abby minute, while one minute of AI answering counts as half of one.
Abby pricing, as listed in October 2026
Abby sells plans by monthly allowance of Abby minutes:
- Starter: $164/month for 50 Abby minutes.
- Essential: $329/month for 100 Abby minutes.
- Professional: $599/month for 200 Abby minutes.
- Growth: $1,380/month for 500 Abby minutes.
- Enterprise: custom pricing.
How that compares with HireJosie
HireJosie Starter is $29/month for 200 AI minutes. Abby's Professional plan is $599 for 200 Abby minutes, which stretches to roughly 400 minutes if every call were answered by AI at the half rate. On HireJosie, 400 minutes would cost $79 ($29 plus 200 overage minutes at $0.25). Even in the best case for Abby, that's several times the price.
Overage matters too. HireJosie charges $0.25 a minute after your allowance, and Pro ($79/month) includes 500 minutes. Abby says overage is billed at your plan's minute rate, so a busy month on a small plan gets expensive faster than it does with a flat AI rate.
Where Abby is the better choice
If you want a person to answer when a call is sensitive, and you'd still like AI to catch the rest, Abby's mix is a sensible setup. It also supports a long list of integrations, and some businesses value having a US-based team behind the number.
Where HireJosie wins is price and simplicity. It's AI-only, so there's no decision about which minutes are human and which aren't. Setup is a short onboarding wizard, calls get booked into Google Calendar in real time, callers get a confirmation text, and you get an email summary and transcript after each call.
How to test it without a long commitment
Both options let you try before paying much. Abby offers a free trial on each plan, and HireJosie gives you 7 free days with no contract. Forward your line for a week, then read what callers actually asked. If you see mostly bookings and basic questions, you probably don't need to pay for human minutes.
Common Questions
How much does Abby Connect cost?
Abby's plans (the company many people still search for as Abby Connect) start at $164/month for 50 Abby minutes, and go to $329 for 100, $599 for 200, and $1,380 for 500, per its pricing page in October 2026.
Does Abby use AI?
Yes. Abby offers AI answering alongside live receptionists, and counts one AI minute as half an Abby minute against your plan.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Abby?
HireJosie is an AI receptionist at $29/month for 200 minutes, with a dedicated number, 24/7 answering, and Google Calendar booking. It starts with a 7-day free trial and has no contract.
Does Abby require a contract?
No. Abby's plans are month-to-month. HireJosie also has no contract and no setup fee.
Related reading: AI receptionist vs live answering service, virtual receptionist cost in 2026, Smith.ai alternative.