TL;DR
Nextiva's AI receptionist costs $99/month for 100 interactions, then $1.50 for every conversation after that. HireJosie costs $29/month for 200 AI minutes, then $0.25 a minute. Per-conversation billing is cheap for a low-volume business and climbs quickly for a busy one. Per-minute billing tracks call length instead, which usually favors the many short calls a small service business gets.
What Nextiva includes
Nextiva is best known as a business phone and communications platform, and its AI receptionist is an add-on for answering calls. According to its product page in October 2026, it costs $99/month, which covers 100 interactions, and each conversation after that is $1.50.
The listing includes unlimited calls answered 24/7, AI text messaging and live chat, calendar and CRM integration, automatic appointment booking, call transcripts and analytics, and a handoff to your team. There are no contracts and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Setup is included at no extra cost.
How a conversation is counted
This is the detail worth reading twice. Nextiva counts a conversation when a call lasts 30 seconds or more, or when a text or chat gets at least three AI responses. Shorter calls, like a wrong number or an instant hang-up, don't count against you.
That's fair. It also means your bill follows how many real conversations you have, whatever their length.
A worked example
Say your business gets 300 calls a month that count as conversations, and the average call lasts two minutes. On Nextiva that's $99 for the first 100 plus 200 more at $1.50, which comes to $399. On HireJosie those calls add up to 600 minutes: $29 covers 200, and the other 400 at $0.25 is $100, for $129 in total.
Change the assumptions and the answer changes. If you get 80 calls a month, Nextiva's flat $99 is simple and predictable, and HireJosie is still cheaper at $29. If your calls average ten minutes each, the per-minute math tilts the other way. Run your own call numbers before trusting anyone's example, including this one.
Other differences to weigh
Nextiva makes the most sense if you already run your phones on Nextiva and want everything under one login. HireJosie works with your existing number through call forwarding, or gives you a new dedicated number, so you don't have to switch phone systems to use it.
On features, both book appointments, send transcripts, and hand off to a person. HireJosie adds a confirmation text to the caller after each call, an email summary to you, and real-time Google Calendar booking during the call. It starts with a 7-day free trial and has no contract.
Common Questions
How much does the Nextiva AI receptionist cost?
Per Nextiva's product page in October 2026, it's $99/month for 100 interactions, then $1.50 per conversation. A conversation counts when a call lasts 30 seconds or more, or a chat gets three or more AI responses.
Is there a cheaper alternative to the Nextiva AI receptionist?
For most small businesses, yes. HireJosie is $29/month for 200 AI minutes and $0.25 a minute after that, with a 7-day free trial and no contract.
Do I need Nextiva phone service to use HireJosie?
No. HireJosie works with any business phone. You can forward calls from your existing number or get a new dedicated number during setup.
Which pricing model is better, per conversation or per minute?
It depends on call length. Per-conversation pricing favors long calls, and per-minute pricing favors short ones. Most small service business calls are short, so per-minute usually costs less.
Related reading: AI receptionist pricing breakdown, best AI answering services for small business, Verizon Business phone plans and AI receptionists.