Compare
Ernie or an answering service?
An answering service puts a person on your phone. Ernie puts an AI assistant on your website. Here’s what each one is good at.
Side by side
Ernie
an answering service
Who answers
An AI assistant that answers from your website
A receptionist, usually working from notes or a script you give them
Where
On your website, in a chat
On your phone line
Hours
Day and night, every day
Depends on the plan you choose
What you get
An email and a text with the enquiry and any photos
A message by text or email
Pricing
From A$29 a month, by chats
Usually a monthly fee plus a charge per call or per minute
Which one suits you?
Choose an answering service when
- You want a real person’s voice on your phone
- Most of your enquiries come in by phone
- Callers often need someone to talk them through a problem
Choose Ernie when
- Customers look at your website before they get in touch
- Most questions are already answered somewhere on your website
- You want nights and weekends covered without paying per call
- You’d like to try it free for 14 days first
Some people never ring at all: they read your website at night, and if nothing answers, they move on. Ernie catches those, whatever you do with your phone.
Compared in October 2026 from public information. Check each provider for current details.