AI receptionists in NZ compared
Published prices from New Zealand providers, side by side, each with its source and the date we checked. Including where another provider may suit you better than we do.
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· Prices checked 28 October 2026 · We sell an AI receptionist, so weigh our view accordingly
Entry plans, as published
- Automate AI$70+GST/mo
- KiwiAgent$49+GST/mo
- Voyager (VAIA)From $49+GST/mo
- Talkify$129/mo, then $199
- Waboom$130/mo + credit
- FirstVoice$297/mo
- Tamaki AI$350/mo, no GST
- Ez-AIBuilds $3,000-$12,000
Every price links to the provider's own page. Checked 28 Oct 2026.
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Member, AI Forum New Zealand
The short answer
AI receptionists sold in New Zealand are mostly monthly plans with a bundle of minutes. Published paid entry plans ran from $49 to $350 a month on 28 October 2026, before extra minutes and setup. Automate AI is From $70/mo + GST with 100 minutes included, so we sit near the low end of published prices, though not the lowest.
Published prices
NZ AI receptionist providers, side by side
Entry plans as listed on each provider's own pricing page. Prices in NZ dollars. Checked 28 October 2026.
| Provider | Entry price | Included | Extra minutes | Setup | GST | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automate AIStarter | $70/mo | 100 inbound min | $0.35/min | $295 for most setups | Plus GST | Month-to-month, keep your existing number. Outbound calls $0.35+GST/min + $0.15+GST/min NZ termination. | Our pricingchecked 28 Oct 2026 |
| KiwiAgentStarter | $49/mo | 100 min | $0.49/min | None listed | Plus GST | Also lists a Free plan (30 min a month), Pro at $149/mo (300 min) and Business at $349/mo (800 min), both $0.49/min after. | kiwiagent.ai(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| Voyager (VAIA)Per agent | From $49/mo per agent | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Plus GST | Its FAQ says VAIA currently works with the Voyager Voice business phone system. | voyager.nz(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| TalkifyBroadcast | $129/mo for 3 months, then $199/mo | 200 min | $0.10/min, then $0.20/min | None listed | Not stated for monthly plans | Says it sets up every agent at no charge, with no lock-in. Also lists pay as you go at $10/mo plus $1/min. | talkify.nz(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| WaboomPay as you go | $130/mo platform + prepaid credit from $500 | Credit, e.g. 525 min for $500 | $0.95/min, down to $0.77/min on larger packs | Not stated | Plus GST | Says credit never expires, with no per-seat fees and no contract. | waboom.ai(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| FirstVoiceStarter | $297/mo | 200 min | $0.65/min | Included | Not stated | Says setup is included on every plan, month-to-month, with a free 2-week trial. Growth $597/mo, Scale $997/mo. | firstvoice.co.nz(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| Tamaki AILite | $350/mo | 150 min | $0.69/min | $300 | No GST charged | Says its receptionists answer in English, Mandarin and Korean. Larger plans from $497/mo. | tamakiai.co.nz(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
| Ez-AICustom build | Most builds $3,000 to $12,000, plus monthly hosting and AI usage | Usage based | Not stated | Fixed-price build | Plus GST | Starts with website chat and email, and quotes the phone where call volume justifies it. | ez-ai.nz(opens in a new tab)checked 28 Oct 2026 |
"Not stated" means we could not find it on the provider's pricing page. Our row is first, then providers by entry price. We have not tested other providers' products, so this compares published prices and what each provider says about itself, not call quality. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Monthly cost at your minutes
What each entry plan costs at 100, 200 and 300 minutes
Monthly fee plus any minutes over the plan's allowance at its published rate. Before setup, GST and phone-provider forwarding charges.
| Plan | 100 min | 200 min | 300 min | GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automate AI Starter$70 with 100 min, then $0.35/min | $70.00 | $105.00 | $140.00 | Plus GST |
| KiwiAgent Starter$49 with 100 min, then $0.49/min | $49.00lowest | $98.00lowest | $147.00 | Plus GST |
| Talkify Broadcast, first 3 months$129 with 200 min, then $0.10/min | $129.00 | $129.00 | $139.00lowest | Not stated |
| Talkify Broadcast, after 3 months$199 with 200 min, then $0.20/min | $199.00 | $199.00 | $219.00 | Not stated |
| FirstVoice Starter$297 with 200 min, then $0.65/min | $297.00 | $297.00 | $362.00 | Not stated |
| Tamaki AI Lite$350 with 150 min, then $0.69/min | $350.00 | $384.50 | $453.50 | No GST charged |
Waboom (prepaid credit), Voyager (minutes not stated) and Ez-AI (custom builds) are left out because their published pricing doesn't fit this calculation. A provider's larger plan may cost less at higher volumes. For the full breakdown of our own costs, see the AI receptionist cost guide.
The other option
Compared with hiring a receptionist
| Compared on | Staff receptionist | Automate AI receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Published cost | $24 to $34 an hour before tax, the most common range | From $70/mo + GST, 100 minutes included, then $0.35+GST/min |
| A month, worked out | $24 to $34 × 40 hrs × 52 ÷ 12 = about $4,160 to $5,893, before employer KiwiSaver contributions, leave and other employment costs | $140.00 + GST at 300 minutes, plus a one-off $295+GST one-off setup for most setups |
| Hours | Their working hours | 24/7, up to 20 calls at once by default |
| The job | Greets visitors, takes calls, schedules appointments and does office administration | Answers calls, books appointments, transfers to your team and sends call summaries |
Source: Receptionist, Tahatū (formerly Careers NZ), tahatu.govt.nz (opens in a new tab), checked 28 Oct 2026. The monthly figures are our arithmetic from that hourly range. Many businesses use an AI receptionist alongside a person, taking overflow and after-hours calls.
Where we fit, and where we do not
An honest read. If another option suits you better, we'd rather you knew now.
Automate AI is likely a good fit if
- You want a low monthly entry price with 100 minutes included and no contract.
- You want us to set up and tune the agent for you, with NZ-based support.
- You want to keep your existing number and forward calls when you're busy or after hours.
- You need calendar booking, warm transfer to your team, and call summaries in your CRM, email or Slack/Teams.
- You might later bring your business phones and agent together through our partner, Dynamite IT.
- You have high volume or bespoke integrations and want a Custom plan scoped with you.
Another option may suit you better if
- You only want the lowest published price at low volume. On 28 October 2026, KiwiAgent's Starter plan listed a lower monthly fee than ours.
- You want no setup fee at all. KiwiAgent and Talkify list no setup fee and FirstVoice says setup is included; most of our setups are $295+GST.
- Your callers mostly speak Mandarin or Korean. Tamaki AI says its receptionists answer in English, Mandarin and Korean.
- You already use Voyager Voice for your business phones. Voyager says VAIA currently works with that system.
- You want a fixed-price build that starts with website chat and email. That is how Ez-AI describes its approach.
- You need a person to greet visitors and handle office work. That is a receptionist's job, not an AI's.
Not sure which way to go? We'll look at your calls and tell you honestly.
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AI receptionist comparison FAQs
Hear ours before you decide
Ring the demo line, then book a free call. $70+GST/mo with 100 minutes included.
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