Comparison · 6 October 2026 · 6 min read
BT AI Receptionist vs MyAIVoiceAgent: self-service or done for you?
BT Business launched its AI Receptionist on 1 October 2026. It is a self-service product billed by the minute. MyAIVoiceAgent is a done-for-you service billed at a flat monthly fee. Both answer your phone with a virtual assistant, and they suit different businesses. This page sets out what BT has published, where BT is the better choice, and where a managed service fits better.
Quick verdict
If you are a sole trader or a small team that mainly needs calls answered and messages taken, you are happy to set the tool up yourself, and your call volume is low, BT AI Receptionist is likely the better choice. It is quick to start, has no long contract, and comes from a brand you already know.
If your phone is how customers book, such as a dental practice, salon or clinic, and you want someone else to write the call flows, test them and keep them working, MyAIVoiceAgent is the better fit. You pay one flat monthly fee, calls are never cut off, and it is live in 5 working days from script approval.
The honest summary: BT sells a tool. We provide a service. BT wins on brand, speed to start and likely cost at low volume. We win on doing the work for you, sector-specific call handling and a predictable bill.
What BT has announced
These points come from BT's press release of 1 October 2026 and BT's AI Receptionist product page, read on 6 October 2026.
- Answers calls around the clock or in set hours, handles routine questions, books appointments, captures leads and transcribes calls.
- Integrates with Outlook and Google Calendar.
- Set up through a self-service portal using your website content, FAQs or uploaded documents.
- Works on any UK fixed or mobile network, with your existing number.
- Billed by inbound minutes, in bundles from 100 to 14,000 minutes a month, on a monthly rolling contract.
- Usage alerts at 80% and 100%; the service turns off at 100% unless you buy more minutes or enable overage.
- BT's product page states it is powered by RingCentral.
- BT says customer data stays private and is not used to train AI models.
Side-by-side
BT information is from the two BT pages above as of 6 October 2026. Where BT does not publish a figure we say so and do not estimate. MyAIVoiceAgent information is our own; see our published pricing.
| Feature | MyAIVoiceAgent | BT AI Receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Done for you: we write, build, test and look after it | Self-service: you set it up in a portal |
| Pricing | Flat monthly fee: £200 / £350 / £500 (published) | Bundles of inbound minutes, 100 to 14,000 a month (pound prices not shown publicly on 6 Oct 2026) |
| Setup | One-time setup from £500, includes discovery, script and testing | No setup fee stated; optional one-hour session at £150 |
| Contract | Month-to-month, 30 days' notice | Monthly rolling |
| If you go over | Calls are never cut off | Service turns off at 100% of the bundle unless overage is enabled |
| Time to live | 5 working days from script approval and system access | Minutes, once you have configured it yourself |
| Booking | Google Calendar, plus practice and salon systems scoped per client | Outlook and Google Calendar |
| Sector call flows | Written for your sector, such as dental triage with NHS 111 routing | General purpose, built from your website, FAQs or documents |
| Who answers when it goes wrong | A named contact at a small UK team | BT Business support |
| Brand and scale | Small specialist | One of the UK's largest telecoms brands |
| Works with your current number | Yes | Yes, on any UK fixed or mobile network |
Where BT is better
- Brand and trust. BT is a household name with a national support operation.
- Speed to start. You can sign up and configure it yourself the same day.
- Low-volume cost. If you take a handful of calls a day, a small minute bundle is likely to cost less than a managed service.
- One supplier. If BT already provides your phones and broadband, it sits on the same account.
Where a done-for-you service is better
- You do none of the setup. We run a discovery call, write the script, build it, test it and maintain it. See how it works.
- Call handling written for your sector. Our dental and salon receptionists follow flows designed for those businesses.
- A bill you know in advance. A flat monthly fee, and calls are never cut off on a busy day.
- You can hear it before you buy. Use the Talk to it now button on our homepage, or call the demo line on 01480 775566 and it will answer as your business.
Questions to ask before you choose either
- Does it book into the system I actually use, or only a calendar?
- What happens to callers if I use up my allowance on a busy day?
- Who writes and tests the script, and who fixes it when it gets something wrong?
- Can it tell an urgent call from a routine one and act differently?
- What does it cost at my real call volume, not the entry price?
Frequently asked questions
What is BT AI Receptionist?
BT AI Receptionist is a self-service virtual receptionist that BT Business launched on 1 October 2026 as part of its AI from BT range. It answers calls, handles routine questions, books appointments into Outlook or Google Calendar, captures leads and transcribes calls. BT's product page says it is powered by RingCentral.
How much does BT AI Receptionist cost?
BT sells it in bundles of inbound minutes, from 100 to 14,000 minutes a month, on a monthly rolling contract. BT did not show bundle prices in pounds on its public page when we checked on 6 October 2026, so ask BT for a quote. An optional one-hour onboarding session is listed at £150.
What happens when the BT minutes run out?
According to BT's FAQ, the account admin is emailed at 80% and 100% of the bundle, and the service turns off at 100% unless more minutes are bought or overage is switched on. Overage is off by default and is charged at a higher rate, with a spend cap you set.
Is MyAIVoiceAgent a good alternative to BT AI Receptionist?
It is a different kind of service. BT gives you a tool to configure yourself and bills by the minute. MyAIVoiceAgent builds, tests and looks after the receptionist for you for a flat monthly fee, with call flows written for your sector. If you only need calls answered and messages taken at low volume, BT is likely to cost less.
Can I try both?
Yes. BT's contract is monthly rolling, and ours is month-to-month with 30 days' notice. You can hear ours straight away with the Talk to it now button on our homepage, or by calling the demo line on 01480 775566.
Methodology and review cadence
Information about BT AI Receptionist was taken from BT's own press release and product page on 6 October 2026. We have not tested BT's product. BT is a trade mark of British Telecommunications plc; we are not affiliated with BT or RingCentral. Where BT does not publish a figure we mark it as not published. We review this page every quarter; the next scheduled review is January 2027. If you spot a factual error, email ceo@nothingbutvalue.com and we will correct it within 48 hours.