Alternatives / Answer.co.uk

Answer.co.uk or While You Work: which suits a sole trader?

Answer.co.uk runs a pay-as-you-go human answering service at £2.20 a call plus VAT for new customers, with a £25 minimum credit and no monthly fee. Its AI receptionist has a Lite plan at £10 a month plus 85p a call, and bundles of 50 calls for £30, 200 for £120 and 500 for £300 a month, with extra calls at 85p.

Prices checked on answer.co.uk on 11 September 2026. Always confirm current prices with each provider.

The short answer

Choose Answer.co.uk if you want pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee, or a very low-volume AI plan. Choose While You Work if you want one flat price including VAT, a receptionist set up for your trade, and the job texted to you.

Side by side

Answer.co.uk and While You Work compared

Answer.co.ukWhile You Work
PriceHuman: £2.20 a call plus VAT, £25 minimum credit. AI: £10 a month plus 85p a call, or 50 calls for £30 a month£49 a month including VAT (founding members, locked for as long as you stay)
How you payPer call, or AI call bundlesFlat monthly, no per-call or per-minute charges
Who answersHuman receptionists, or the AI receptionistAI receptionist with a separate script and set-up form for each trade
Hours24/724 hours a day, 365 days a year
TrialCheck the websiteFirst week free once your line is live, full refund if you cancel in that week
ContractPay as you goNone, cancel any time
After the callMessage by email, optional SMS at 10p eachText to you with name, number, postcode and the job, plus a confirmation text to the caller
Type of serviceHuman receptionists, plus an AI receptionistAI receptionist
AvailableNowTaking founding members now. Lines go live for each trade by 31 October 2026, or a full refund

Choose Answer.co.uk if

  • You want pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee
  • You want a human on every call and miss only a few calls
  • You want a very cheap AI plan for occasional calls

Choose While You Work if

  • You want a flat price including VAT
  • You want trade-specific questions and emergencies flagged
  • You want the job texted to you as standard

Switching

How to switch in three steps

  1. Check your notice

    Look at your current provider’s terms for any notice period or unused credit.

  2. Tell us about your business

    A short form for your trade: hours, area, services and what callers should be told.

  3. Change your divert

    Point divert-on-no-answer at your While You Work number. Your callers keep ringing the same number.

Want the full picture on UK prices? Read how much a call answering service costs in the UK.

Questions

Answer.co.uk alternative FAQs

How much does Answer.co.uk cost?

Answer.co.uk’s human pay-as-you-go service is £2.20 a call plus VAT for new customers, with a £25 minimum credit. Its AI receptionist starts at £10 a month plus 85p a call.

Is pay-as-you-go cheaper?

For a few calls a month, often yes. At 50 calls a month, human pay-as-you-go at £2.20 plus VAT is £132 including VAT, against £49 including VAT for While You Work.

What is the best Answer.co.uk alternative for a sole trader?

It depends on how many calls you miss. For a sole trader who wants every missed call answered and the job texted to them for one flat price including VAT, While You Work is £49 a month for founding members. Choose Answer.co.uk if you want pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee, or a very low-volume AI plan. Choose While You Work if you want one flat price including VAT, a receptionist set up for your trade, and the job texted to you.

Sources, checked 11 September 2026: Answer.co.uk pay-as-you-go call answering, Answer.co.uk AI virtual receptionist. Answer.co.uk is a trademark of its owner. While You Work is not connected with Answer.co.uk.

£49 a month including VAT, first week free

Founding price locked for as long as you stay. No contract. Lines go live for each trade by 31 October 2026, or a full refund.

See the founding offer