Alternatives / AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect or While You Work: which suits your business?
AnswerConnect is a 24/7 live answering service whose UK-based receptionists work from home on shifts. It answers website live chat too, books appointments and can send call data into your CRM. Its website says you can get started for £45 a month, but the plans are shown only after you enter your name, email and phone number, so we have not listed them. Its terms say plans include a set number of minutes, charged in whole minutes from when a call connects until the work on it is finished, with extra minutes billed on top and all charges excluding VAT. You can end the contract at any time with written notice and pay to the end of that billing cycle. We did not find a free trial on its website.
Prices checked on answerconnect.co.uk on 24 October 2026. Always confirm current prices with each provider.
Price at a glance
AnswerConnect price compared with While You Work
| AnswerConnect | While You Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | From £45 a month on its website; plans shown after you give your name, email and phone number. Plus VAT | Starter £39, Pro £69, Business £129 a month + VAT, published |
| How calls are charged | Plan minutes, in whole minutes from connection until the work on the call is done; extra minutes billed on top | 50, 150 or 400 calls, each counted once up to 10 minutes |
| Who answers | Human receptionists based around the UK, 24/7 | AI receptionist, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Trial | No free trial found on its website | 7-day free trial with no card, then a 14-day money-back guarantee once you pay |
| Contract | End any time with written notice, paying to the end of the billing cycle | None, cancel any time |
The short answer
Choose AnswerConnect if you want a person answering around the clock, website live chat handled by the same team and call details sent into your CRM, and you are happy to share your details to see the plans. Choose While You Work if you want to see the price before you enquire and a bill that the length of each call cannot push up: £69 a month + VAT for up to 150 calls on Pro, each counted once up to 10 minutes.
Side by side
AnswerConnect and While You Work compared
| AnswerConnect | While You Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From £45 a month on its website; full plans shown after you enter your details. Charges exclude VAT | Starter £39, Pro £69 or Business £129 a month + VAT. The first 50 UK businesses get Pro for £49 a month + VAT for their first 12 months, then £69 |
| How you pay | Monthly plan of minutes, charged in whole minutes including work after the call; extra minutes billed on top. Its terms say the first 30 interactions each month under 30 seconds are free | Flat monthly plan with a set number of calls, then a set price for each extra call. A call counts once however long it lasts, up to 10 minutes |
| Who answers | Human receptionists based around the UK, working from home | AI receptionist with a separate script and set-up form for each kind of business |
| Hours | 24/7, 365 days a year | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Trial | No free trial found on its website | 7-day free trial with no card, up to 30 calls or 60 minutes, then a card keeps the line or it stops. Once you pay, a money-back guarantee: cancel within 14 days of your line going live for a full refund |
| Contract | End at any time with written notice, paying to the end of the billing cycle | None, cancel any time |
| After the call | Calls, messages and chats in the AnswerConnect app, with call data sent to your CRM if you connect one | Details by email a minute after the call on every plan, and on Pro and Business a text straight away for urgent calls, which can also be put through to your phone |
| Booking | Books appointments in your own calendar or its booking platform | Booking links sent to callers on Pro (£69 + VAT); booking into your diary on the call, with your deposit link, on Business (£129 + VAT) |
| Website chat | Live chat answered by its team | AI website chat that answers like your receptionist on Pro and Business; AI email replies on Business |
| Type of service | Human receptionists, 24/7 | AI receptionist |
Choose AnswerConnect if
- You want a real person on every call, day or night
- You want website live chat answered by the same team
- You want call details sent straight into your CRM
Choose While You Work if
- You want to see the price before you hand over your details
- You want a bill that long calls cannot push up
- You want to start from £39 a month + VAT
- You want questions set for your kind of business and urgent calls texted to you straight away
Switching
How to switch in three steps
Check your notice
Look at your current provider’s terms for any notice period or unused credit.
Tell us about your business
A short form for your kind of business: hours, area, services and what callers should be told.
Change your divert
Point divert-on-no-answer at your While You Work number. Your callers keep ringing the same number.
Want the full picture on UK prices? Read how much a call answering service costs in the UK. And how ours works: a call answering service that answers in your name, or a virtual receptionist for the wider job.
Other comparisons: Moneypenny, ReceptionHQ, Jodie, Cyberstaff, Answer.co.uk, Face For Business, Answer4u, IONOS AI Receptionist, Fasthosts AI Receptionist, The Answer Centre, Vocalenda, Team Connect.
Questions
AnswerConnect alternative FAQs
What is AnswerConnect?
AnswerConnect is a live telephone answering service with receptionists based around the UK who work from home on shifts, so it can answer 24/7. It also answers website live chat, books appointments and can pass call details to your CRM. You manage messages and scripts in its app.
How much does AnswerConnect cost?
Its website says you can get started for £45 a month, and shows its plans only after you enter your name, email and phone number. Its terms say all charges exclude VAT, so £45 would be £54 including VAT. While You Work publishes its prices on the website: Starter £39, Pro £69 and Business £129 a month + VAT.
How does AnswerConnect charge for calls?
Its terms say each plan includes a set number of minutes. Time is counted from when a call connects until the work on it is finished, including hold time and time spent putting a caller through, and is rounded up to the whole minute. Minutes over the plan are billed on top at the rate agreed when you sign up.
Can I switch from AnswerConnect to While You Work?
Yes. Its terms let you end the contract at any time with written notice, paying to the end of that billing cycle. Point your divert-on-no-answer at your While You Work number and your callers keep ringing the same number.
Sources, checked 24 October 2026: AnswerConnect home, AnswerConnect plans and pricing form, AnswerConnect terms of service. AnswerConnect is a trademark of its owner. While You Work is not connected with AnswerConnect.
See what it does with your own missed calls
Start a free 7-day trial with no card, or ring 01202 144997 and hear our own receptionist answer. Priced per call, not per minute: Starter £39 and Pro £69 a month plus VAT, with a 7-day trial first and a 14-day money-back guarantee once you pay.