ElevenLabs Reception alternative: minutes and ownership

ComparisonsUpdated Sep 19, 2026ByLobbyStack Team

If you’re comparing an ElevenLabs Reception alternative, start with minutes. At the same $24 a month billed annually, Reception includes 75 phone minutes and LobbyStack includes 150. ElevenLabs launched Reception, branded Reception by ElevenAgents at Reception.ai, on September 16, 2026. It brings ElevenLabs voices to small businesses that need their phones answered.

Reception sounds excellent and speaks more than 70 languages. LobbyStack gives you twice the minutes, a lower overage rate, a free plan that doesn’t expire, and code you can host yourself under the MIT license.

ElevenLabs Reception vs LobbyStack

Area	ElevenLabs Reception	LobbyStack
Free option	14-day trial with 30 credits, no card	30 browser voice minutes, no card, no telephone number
Entry plan	$29 for 75 credits ($24 billed annually)	$30 for 150 minutes ($24 billed annually)
Entry overage	$0.45 per credit	$0.20 per minute
Wrong numbers and spam	Counted as used credits	Calls under 10 seconds and spam hang-ups are not billed
Mid-tier plan	$79 for 275 credits ($66 billed annually)	$100 for 500 minutes ($80 billed annually)
Mid-tier overage	$0.38 per credit	$0.18 per minute
Concurrent calls on entry plan	1	No plan limit on Starter and Pro without a spending cap
Languages	70+ with automatic detection	Answers in the caller’s language
Staff answers first	Built-in staff-first mode	Through your carrier’s call forwarding
Integrations	Google Calendar, Zapier, webhooks, MCP	Google Calendar
HIPAA	Not supported	Self-host for full control of call data
Code	Closed, hosted only	MIT license, managed cloud or self-hosted

Pricing and features were checked on September 19, 2026.

How much does ElevenLabs Reception cost?

Reception’s Basic plan costs $29 a month for 75 credits. One credit buys one minute of phone time, so Basic covers 75 minutes of calls. Each extra minute costs $0.45. Plus costs $79 for 275 credits at $0.38 for each extra, and Premium costs $199 for 1,000 credits at $0.30.

LobbyStack’s Starter plan costs $30 a month for 150 voice minutes, and each extra minute costs $0.20. Pro costs $100 for 500 minutes at $0.18 for each extra. Annual billing brings Starter to $24 a month, the same as Reception Basic on an annual plan.

A business that takes 150 minutes of calls a month pays $30 on LobbyStack Starter. On Reception Basic, the same month costs $29 plus 75 extra minutes at $0.45, for a total of $62.75. LobbyStack also leaves calls under 10 seconds and calls the receptionist ends as spam out of your usage, so a robocall or a wrong number costs you nothing.

Where ElevenLabs Reception is strong

ElevenLabs builds some of the most natural AI voices you can buy, and Reception uses them. Callers hear a smooth, expressive voice, and Reception detects and switches between more than 70 languages.

The staff-first mode suits businesses with a front desk. Your team answers during the hours you choose, and Reception picks up the calls they miss. LobbyStack can do the same job if your carrier forwards unanswered calls, but you set that up with your carrier rather than inside the app.

Reception also puts Zapier, webhooks, and MCP on every plan, including Basic. A business that already runs its operations through Zapier can connect Reception on day one.

Credits, concurrent calls, and web chat

Reception counts phone calls and web chat from one credit pool. A phone minute uses 1 credit and a web chat minute uses half a credit. A busy chat widget eats into the minutes you planned for calls, so estimate both before you pick a plan.

Basic also allows one call at a time. If two customers call at once, only one reaches the receptionist. Plus raises the limit to 3 and Premium to 10.

LobbyStack counts voice minutes on their own. No plan caps how many calls run at once, so two callers on Starter both reach the receptionist. One exception: if you set a monthly spending cap, the active call reserves the remaining allowance, and a second caller hears the limit message until the first call ends.

Is ElevenLabs Reception HIPAA compliant?

No. Reception’s FAQ says the product doesn’t support HIPAA compliance, and it sends healthcare customers to the ElevenAgents enterprise platform. That rules Reception out for clinics, dental offices, and therapists who discuss patient details on calls.

LobbyStack’s hosted cloud doesn’t advertise HIPAA compliance either. Because the code is open, a healthcare team can self-host LobbyStack on infrastructure it controls and sign its own agreements with its phone and AI providers. That route takes technical staff, but it keeps call recordings and transcripts on servers you choose.

Hosted software or software you own

Reception is a hosted product. ElevenLabs sets the price, the plan limits, and the features, and your receptionist lives in its account.

LobbyStack publishes its code under the MIT license. You can use the managed cloud, or deploy the same software yourself with the one-click Railway template or Docker Compose. Self-hosters pay OpenAI and Twilio directly. Agencies can rebrand LobbyStack and sell it to clients, which Reception doesn’t offer.

An example month for a plumbing company

A plumbing company takes 120 calls a month that last about 2 minutes each, or 240 minutes in total. It also runs a chat widget on its website.

On Reception, 240 minutes is more than Basic’s 75, so the company needs Plus at $79 for 275 credits. Chat draws from the same pool: 100 minutes of website chat uses 50 more credits, for 290 in total. The 15 credits over the allowance cost $0.38 each, so the month comes to $84.70.

On LobbyStack, 240 minutes costs $30 for Starter plus 90 extra minutes at $0.20, for a total of $48. LobbyStack covers phone calls only, so the chat widget stays with the tool the company uses today. Two emergency calls that arrive together both reach the receptionist.

Choose ElevenLabs Reception when

Choose ElevenLabs Reception when voice quality and language coverage matter most, when your staff should answer first and hand off missed calls, or when you already run your business through Zapier. It fits a business with low call volume that wants a polished product from a well-known brand.

Choose LobbyStack when

Choose LobbyStack for 150 minutes at $30 and a $0.20 overage rate. You can test 30 browser voice minutes on Free without a telephone number. With the MIT code, you can self-host, change the product, or resell it to your own clients.

Sources

For more comparisons, read the Rosie alternative and Dialzara alternative guides.

Verdict

LobbyStack gives you more receptionist for the money. At the same $24 annual price, you get twice the minutes and pay less than half the overage rate, and the entry plan answers two callers at once. Reception wins on voices, languages, and its staff-first mode, and it’s a strong choice for a business that values those over minutes and ownership.

Try LobbyStack with 30 free voice minutes, then compare the finished Reception plan with your real call volume and chat traffic included.