A&A · DECISION GUIDE
Self-serve AI cold calling vs managed AI calling and call agencies: setup cost, minimum term and who runs it
Choosing on per-minute price alone misleads. Compare the fixed cost to start, whether you can stop when you want, and who runs the scripts and calling.
By A&A editorial · Updated
The decision in front of you
A B2B company where the owner or a small sales team makes prospecting calls. Quotes for agencies and AI calling services assume setup fees and multi-month minimum terms, forcing a large decision before any trial.
Compare the actual work
Typical scope to check in a proposal; individual providers may combine both approaches.
| Dimension | Self-serve AI calling | Managed AI calling or agency |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Some options have no setup fee. A&A’s example: JPY 0 setup (estimate). | Some charge setup or onboarding fees. Official pages list examples such as “to be discussed” or a JPY 216,000 first-time project fee (tax included). |
| Minimum term | None or short in some offers. A&A’s example has no minimum term. | Some set a minimum term; an official page lists three months. |
| Price per minute or result | Can be higher than managed services. A&A’s estimate: JPY 25/min to landlines, JPY 45/min to mobiles. | AI tools list examples of JPY 10–31/min; a human results-based agency lists JPY 20,000 per completed meeting (excluding tax). |
| Scripts, lists and improvement | Kept in-house: draft with ChatGPT and revise yourself. | Some providers write scripts, source lists and run regular reviews. |
| Stopping and changing | Stop on your own decision and revise scripts the same day. | Changes go through the provider; fees continue during the contract term. |
| Receiving results | You can choose a design that records outcomes and refusal reasons in your own CRM. | Managed in the provider’s system; confirm before signing which recordings and refusal reasons you receive. |
A hypothetical example
Hypothetical scenario, not a result: a five-person company whose owner spends five hours a week calling connects 500 calls a month averaging one minute. With self-serve at our estimate (JPY 25/min to landlines), call charges are JPY 12,500 and fit within the JPY 20,000 monthly charge. Script revisions and reviewing results remain the owner’s work. A managed service takes on scripts and lists, so judge it on the total including setup fees and the minimum term.
What changes the business outcome
Track the total cost per appointment (fixed fees, usage and your own time) and how many days it takes for refusal reasons to change the next script. A low unit price does not lower cost per appointment if improvement stalls.
Which conditions favor each option?
Self-serve AI calling
Suits teams that want to start small and revise scripts themselves, decide when and whom to call, and keep refusal reasons in-house. It does not suit a team with nobody to review scripts.
Managed AI calling or agency
Suits teams that want scripts, lists and improvement handled for them, need high simultaneous volume, or cannot assign an internal owner. Compare totals including setup fees and minimum terms.
Compare the cost structure
Self-serve means small fixed costs with the work in-house; managed means larger fixed costs with the work delegated. Compare over the same period (for example three months) by adding setup, monthly, usage and internal time.
Before signing
- If you want to stop, from when do charges stop?
- Can you receive recordings and refusal reasons yourself?
- Does the AI disclose that it is an AI at the start, and are refusals excluded automatically?
Source facts and A&A analysis
Third-party figures are as listed on each provider’s official page (accessed 2026-09-25). Provider A lists a prepaid monthly charge with carry-over, a three-month minimum term, reception-stage calls from JPY 15 (per-second billing) and appointment calls from JPY 31/min. Provider B lists JPY 100,000/month (3,000 connections), JPY 10/min to landlines and JPY 28/min to mobiles, with setup to be discussed. Provider C (human agency) lists JPY 20,000 per completed meeting (excluding tax) and a JPY 216,000 first-time project fee (tax included). Prices change; check the official pages. The method follows the Consumer Affairs Agency’s guidance on comparative advertising.
- AI テレアポ A 社 (月額チャージ型) — 公式サイトの料金掲載 — Accessed
- AI テレアポ B 社 (月額固定型) — 同社サイトの比較表に掲載された自社料金 — Accessed
- 有人テレアポ代行 C 社 (成果報酬型) — 公式サイトの料金 — Accessed
- 消費者庁 — 比較広告 — Accessed
The dimensions, conditional recommendations and scenario are the analysis of A&A as a provider of self-serve AI calling. They are not an independent ranking and do not imply that the cited providers endorse A&A.