Compare
Against the usual options, cards on the table
We compare by category, not against brands: a human virtual receptionist service, a PBX and an in-house receptionist do different things — and each has its place. This is what each option brings.
| Item | Human virtual receptionist | Virtual PBX | In-house receptionist | ZentuAI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Office hours | 24 h (menu only) | Office hours | 24 h, real conversation |
| Several calls at once | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Books into your calendar itself | Depends on the service | No | Yes | Yes, with Google Calendar and Meet |
| Calendar per expert and speciality | Depends on the service | No | Yes | Yes, books with the person asked for or the first free |
| Restaurant bookings by capacity | Depends on the service | No | Yes | Yes, by service and party size |
| Answers in Spanish and English | Depends on the team | Recorded menu | Depends on the person | Yes, switches language within the call |
| Transcript of every call | No | No | No | Yes |
| WhatsApp and web chat with the same agent | No | No | No | Yes |
| Dashboard to see and move bookings | Depends on the service | No | Their own diary | Yes, in Spanish or English |
| Indicative monthly cost | €50–150 approx. | €15–50 approx. | €1,500+ (salary) | From €29, public price |
| Minimum term | Per contract | Per contract | — | None |
Availability
- Human virtual receptionist
- Office hours
- Virtual PBX
- 24 h (menu only)
- In-house receptionist
- Office hours
- ZentuAI
- 24 h, real conversation
Several calls at once
- Human virtual receptionist
- No
- Virtual PBX
- Yes
- In-house receptionist
- No
- ZentuAI
- Yes
Books into your calendar itself
- Human virtual receptionist
- Depends on the service
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- Yes
- ZentuAI
- Yes, with Google Calendar and Meet
Calendar per expert and speciality
- Human virtual receptionist
- Depends on the service
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- Yes
- ZentuAI
- Yes, books with the person asked for or the first free
Restaurant bookings by capacity
- Human virtual receptionist
- Depends on the service
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- Yes
- ZentuAI
- Yes, by service and party size
Answers in Spanish and English
- Human virtual receptionist
- Depends on the team
- Virtual PBX
- Recorded menu
- In-house receptionist
- Depends on the person
- ZentuAI
- Yes, switches language within the call
Transcript of every call
- Human virtual receptionist
- No
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- No
- ZentuAI
- Yes
WhatsApp and web chat with the same agent
- Human virtual receptionist
- No
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- No
- ZentuAI
- Yes
Dashboard to see and move bookings
- Human virtual receptionist
- Depends on the service
- Virtual PBX
- No
- In-house receptionist
- Their own diary
- ZentuAI
- Yes, in Spanish or English
Indicative monthly cost
- Human virtual receptionist
- €50–150 approx.
- Virtual PBX
- €15–50 approx.
- In-house receptionist
- €1,500+ (salary)
- ZentuAI
- From €29, public price
Minimum term
- Human virtual receptionist
- Per contract
- Virtual PBX
- Per contract
- In-house receptionist
- —
- ZentuAI
- None
Third-party costs are indicative and vary by provider and hours contracted.
An honest note: if your business needs a person's judgement on every call, a good receptionist is irreplaceable. ZentuAI shines at the rest — the repetitive calls, the hours when nobody's there, the peaks when the phone won't stop and the customer calling in another language — and costs about as much as a handful of coffees a day.
Compare for yourself: call the agent
Call the demo and ask for an appointment, or message it. It's the same agent that would answer for your business.