Swift Solution vs Moneypenny
Moneypenny answers your phone with a real person, and does it very well. Whether that is worth the per-minute bill depends entirely on what your calls are like.
The honest starting point
Moneypenny is the biggest name in UK telephone answering, with dedicated human receptionists who learn your business and answer in your company name. It is a mature, well-run service and for some businesses — where every caller needs a human conversation — it is simply the right answer. Moneypenny does not publish a rate card; pricing is per minute, on a quote, with the bill rising as your call volume does. We have not quoted figures here because we could not verify them from Moneypenny's own site, and third-party estimates vary widely.
The comparison is not AI versus human in the abstract. It is: what are your calls actually like? If most of them are "are you open, how much is it, can I book Tuesday" then a well-trained AI handles them faster than a human can, at a fixed price, and books straight into your diary. If most of them need judgement, empathy or negotiation, a human receptionist earns their per-minute fee. Most small businesses are somewhere in between, which is why our AI transfers or texts you anything it should not handle.
The comparison
| Moneypenny | Swift Solution | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | A named human receptionist | An AI trained on your business, with transfer to you |
| Pricing model | Per minute, on quote — not published | Flat monthly: £497 / £897 with the receptionist |
| Cost when calls double | Bill roughly doubles | Same fee until plan minutes run out |
| Setup fee | Not published | £750 / £1,500 / £2,500 |
| Books into your calendar | Yes, on suitable plans | Yes, on every call |
| Handles complex or upset callers | Yes — this is where humans win | Transfers or texts you |
| Website, chatbot, follow-up | Separate products, if at all | Included |
| Answers at 3am on a Sunday | On 24/7 plans, at extra cost | Yes, same fee |
| Contract | Not published | Rolling monthly, 30 days' notice |
| Best for | Businesses whose calls genuinely need a human every time | Businesses whose calls are mostly routine and whose follow-up is leaking |
Competitor figures read from the supplier’s own published pricing page, September 2026. Where none is published we say so. Prices change — check theirs before deciding.
So which should you pick?
Pick Moneypenny if your callers are anxious, high-value or complicated and the first thirty seconds of human warmth is part of what you sell — some clinics and law firms are exactly this. Pick us if the majority of your calls are routine, you are losing more to slow follow-up than to phone manner, and you want a fixed bill that does not climb when you get busy. If you are not sure which you are, the free call is where we work it out, and we will say if it is them.
One plan, everything included
Website, AI, automation and ongoing management in a single monthly fee. No contracts — 30 days' notice.
- ✓3–5 page professional website
- ✓AI chatbot trained on your business
- ✓Lead capture + instant alerts
- ✓Automated enquiry follow-up
- ✓Missed call text-back
- ✓Online booking & monthly reporting
- ✓Everything in Starter
- ✓5–8 page website with live chat
- ✓AI voice receptionist — 200 mins/mo
- ✓Full lead & sales pipeline
- ✓Client onboarding automation
- ✓Invoice chasing & weekly reporting
- ✓Everything in Growth
- ✓Unlimited page website
- ✓AI voice receptionist — 400 mins/mo
- ✓Staff onboarding automation
- ✓Social scheduling & knowledge base
- ✓Priority support & strategy calls
All plans include hosting, edits, updates and ongoing management. Cancel any time with 30 days' notice. Full pricing details →