Alternatives / Moneypenny
Moneypenny or While You Work: which suits your business?
Moneypenny is the best-known UK answering company, with human receptionists and, more recently, an AI Receptionist. It does not publish receptionist prices on its website; you ask for a quote. Its AI Receptionist is listed "from £49 a month", and its website does not say whether that includes VAT.
Prices checked on moneypenny.com on 16 October 2026. Always confirm current prices with each provider.
The short answer
Choose Moneypenny if you want a dedicated human team, call transfers to staff and a large, established provider, and you are happy to get a quote. Choose While You Work if you are a small business that wants every missed call answered and the details sent to you in a minute for a published monthly price. Moneypenny’s AI Receptionist is listed from £49 a month, without saying whether VAT is included, and its smaller receptionist plans have a three-month minimum. While You Work starts at £39 a month + VAT, Pro is £69 + VAT for up to 150 calls, and there is no minimum term.
Side by side
Moneypenny and While You Work compared
| Moneypenny | While You Work | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Quote on request for human receptionists. AI Receptionist from £49 a month (VAT not stated) | 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 | Set by quote | 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, or the AI Receptionist | AI receptionist with a separate script and set-up form for each kind of business |
| Hours | Check your quote | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Trial | Free trial offered, details on request | 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 | Three-month minimum on its smaller receptionist plans | None, cancel any time |
| After the call | Messages and call transfers, depending on the service | 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 |
| Type of service | Human receptionists, plus an AI Receptionist product | AI receptionist |
Choose Moneypenny if
- You want human receptionists who can transfer calls to a team
- You run a larger firm with several people to route calls to
- You prefer a long-established provider and a tailored quote
Choose While You Work if
- You are a small business and mainly need the details taken
- You want a published price, not a quote
- You want plans from £39 a month + VAT with no minimum term
- You want the details sent to you in a minute with name, number, postcode and urgency
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: ReceptionHQ, Jodie, Cyberstaff, Answer.co.uk, Face For Business, Answer4u, IONOS AI Receptionist, Fasthosts AI Receptionist, The Answer Centre, Vocalenda, Team Connect, AnswerConnect.
Questions
Moneypenny alternative FAQs
How much does Moneypenny cost?
Moneypenny does not publish its receptionist prices; you request a quote. Its AI Receptionist is listed from £49 a month on its website, which does not say whether VAT is included. While You Work publishes its prices: Starter £39, Pro £69 and Business £129 a month + VAT, each with a set number of calls.
Is Moneypenny good for sole traders?
Moneypenny serves businesses of every size. Sole traders who mainly need missed calls answered and the details passed on often want a simpler, flat-priced service, which is what While You Work is built for.
Can I switch from Moneypenny to While You Work?
Yes. Point your divert-on-no-answer at your While You Work number instead of Moneypenny’s, check your notice period with Moneypenny, and your callers keep ringing the same number.
Sources, checked 16 October 2026: Moneypenny virtual receptionist service, Moneypenny AI Receptionist. Moneypenny is a trademark of its owner. While You Work is not connected with Moneypenny.
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.