ReceptionHQ is one of the best known live answering services in New Zealand. Real people answer your calls with your business name, take messages, and transfer calls to your team. In Australia the same company sells the same service under the OfficeHQ name.

People look for ReceptionHQ alternatives for a few reasons. The per-call charges add up in a busy month. Some messages and calls may be answered offshore at peak times. And a live receptionist can take a message, but cannot tell a caller which filter fits their model or how to reset a fault code.

This guide sets out what ReceptionHQ costs as of September 2026, in both countries, then compares six alternatives. We build Help Genie, so weigh our entry accordingly. We list it first and say plainly where others win.

What ReceptionHQ actually offers

ReceptionHQ is based in Auckland and is a subsidiary of OfficeHQ, which is headquartered in Australia, according to its own FAQ. It answers calls 24/7 if you turn on after-hours answering. Every plan is month-to-month, and you can cancel with three days notice before your renewal date. There is a 7-day free trial.

New Zealand pricing. ReceptionHQ publishes its NZ tiers on each service page. All prices are in NZD and exclude GST.

• MessageExpress (messages only, no transfers). Pay as you go at NZ$19 a month plus NZ$2.00 a call. MessageExpress 50 is NZ$95 for 50 calls, then NZ$2.00 each. Larger tiers run to NZ$770 for 500 calls. Source.
• MyReceptionist (messages and warm transfers). Pay as you go at NZ$20 a month plus NZ$3.20 a call. MyReceptionist 50 is NZ$149, 150 is NZ$399 and 400 is NZ$1,025. Excess calls cost NZ$2.95 to NZ$3.20 each depending on tier. Source.
• MyAssistant and MyDiary (lead capture, order taking, bookings). Billed by the minute, from NZ$79 for 20 minutes, with setup from NZ$50. Excess minutes are NZ$2.45 to NZ$2.65. Source.

Australian pricing. On OfficeHQ’s site, MyReceptionist starts at A$33 a month plus A$3.89 a call. Bundles run from A$39 for 15 calls to A$185 for 50, A$490 for 150 and A$1,270 for 400. Prices exclude GST.

Strengths. Published prices, which many local rivals do not offer. Warm transfers, where the caller is announced before you pick up. A client portal to change availability in real time. Answer speed under 10 seconds on average, by ReceptionHQ’s own figure.

Weaknesses. On MessageExpress and MyReceptionist plans, ReceptionHQ says the majority of calls are answered in New Zealand or Australia, with overflow to its UK and US offices at peak times. On MessageExpress, receptionists do not give general business information. On MyReceptionist, they answer basic questions such as your address and hours. ReceptionHQ scores 4.2 out of 5 from 52 reviews on Trustpilot, where the recurring complaints are too many rings before an answer and names or messages captured wrongly.

The six best ReceptionHQ alternatives

1. Help Genie (disclosure, our own product)

Help Genie builds one genie from your website, manuals, FAQs and price lists. It answers customers by voice on your phone line, and by voice and chat on your website, QR codes and email. It hands the calls it should not handle to your team with the context attached.

Best for: Businesses that sell, rent, service or support physical products, where callers ask real product questions. Dealers, equipment hire, marine, manufacturers and trades.

Honest trade-off: It is voice AI, not a person. There is no human answering team behind it. Some callers will always prefer a person.

Pricing: Pro is NZ$299 a month flat, the same number in AUD, with the phone number included. No per-call or per-minute meter. There is a free plan to build and test a genie first. See pricing.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: It answers the product question instead of taking a message about it. Price stays flat in a busy month. The same knowledge covers your website and QR codes too. Ring the demo line on +64 9 886 4856 or hear it work.

Where it falls short: At 50 calls a month, ReceptionHQ’s MessageExpress 50 costs NZ$95 plus GST, well under NZ$299. If you only need messages taken at low volume, the human service is cheaper.

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2. CallCare (New Zealand)

CallCare is a Blenheim answering service established in 1993. It joined the OfficeHQ group in October 2023, and its terms name the supplier as ReceptionHQ Ltd trading as CallCare. So this is a sister brand, not a separate company.

Best for: Businesses that want every call answered by receptionists in New Zealand, with local geography for job dispatch.

Honest trade-off: Plan prices for Lite, Freedom and Complete are quote-only.

Pricing: “Solutions from just $2.10 per call” and “one low $50 setup fee across all plans”, per CallCare. Fees exclude GST. Full breakdown in our CallCare pricing guide.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: CallCare says all its receptionists are in Blenheim. No overflow offshore. No extra charge for after-hours calls or domestic transfers.

Where it falls short: Less published pricing, 30 days notice to cancel instead of three, and the same basic-question ceiling as any message service.

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3. Virtual Headquarters (Australia)

Virtual Headquarters (VHQ) is an Australian answering service with published pay-per-call and bundle plans.

Best for: Australian businesses comparing published human pricing.

Honest trade-off: Its receptionist plans sit at almost the same price points as OfficeHQ, so it is a second quote, not a cheaper tier.

Pricing: Message Express from A$25 a month plus A$2.50 a call, or A$115 for 50 calls. Receptionist plans from A$33 a month plus A$3.89 a call, or A$185 for 50 calls with A$3.99 excess. Prices exclude GST. Source.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: Slightly cheaper message-only entry in Australia. No setup fee on its call plans.

Where it falls short: Same per-call model, so a busy month still costs more.

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4. OracleCMS (Australia)

OracleCMS is an Australian contact centre that also runs 24/7 live reception.

Best for: Larger Australian businesses with scripted, higher-volume or complex call flows.

Honest trade-off: No published prices. You get a quote per service, and its site says setup charges apply and vary with the training involved.

Pricing: Not published.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: Contact centre scale and custom scripting for complex work.

Where it falls short: No self-serve pricing, a setup fee, and no stated New Zealand service.

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5. Smith.ai

Smith.ai is a US answering service with live agents and a separate AI product.

Best for: Professional services that want detailed intake and are comfortable paying in USD.

Honest trade-off: Much higher per-call cost than ReceptionHQ.

Pricing: Live plans from US$300 a month for 30 calls, with US$11.50 per extra call. US$810 for 90 calls and US$2,100 for 300. Source. More in our Smith.ai pricing guide and Smith.ai alternatives for NZ and AU.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: Deeper intake, integrations, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Where it falls short: US-based agents, USD billing, and roughly three to four times ReceptionHQ’s per-call price.

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6. AU and NZ AI call answering (Johnni, Hey Jodie, Sophiie)

A wave of local AI answering services now competes with human services for trades and small business.

Best for: Trades and service businesses that mainly need jobs captured and booked.

Honest trade-off: AI answering, not people. Each is built around job booking more than product knowledge.

Pricing: Johnni runs from A$44 a month for 60 minutes to A$809 for 1,500 minutes, plus GST, and serves NZ too. Hey Jodie is NZ$99, NZ$199 or NZ$399 a month with unlimited minutes. Sophiie does not publish prices. Hey Jodie’s comparison page reports around A$300 a month plus setup, not confirmed by Sophiie.

Wins over ReceptionHQ: Flat or minute-based pricing, no per-call fee at low tiers, and job-software links on some plans.

Where it falls short: Not trained to answer deep product questions from manuals. See Sophiie alternatives and Johnni alternatives.

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Side-by-side comparison

Service	Who answers	Entry price (ex GST)	Billing unit	Where answered
ReceptionHQ NZ	Live receptionists	NZ$19 a month plus NZ$2.00 a call	Per call or per minute	NZ or AU, overflow to UK or US
OfficeHQ AU	Live receptionists	A$33 a month plus A$3.89 a call	Per call	Mostly AU, global overflow
Help Genie Pro	Voice AI genie	NZ$299 flat	Flat monthly	Your phone, web, QR, email
CallCare	Live receptionists	From NZ$2.10 a call, NZ$50 setup	Per call	Blenheim, NZ
Virtual Headquarters	Live receptionists	A$25 a month plus A$2.50 a call	Per call	Australia
OracleCMS	Live receptionists	Quote only	Quote	Australia
Smith.ai	Live agents	US$300 for 30 calls	Per call	United States
Johnni	AI call answering	A$44 for 60 minutes	Per minute	AU and NZ

What 50, 150 and 400 calls cost

ReceptionHQ MyReceptionist in New Zealand, before GST, on the bundle that fits each volume:

• 50 calls. NZ$149. Help Genie Pro is NZ$299. ReceptionHQ is cheaper.
• 150 calls. NZ$399. Help Genie Pro is still NZ$299.
• 400 calls. NZ$1,025. Help Genie Pro is still NZ$299.

In Australia the same three volumes on OfficeHQ bundles cost A$185, A$490 and A$1,270 before GST. Add 15 percent GST in New Zealand and 10 percent in Australia to the human figures, and check the GST line on each quote so you compare like with like.

The crossover sits somewhere near 100 calls a month. Below it, a human message service is usually cheaper. Above it, a flat price pulls ahead fast. Run your own numbers in the ROI calculator.

Best alternative by scenario

Low volume, messages only. Stay with ReceptionHQ MessageExpress or try Virtual Headquarters. Nothing on this list beats NZ$95 for 50 calls.

Every call answered in New Zealand. CallCare.

Callers ask about products, parts, specs or faults. Help Genie. Send us a manual through send your manual and hear the answers.

Complex scripted work at scale in Australia. OracleCMS.

Detailed legal or professional intake. Smith.ai, if the USD cost is acceptable.

Tradies who want job booking with AI. Johnni or Hey Jodie.

Frequently asked questions

Is ReceptionHQ the same company as OfficeHQ? Yes. ReceptionHQ is the international brand of OfficeHQ, which sells under its own name in Australia. CallCare in Blenheim is part of the same group.

Do ReceptionHQ prices include GST? No. Every NZ price is marked plus GST, and OfficeHQ prices in Australia exclude GST too.

Are ReceptionHQ calls answered in New Zealand? Mostly. ReceptionHQ says the majority of MessageExpress and MyReceptionist calls are answered in New Zealand or Australia, with overflow to the UK and US at peaks. MyAssistant and MyDiary calls stay in New Zealand or Australia.

Is Help Genie cheaper than ReceptionHQ? Not at low volume. At 50 calls a month ReceptionHQ costs less. From around 100 to 150 calls, Help Genie Pro’s flat NZ$299 comes out ahead, and it covers your website too.

Can I keep ReceptionHQ and add a genie? Yes. Some businesses let a genie answer product questions and keep a human service for overflow or after-hours messages. See how it works and our voice AI vs answering service guide.

The bottom line

ReceptionHQ is a fair, transparent choice for message taking and warm transfers, especially under 100 calls a month. It publishes its prices, which puts it ahead of most local rivals.

When volume climbs, when you want every call answered in New Zealand, or when callers need real product answers, the alternatives fit better. CallCare for local-only answering. Virtual Headquarters or OracleCMS in Australia. Help Genie when the questions are about your products.

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