Starter
For lighter call, text and website traffic.
A$175/ month
Includes GST
40 voice conversationsFive minutes included in each
- 500 website chat sessions
- 50 SMS segments
- 30 human-transfer minutes
- 1 local phone number
A little less on your plate.
More calls covered.
More time back.
One assistant for your calls, follow-ups and website. Choose a plan for your calls, texts and website chats.
Growth
For more follow-ups and website chats.
A$495/ month
Includes GST
125 voice conversationsFive minutes included in each
- 1,000 website chat sessions
- 300 SMS segments
- 120 human-transfer minutes
- 1 local phone number
Scale
For busy teams with several phone numbers.
A$1,099/ month
Includes GST
400 voice conversationsFive minutes included in each
- 2,000 website chat sessions
- 800 SMS segments
- 300 human-transfer minutes
- 3 local phone numbers
No card needed. We confirm your setup and total before billing starts.
Five minutes included per voice conversation. With extra usage off, AI calls end by five minutes. Call limits and backup
Allowances reset monthly. Bookings carry no extra fee. Setup, special routes and any registration costs are agreed before you start.
Pick up the next call
Answer questions and take a useful message.
Follow up while it’s fresh
Call back people who have asked to hear from you.
Take the next step
Qualify, book, or hand over to a person or your own AI agent.
Meet them on your website
Help visitors through chat and voice.
We check your phone setup, calendar and chosen workflows with you before activation. Bespoke integrations are quoted separately. Texting starts after the required sender approval. Launch setup is in English.
Every plan, from day one.
Included at no extra charge. Approving answers uses no allowance.
Replies in under a second.
About 0.9 son average across a typical mix of calls, from when the caller stops talking to the first word they hear.
- An answer it already hasA prepared reply in the same voice as the rest of the call
- About 0.6 s
- The same question, in different wordsMatched to an answer you approved
- About 0.8 s
- Something newAnswered live from your business information
- About 1.2 s
On a phone call, the first reply comes in about 0.6 s, and its first words come in about 0.3 s. The meter above was timed on website calls.
Measured in testing: 95 test calls, October 1, 2026, and the median of 16 phone calls, October 3, 2026.
Every answer you approve makes the next call faster.
- 01Collected
Questions it could not answer are gathered for you.
- 02Drafted
A reply is written from your business information, ready for you to review.
- 03Approved by you
You approve it or edit it. Nothing is added without your approval.
- 04Recorded in the same voice
From then on, that question and the different ways callers ask it are answered in under a second.
Help that fits your business.
Choose how you get
your time back.
Compare what comes as standard. Bludge includes these capabilities on every plan, within your allowances.
✓ Included as standard✕ Generally not includedOptional = add-on or higher plan~ Varies or unconfirmed
Based on the entry-level plan examples linked below, not every provider. Select a symbol or label for details.
| Part-time receptionist | Answering service | Other AI receptionists | Bludge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers around the clock |
Part-time receptionistAnswers around the clock · Generally not included
A part-time receptionist covers the shifts you arrange, not continuous coverage. |
Answering serviceAnswers around the clock · Optional: add-on or higher plan
Your Phones Covered lists after-hours coverage as an add-on. OfficeHQ makes it opt-in and charges an after-hours premium. |
Other AI receptionistsAnswers around the clock · Included as standard
The reviewed AI services advertise round-the-clock answering. |
BludgeAnswers around the clock · Included as standard
Included in every plan, within your available allowance and agreed setup. Outbound calls follow your calling hours. |
| Automatically calls new web leads |
Part-time receptionistAutomatically calls new web leads · Generally not included
Automatic dialing is not part of a person’s work without additional software. Manual follow-up is different. |
Answering serviceAutomatically calls new web leads · Generally not included
The reviewed Your Phones Covered Call Answering and OfficeHQ MyReceptionist plans do not include outbound lead calling. Your Phones Covered charges outbound calls separately; OfficeHQ offers them through MyAssistant. Confirm automatic website triggers separately. |
Other AI receptionistsAutomatically calls new web leads · Varies or unconfirmed
Automatic callbacks from website inquiries were not verified as standard in the reviewed Jodie plans. Do not read this as unavailable. |
BludgeAutomatically calls new web leads · Included as standard
Included in every plan through your connected form, within your calling hours and available allowance. We confirm the connection during setup. |
| Books appointments |
Part-time receptionistBooks appointments · Included as standard
With access to your calendar and booking rules. |
Answering serviceBooks appointments · Optional: add-on or higher plan
Your Phones Covered sells Diary Management separately. OfficeHQ offers appointment scheduling through MyDiary rather than the reviewed MyReceptionist plan. |
Other AI receptionistsBooks appointments · Optional: add-on or higher plan
Jodie’s plan comparison excludes appointment bookings from Basic and includes them on higher plans. |
BludgeBooks appointments · Included as standard
Included in every plan through your connected calendar and availability rules. We confirm compatibility during setup. |
| Automatically texts agreed next steps |
Part-time receptionistAutomatically texts agreed next steps · Generally not included
Automatic customer recaps require an additional messaging workflow. A receptionist can send messages manually. |
Answering serviceAutomatically texts agreed next steps · Generally not included
The reviewed standard plans describe messages to the business, not automatic recaps to the caller. Your Phones Covered defines its SMS add-on as messages to the client business; OfficeHQ MyReceptionist describes owner notifications. |
Other AI receptionistsAutomatically texts agreed next steps · Varies or unconfirmed
A caller recap was not verified as a standard inclusion. Ask about the recipient, content and any messaging charges. |
BludgeAutomatically texts agreed next steps · Included as standard
Included in every plan, using the SMS allowance, after the caller says yes and your messaging setup is approved. |
| Puts urgent calls through |
Part-time receptionistPuts urgent calls through · Included as standard
If they can reach you. |
Answering servicePuts urgent calls through · Optional: add-on or higher plan
Your Phones Covered lists warm transfers as an add-on. OfficeHQ MyReceptionist charges separately for transfers. |
Other AI receptionistsPuts urgent calls through · Optional: add-on or higher plan
Jodie’s plan comparison excludes call transfers from Basic and includes them on higher plans. |
BludgePuts urgent calls through · Included as standard
Included in every plan, using your transfer-minute allowance and rules, within the funded time limit. |
| Replies in under a second |
Part-time receptionistReplies in under a second · Included as standard
A person answers at conversational speed, as fast as they think. |
Answering serviceReplies in under a second · Varies or unconfirmed
Once connected, a person replies at conversational speed. Ask how quickly calls are picked up at busy times. |
Other AI receptionistsReplies in under a second · Varies or unconfirmed
Reply times are rarely published; ask for a measured figure. |
BludgeReplies in under a second · Included as standard
About 0.6 seconds on a phone call: the median of 16 test calls on October 3, 2026. About 0.9 seconds on average across a typical mix of questions on your website (95 test calls, October 1, 2026). Measured in testing, from when the caller stops talking to the first word they hear. |
| Learns from your calls, with your approval |
Part-time receptionistLearns from your calls, with your approval · Included as standard
A person learns on the job, but you do not review each answer they give. |
Answering serviceLearns from your calls, with your approval · Varies or unconfirmed
Ask how scripts and call notes are updated, and whether you approve changes to what callers are told. |
Other AI receptionistsLearns from your calls, with your approval · Varies or unconfirmed
Some train on your website; confirm whether you review what it says. |
BludgeLearns from your calls, with your approval · Included as standard
Questions it could not answer are collected, and a reply is drafted for you to review. Once you approve or edit it, it is recorded in the same voice. Nothing is added without your approval. |
See full comparison and pricing sources
| Part-time receptionist | Answering service | Other AI receptionists | Bludge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recognizes a returning caller |
Part-time receptionistRecognizes a returning caller · Included as standard
A person who answers your phone gets to know your regulars. |
Answering serviceRecognizes a returning caller · Varies or unconfirmed
Ask whether caller history is shared across the team, so whoever answers knows a regular. |
Other AI receptionistsRecognizes a returning caller · Varies or unconfirmed
Ask whether it uses caller ID, and what it says about a caller before they confirm who they are. |
BludgeRecognizes a returning caller · Included as standard
On by default. On a mobile it greets them by name once they’ve confirmed it; on a landline it asks first until the same person has confirmed twice. Apart from the name and a word about the last job, nothing from the record is used until they confirm it’s them. |
| Handles unanswered questions |
Part-time receptionistHandles unanswered questions · Included as standard
Can check with you or take a message. |
Answering serviceHandles unanswered questions · Included as standard
Message taking is part of the reviewed answering services. |
Other AI receptionistsHandles unanswered questions · Varies or unconfirmed
Check the service’s fallback behavior and how you receive unanswered questions. |
BludgeHandles unanswered questions · Included as standard
Instructed to acknowledge when it does not know and pass the question to you. This is a behavior we test, not a guarantee of perfect answers. |
| Local voice options |
Part-time receptionistLocal voice options · Varies or unconfirmed
Depends on whom you hire. |
Answering serviceLocal voice options · Varies or unconfirmed
Depends on the selected team and plan. |
Other AI receptionistsLocal voice options · Varies or unconfirmed
Depends on the service and available voices. |
BludgeLocal voice options · Included as standard
Australian voice options. Listen to your chosen voice during setup. |
Compare the same workload
A receptionist is paid for time, including other work they do for you. Answering services and AI plans may charge by call, minute or another usage unit. A minute is not a call.
Use the same number and length of calls, then include booking, transfers, texts, setup and tax. Check monthly versus annual commitments and any weekly fees. These are published examples, not equivalent packages or a promise of savings.
Bludge: A$2.75–A$4.38 per included voice conversation when the entire allowance is used, including GST. This divides the monthly bundle price by its voice allowance; it is not an extra-call rate. Each conversation includes five AI minutes, and the bundle also includes chat, texts and transfer minutes.
- Your Phones Covered pricing
Essential Solo advertises A$23 per week plus GST, with 25 untimed calls per month. Diary management and warm transfers are add-ons. Weekly fees and monthly allowances use different periods.
- OfficeHQ pricing
Compare the call-answering plan, after-hours coverage, booking and transfer add-ons for your business.
- OfficeHQ fees and inclusions pricing
MyReceptionist applies an after-hours premium and transfer charges. MyAssistant is a separate offering that includes outbound calling.
- Jodie pricing
The Basic plan excludes booking and transfers in the feature table; higher plans include them. Confirm current inclusions and terms.
Public information reviewed September 26, 2026. Check linked providers for current prices, taxes and terms. A cross means generally not part of the standard offering compared, not impossible to provide. Optional means a documented add-on or higher plan. A tilde (~) means the inclusion varies or has not been confirmed; it does not mean unavailable.
Know where you stand.
A busy month?
You set the limit.
Extra usage is off by default. Agree a spending limit before turning it on. These rates are the same on every plan.
Rates below are in AUD, excluding GST.
What counts as a conversation?
A voice conversation with a person lasting at least 20 seconds: an inbound call, an answered outbound call or a voice session on your website. Five connected minutes with Bludge are included, including listening time.
Identifiable voice sessions from the same person within a fixed 30-minute window count together, with their time combined. Short calls, failed calls, known voicemail and Bludge’s public demos do not count.
Time beyond five minutes is added across the billing period and rounded up to a whole minute. Time talking to your team after a transfer is counted separately.
- Extra conversationIncludes up to 5 connected minutes
- A$3.25+ GST
- Longer conversationsPer minute beyond the included 5
- A$0.65+ GST
- Human-transfer timePer minute beyond your allowance
- A$0.30+ GST
- Extra SMS segmentBeyond your included segments
- A$0.20+ GST
Standard domestic routes. Premium, high-cost and international destinations need an agreed quote.
A simple example
50 conversations on Starter? If each stays within five minutes and everything else stays within its allowance, that’s A$175 + A$35.75 for 10 extra conversations, both including GST.
A$210.75including GSTNo surprises at minute five.
Call limits and backup.
- AI calls: five minutes each, or longer if you approve an extra-usage budget.
- Transfers to your team: a per-call limit you choose. We suggest 30 minutes.
- Allowance used up: new inbound calls go to your backup route. Nothing extra is charged unless you approve it.
How the limits work
AI calls: five minutes are included. With extra usage off, each call ends by five minutes, or earlier if you choose a shorter limit. Bludge is instructed to begin closing 30 seconds before that limit. A booking or message may still be unfinished. Reconnected calls share the remaining included time.
For longer calls, choose a maximum duration and explicitly approve an extra-usage budget during setup. Available budget can shorten a call’s limit; it never makes the call unlimited.
Human transfers: choose a separate per-call limit during setup. We suggest 30 minutes, limited by your remaining allowance and approved budget. The person answering hears the available time before accepting. The transfer ends at that limit; there is no mid-call warning.
When there is no allowance left: new inbound calls use your verified backup route. New outbound calls and exhausted channels pause. The backup route does not take over an AI call that is already ending.
Give yourself a little breathing room.
Try your first month with confidence.
Not for you? Request a refund of your first month’s plan fee within 30 days of activation.
Optional setup, registration charges and authorized usage overages are excluded. Your statutory rights are unaffected.
The useful details.
What happens when I reach my limit?
Without an agreed overage limit, new outbound calls and exhausted channels pause. Inbound calls use the backup route agreed during setup. Calls have a runtime limit; with no paid overage, AI calls run for at most five minutes. Transfer limits are agreed during setup too.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Tell us before your next renewal and your plan ends at the end of the current billing period. There is no annual commitment. The first-month plan-fee guarantee is separate from cancellation.
What is an SMS segment?
A text can use more than one carrier segment, especially when it is long or contains emojis. We count confirmed outgoing segments, not just the number of text bubbles.
What is a website chat session?
A website text conversation with at least one assistant reply counts as a session. Website voice uses your voice-conversation allowance instead. At the chat allowance, new chat sessions pause until the next period or an agreed plan change; there is no automatic chat overage charge.
Does it get better over time?
Yes, with your approval. Questions it could not answer are collected, and a reply is drafted from your business information for you to review. You approve it or edit it, and it is recorded in the same voice as the rest of the call. From then on, that question and the different ways callers ask it are answered in about 0.6 seconds on a phone call, measured in testing. Nothing is added without your approval.
Do faster replies cost extra?
No. Sub-second replies and approved answers are included on every plan at no extra charge. Approving answers uses no allowance, and nothing in your plan’s allowances or rates changes.
Can it work with an AI agent I already run?
Yes. If you run your own agent, Bludge can check with it during a call the way a receptionist asks someone in the office, and read the answer back in its own voice. Your agent can also approve the replies Bludge proposes after a call, instead of a person doing it on the review screen. Bludge keeps the phone and the rules; your agent is consulted, not put on the line. Included on every plan; see the developers page for the endpoint.
Does it recognize my regular customers?
Yes, and it is on by default. When a caller’s number matches someone you have spoken to before, it still opens with your usual greeting, then uses their first name. On a mobile it greets them by name once they’ve confirmed it; on a landline it asks first until the same person has confirmed twice. Apart from the name and a word about their last job, nothing from their record is used until they confirm it’s them, and if it is somebody else it carries on as with any new caller. You can switch it off.
Is setup included?
You can configure your business information and rules in Bludge. We confirm your required setup before activation. Any paid onboarding, bespoke integration, extra number or messaging registration charge is quoted for your approval first.
When do I pay?
First we confirm your setup, service availability and the total price. Applicable taxes are confirmed with your total before billing starts. Your monthly plan and the 30-day guarantee start when your agreed service is activated. Choosing a plan here requests a conversation with us; it does not charge your card.
Your next call could be covered.
Let’s find your
kind of help.
Tell us about your business. We’ll compare your expected calls, texts and chats across the plans, including any approved extra usage.
Talk through my setup Hear an example first