Honest comparison

Conduit vs Reception AI: ElevenLabs direct vs a fixed allowance

Reception AI is ElevenLabs' own AI receptionist, sold direct and billed in credits — one credit is one phone minute: Basic is $29/mo ($24 billed annually) for 75 credits, 1 number and 1 concurrent call, $0.45 per extra credit; Plus is $79 for 275; the 14-day trial needs no card (October 2026, per elevenlabs.io docs for Reception AI; verified 2026-10-09). Check their site for current pricing.

Prices verified 2026-10-09 · source: elevenlabs.io/docs/reception-ai/billing/plans-and-pricing

Side by side

The same nine questions, asked of both

Reception AI compared with Conduit, dimension by dimension
Question	Reception AI	Conduit
Entry price and what it includes	Basic $29/mo ($24 billed annually) — 75 minutes, 1 number, 1 concurrent call	Solo $79/mo — 150 minutes, 300 texts, every capability
What happens past the allowance	$0.45 per extra credit (one credit = one phone minute)	Message-taking; optional one-time packs; no overage billing, ever
What counts against the allowance	Every phone minute is a credit; web calls use half a credit a minute	Only a real person talking to the assistant; spam, robocalls and hang-ups under ten seconds are refunded
Books into your calendar	Every plan — automatic booking; Google Calendar, Zapier and webhooks	Every plan — two-way Google Calendar, capacity-aware, no double-booking
Texting	Email and SMS confirmations and reminders in their docs; SMS pricing not stated	Confirmations, reminders, missed-call text-back, mid-call links — once carrier registration clears (we file and chase it)
Emergency path	Not stated on their pricing page	Puts the caller through to you, then texts each emergency contact in turn until someone opens the alert
Disclosure	Not stated on their pricing page	Every call opens with the AI-and-recording sentence; it can't be removed
Owner visibility	Summaries and transcripts on every plan	Every recording and transcript in Calls; one briefing every morning; every lead written down
Trial / guarantee	14-day free trial with 30 credits, no card; no guarantee stated	No trial; free setup; 30-day money-back on the first payment

Entry price and what it includes: Reception AI: Basic $29/mo ($24 billed annually) — 75 minutes, 1 number, 1 concurrent call; Conduit: Solo $79/mo — 150 minutes, 300 texts, every capability
What happens past the allowance: Reception AI: $0.45 per extra credit (one credit = one phone minute); Conduit: Message-taking; optional one-time packs; no overage billing, ever
What counts against the allowance: Reception AI: Every phone minute is a credit; web calls use half a credit a minute; Conduit: Only a real person talking to the assistant; spam, robocalls and hang-ups under ten seconds are refunded
Books into your calendar: Reception AI: Every plan — automatic booking; Google Calendar, Zapier and webhooks; Conduit: Every plan — two-way Google Calendar, capacity-aware, no double-booking
Texting: Reception AI: Email and SMS confirmations and reminders in their docs; SMS pricing not stated; Conduit: Confirmations, reminders, missed-call text-back, mid-call links — once carrier registration clears (we file and chase it)
Emergency path: Reception AI: Not stated on their pricing page; Conduit: Puts the caller through to you, then texts each emergency contact in turn until someone opens the alert
Disclosure: Reception AI: Not stated on their pricing page; Conduit: Every call opens with the AI-and-recording sentence; it can't be removed
Owner visibility: Reception AI: Summaries and transcripts on every plan; Conduit: Every recording and transcript in Calls; one briefing every morning; every lead written down
Trial / guarantee: Reception AI: 14-day free trial with 30 credits, no card; no guarantee stated; Conduit: No trial; free setup; 30-day money-back on the first payment

Reception AI pricing and features are read from their own published pages and were verified on 2026-10-09 (October 9, 2026). Plans change — check their site before deciding. Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.

The honest verdict

Reception AI is ElevenLabs selling direct: $29 buys 75 minutes with automatic booking and Google Calendar, thousands of voices, and a 14-day no-card trial — for a line under 75 minutes a month it is the cheaper product. The $29 plan answers one call at a time and bills $0.45 a credit past 75; Conduit Solo's $79 covers 150 minutes, answers more than one caller at once, and never bills past the allowance, and its texting, emergency chain, and morning briefing are the same on every plan. Pick Reception AI for a quiet line with a trial; pick Conduit for a predictable bill on a busy one.

Compare further: every comparison · the best AI receptionists, ranked honestly · what an AI receptionist costs · Conduit pricing

Questions

Common questions

Is Reception AI cheaper than Conduit?

For a quiet line, yes: Basic is $29 a month for 75 minutes (October 2026, per elevenlabs.io). Used to 150 minutes it works out to about $63. Conduit Solo is $79 for 150 minutes and 300 texts, and nothing bills past that.

Can Reception AI answer two calls at once?

Basic answers 1 call at a time; Plus allows 3 and Premium 10 (October 2026, per elevenlabs.io). Conduit takes more than one caller at once on every plan. That capacity runs on shared phone and AI networks, so it is best-effort rather than a guaranteed number — our Terms say the same.

Can I switch from Reception AI to Conduit?

Yes. Your number stays yours: build your assistant free, pick a plan when you're ready, and point your call forwarding at your assistant's number. Forwarding is reversible, so switching back is pointing it back. Calls work from day one; texting switches on once carrier registration clears.

Start free — no card

Prices on this page verified 2026-10-09 · Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.