Alternatives / IONOS AI Receptionist
IONOS, the German web hosting company, now sells an AI receptionist in the UK. Its three packages are £39, £69 and £99 a month before VAT. The £39 package includes 30 calls and then charges 49p a call, the £69 package includes 100 calls and then 39p a call, and only the £99 package has unlimited calls. Calendar booking starts on the £69 package. Every package has a one-month free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you keep your number by forwarding it.
Prices checked on ionos.uk on 17 October 2026. Always confirm current prices with each provider.
The short answer
IONOS suits a business that already hosts with IONOS, wants its calendar booked straight from the call, and either gets very few calls or is happy paying £99 plus VAT for unlimited ones. While You Work suits a trade or small business that gets a steady stream of calls, and the receptionist is set up for your kind of work rather than as a general assistant. At the same prices While You Work includes more calls: 50 on Starter against 30 on the IONOS £39 package, and 150 on Pro against 100 on its £69 package, all before VAT. If you get more than about 210 calls a month, the IONOS £99 unlimited package costs less than our Pro plan with extra calls.
Side by side
| IONOS AI Receptionist | While You Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £39, £69 or £99 a month before VAT (£46.80, £82.80 or £118.80 including VAT) | Starter £39, Pro £69 or Business £129 a month + VAT. The first 50 UK businesses get Pro for £49 a month + VAT for their first 12 months, then £69 |
| How you pay | Monthly package plus a charge per call over the allowance | Flat monthly plan with a set number of calls, then a set price for each extra call. A call counts once however long it lasts, up to 10 minutes |
| Calls included | 30 calls then 49p a call (£39), 100 calls then 39p a call (£69), unlimited (£99), all before VAT | 50 calls on Starter, 150 on Pro, 400 on Business, each counted once up to 10 minutes; extra calls 60p, 50p or 40p + VAT |
| Who answers | AI receptionist with a choice of up to 10 voices | AI receptionist with a separate script and set-up form for each kind of business |
| Hours | 24/7 | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Trial | One month free, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee | Money-back guarantee: cancel within 14 days of your line going live for a full refund |
| Contract | None, cancel any time | None, cancel any time |
| After the call | Email summary of every call and a call history | Details by email a minute after the call on every plan, and on Pro and Business a text straight away for urgent calls, which can also be put through to your phone |
| Call transfer | One forwarding number on £39, five on £69, unlimited on £99 | Urgent calls put through to your phone on Pro and Business, if you switch it on |
| Booking | Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com and Calendly from the £69 package | Booking links sent to callers on Pro (£69 + VAT); booking into your diary on the call, with your deposit link, on Business (£129 + VAT) |
| Website chat | Sold separately as the IONOS AI Chat Assistant | AI website chat that answers like your receptionist on Pro and Business; AI email replies on Business |
| App | Not listed on its AI Receptionist page | No app to install: the app opens in your phone browser, with details by email on every plan and by text on Pro and Business |
| Type of service | AI receptionist from a web hosting company | AI receptionist |
| Available | Now | Taking new customers now. Each line switches on as soon as the set-up form is finished, usually within minutes |
Switching
Look at your current provider’s terms for any notice period or unused credit.
A short form for your kind of business: hours, area, services and what callers should be told.
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.
Other comparisons: Moneypenny, ReceptionHQ, Jodie, Cyberstaff, Answer.co.uk, Face For Business, Answer4u, The Answer Centre, Vocalenda, Team Connect, AnswerConnect.
Questions
On 17 October 2026 IONOS listed three packages: £39 a month with 30 calls and then 49p a call, £69 a month with 100 calls and then 39p a call, and £99 a month with unlimited calls. All three prices are before VAT, so they are £46.80, £82.80 and £118.80 a month including VAT.
Not at the same price. Both start at £39 a month + VAT, but the IONOS package includes 30 calls and then charges 49p a call, while While You Work Starter includes 50 calls and then 60p. A business taking 60 calls a month would pay £53.70 + VAT on the IONOS £39 package and £45 + VAT on our Starter. Above about 210 calls a month the IONOS £99 unlimited package is cheaper than ours.
Yes. Both work by diverting your existing number. With While You Work you dial a short code on your mobile so calls you do not pick up within 20 seconds come through to your receptionist, and the calls you do answer reach you as normal.
It depends on how many calls you miss. For a small business that wants every missed call answered and the details sent to them in a minute for a set monthly price counted per call, not per minute, While You Work starts at £39 a month plus VAT for 50 calls, with Pro at £69 plus VAT for 150. IONOS suits a business that already hosts with IONOS, wants its calendar booked straight from the call, and either gets very few calls or is happy paying £99 plus VAT for unlimited ones. While You Work suits a trade or small business that gets a steady stream of calls, and the receptionist is set up for your kind of work rather than as a general assistant. At the same prices While You Work includes more calls: 50 on Starter against 30 on the IONOS £39 package, and 150 on Pro against 100 on its £69 package, all before VAT. If you get more than about 210 calls a month, the IONOS £99 unlimited package costs less than our Pro plan with extra calls.
Sources, checked 17 October 2026: IONOS AI Receptionist page and packages. IONOS AI Receptionist is a trademark of its owner. While You Work is not connected with IONOS AI Receptionist.
Starter £39, Pro £69 and Business £129 a month, plus VAT. The first 50 UK businesses get Pro for £49 plus VAT for their first 12 months. No contract, and cancel within 14 days of your line going live for a full refund.