Dental AI receptionist pricing can be flat monthly, usage-based, per-location, or custom. Compare the full scope—not just the headline fee—including setup, call volume, phone routing, integrations, support, recordings, overages, and contract length. MedStack publishes a starting price of $1,500 per month with no setup fee for its 30-day pilot.
The four pricing models you are likely to see
A flat monthly plan makes budgeting simple but may include call or minute limits. Usage-based pricing tracks minutes, calls, or completed tasks and can fit low-volume practices, though the bill changes with demand. Per-location pricing is common when configuration, numbers, and reporting differ by office. Custom pricing appears when the workflow includes integrations, complex routing, multiple departments, or higher support requirements.
None of these models is automatically better. The relevant question is which costs rise when call volume, locations, workflow complexity, or support needs increase. Ask the vendor to model a normal month and a peak month using your actual call data.
- Monthly platform or management fee
- Included calls or minutes
- Overage rate and billing increment
- Setup, configuration, and training
- Phone numbers, forwarding, and carrier costs
- Integration and ongoing support fees
What MedStack publishes
MedStack pilots start at $1,500 per month. There is no setup fee for the pilot, the pilot runs for 30 days without a contract, and practices that continue move to a six-month term. The first scope is intentionally narrow: selected schedules or call types, approved knowledge, defined escalation, and managed configuration.
That price should still be evaluated against the practice’s call volume and workflow. A published number is useful because it gives a buyer a starting point, but it is not a substitute for confirming what is included in writing.
Compare total cost, not just subscription price
Voicemail is inexpensive but shifts the work to callbacks and gives the caller no interactive next step. A traditional answering service may offer broad human coverage, while pricing can vary by minutes, messages, transfers, holidays, and clinical scripting. Additional staff add capacity far beyond phone answering, but wages, hiring, training, benefits, schedule coverage, and management make that a different operational decision.
An AI receptionist sits between those options. It can deliver consistent, configurable call handling at extended hours, but it depends on good setup and clearly defined boundaries. Compare the cost of the full workflow: what the caller experiences, what the team receives, what staff must still do, and how exceptions are handled.
A simple evaluation worksheet
Collect four weeks of call data before buying: time of call, answered or missed, new or existing patient when known, reason, and outcome. Separate after-hours calls from daytime overflow. Then ask each vendor to price the same narrow scenario so the comparison is meaningful.
Do not assign invented revenue to every missed call. Measure what can be observed: relevant inquiries answered, contact information captured correctly, appointment intent recorded, human escalations completed, and staff follow-up time. A controlled pilot should make those numbers visible.
- Define one schedule or call type
- Use actual call volume
- List every setup and overage fee
- Confirm the term and cancellation rules
- Decide what successful capture means
- Review real conversations before expanding
Primary sources
Use these sources to verify the regulatory or operational claims referenced in this guide.
Direct answers, without the sales fog.
What does MedStack cost?
MedStack pilots start at $1,500 per month with no setup fee. The pilot lasts 30 days with no contract; practices that continue move to a six-month term. Final scope and pricing are confirmed before launch.
Is usage included in the monthly price?
The included workflow and any usage assumptions should be confirmed in the written pilot scope. Call volume, routing, integration, and support needs can change the appropriate configuration.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring?
It is a different capability. An employee can perform many in-person and administrative tasks that an AI receptionist cannot. Compare an AI system with the specific after-hours or overflow coverage problem, not with the value of an entire staff role.
How should a practice estimate return on investment?
Use observed calls and outcomes instead of assigning the same value to every missed ring. Track relevant conversations, correct contact capture, requested next steps, staff follow-up, and appointments attributable to the workflow.