Lightspire vs a virtual receptionist
Lightspire or a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is a person working remotely who answers as your business. Lightspire is an AI voice agent that does the same on the phone. Here's the honest comparison.
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All comparisonsSide by side
| What | Lightspire | Virtual receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Lightspire: An AI agent with an Australian voice, answering as your business. If asked, it says it's an AI assistant. | Virtual receptionist: A person answering as your business. |
| Hours | Lightspire: Whenever a call reaches it, nights and weekends included. | Virtual receptionist: Set by the provider's hours and your plan. |
| Cost | Lightspire: A$49, A$129 or A$299 a month (GST included), with 100, 300 or 800 minutes of talking time. Top-ups when you need more. Enterprise, with custom integrations for groups and franchises: talk to us. | Virtual receptionist: Varies by provider and plan. Check what's included and what counts as a call. |
| Bookings | Lightspire: Into Google Calendar, Outlook or Calendly, inside your opening hours and booking rules. | Virtual receptionist: Into your diary if you give them access, following your instructions. |
| Setting it up | Lightspire: You set it up yourself in the dashboard: your details, services, hours and questions. Changes work from the next call. | Virtual receptionist: You brief the provider, and they train their team. |
| Records | Lightspire: A recording, transcript and summary of every call. | Virtual receptionist: Messages and notes. Recordings depend on the provider. |
Last checked 16 October 2026. The virtual receptionist column describes the kind of service in general, not any one provider; prices and features vary, so check with the provider. Lightspire's prices include GST.
Which suits you?
Lightspire is the better fit when
- You want to change what it says yourself, any time, and have it work from the next call.
- Most calls are bookings and common questions.
- You want every call recorded and summarised.
A virtual receptionist is the better fit when
- You want a person on every call, and the budget for it.
- The work goes beyond the phone: email, admin, chasing invoices.
Stop losing the calls you can't take
Get a free demo made for your business, then try it on your own calls for 14 days, no card needed, and nothing is charged when it ends. Or sign up, hear your agent and choose a plan from A$49 a month, and cancel from your billing page any time.