“Should I keep paying for Weave, or would an AI receptionist be better for my practice?”
If you’re currently using Weave or considering it, you’re not alone. Weave is one of the most popular phone and communication platforms in dentistry, used by over 30,000 practices. But with AI receptionist technology now mature and proven, many practices are re-evaluating whether Weave is still their best option.
This comprehensive comparison breaks down Weave vs. AI receptionists across cost, capabilities, integration, and real-world performance—so you can make an informed decision for your practice.
Understanding What Each Solution Actually Does
Before comparing, let’s clarify what we’re talking about:
What is Weave?
Weave is a comprehensive dental practice communication platform that includes:
- Phone system: VoIP phone with call tracking and recording
- Two-way texting: SMS communication with patients
- Appointment reminders: Automated text/email reminders
- Reviews management: Request and manage online reviews
- Analytics: Call tracking and performance metrics
- Team chat: Internal staff communication
- Payment processing: Text-to-pay functionality
- Forms: Digital patient intake forms
What Weave does NOT do: Answer phone calls for you. Weave is a tool that makes it easier for YOUR staff to handle calls—but humans still answer the phones.
What is an AI Receptionist?
An AI receptionist is software that:
- Answers phone calls automatically 24/7/365
- Conducts conversations with patients using natural language
- Books appointments directly into your PMS
- Triages emergencies and escalates when needed
- Handles unlimited simultaneous calls
- Captures patient information (name, insurance, contact info)
- Sends confirmations via text/email
- Never takes breaks, vacations, or sick days
Key difference: Weave helps your human staff work better. AI receptionist replaces the need for humans to answer phones.
The Core Question: What Problem Are You Trying to Solve?
Your choice depends on your primary challenge:
Choose Weave If:
- You have adequate staffing to answer all calls
- Your missed call rate is under 10%
- You want to improve staff efficiency (not replace call answering)
- You need a comprehensive communication platform (texting, reviews, payments)
- You prefer human interaction for all calls
- Your practice has unusual workflows that require human judgment
Choose AI Receptionist If:
- You’re missing 15%+ of calls
- You have no after-hours coverage
- Your front desk is overwhelmed with call volume
- You’re struggling with receptionist turnover or hiring
- You want to scale without adding staff
- Your primary goal is capturing every call and booking appointments
Use Both If:
- You want AI to handle calls + Weave’s communication features
- You have the budget for comprehensive solution
- You want best-in-class for both phone answering and patient communication
Detailed Feature Comparison
| Feature | Weave | AI Receptionist | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers Phone Calls | ❌ No (humans answer) | ✅ Yes, automatically | AI |
| 24/7 Availability | ❌ Only when staff works | ✅ Always available | AI |
| Simultaneous Calls | Limited by staff | ✅ Unlimited | AI |
| Books Appointments | ✅ Staff books manually | ✅ Automatic booking | Tie |
| PMS Integration | ✅ All major systems | ✅ All major systems | Tie |
| Two-Way Texting | ✅ Yes, excellent | 🟡 Some have it, not all | Weave |
| Appointment Reminders | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Tie |
| Review Management | ✅ Yes, robust | ❌ Not typically included | Weave |
| Team Chat | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Weave |
| Payment Processing | ✅ Text-to-pay | ❌ Not typically included | Weave |
| Call Analytics | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes, often more detailed | Tie |
| Reduces Missed Calls | 🟡 Helps staff efficiency | ✅ Eliminates 80-90% | AI |
| After-Hours Coverage | ❌ No | ✅ Automatic | AI |
| Staffing Flexibility | ❌ Still need full staff | ✅ Reduces need | AI |
| Monthly Cost | $399-$699/location | $500-$1,500 total | Varies |
Cost Comparison: What You’re Really Paying
Weave Pricing Structure
Base Package: $399-$699/month per location (varies by features)
Typical practice pays:
- Weave platform: $499/month
- Phone hardware (lease): $50-100/month
- Additional phone lines: $20/line/month
- Setup/training: $500-1,500 one-time
- Total first year: $7,788-$10,788
- Ongoing annual: $6,588-$9,588
What you still need to pay:
- Receptionist salaries: $35,000-$58,000/year
- After-hours coverage: $0 (no solution) or additional service
- Total cost including staff: $41,588-$67,588/year
AI Receptionist Pricing Structure
Base Package: $500-$1,500/month (depends on call volume and features)
Typical practice pays:
- AI platform: $795/month
- Setup/integration: $300-800 one-time
- PMS integration: Often included
- Total first year: $10,040-$10,540
- Ongoing annual: $9,540
What you can reduce:
- Option A: Keep receptionist, reduce stress (no savings, but better service)
- Option B: Reduce receptionist to part-time (save $18,000-$29,000/year)
- Option C: Eliminate phone-answering role entirely (save $35,000-$58,000/year)
Net cost:
- Option A: $9,540/year (no staff savings)
- Option B: -$8,460 to -$19,460/year (AI saves you money)
- Option C: -$25,460 to -$48,460/year (significant savings)
5-Year Total Cost of Ownership
Scenario 1: Solo Practice, 1 Receptionist
Weave + Full-Time Receptionist:
- Weave: $7,788 (year 1) + $6,588 × 4 = $34,140
- Receptionist: $58,000 × 5 = $290,000
- 5-year total: $324,140
AI Receptionist + Part-Time Office Manager:
- AI: $10,040 (year 1) + $9,540 × 4 = $48,200
- Part-time manager: $29,000 × 5 = $145,000
- 5-year total: $193,200
- 5-year savings: $130,940
Scenario 2: 3-Location Practice, 3 Receptionists
Weave (3 locations) + 3 Receptionists:
- Weave: $1,497/month × 60 months = $89,820
- 3 receptionists: $174,000 × 5 = $870,000
- 5-year total: $959,820
AI Receptionist (all locations) + 2 Receptionists:
- AI: $1,200/month × 60 months = $72,000
- 2 receptionists: $116,000 × 5 = $580,000
- 5-year total: $652,000
- 5-year savings: $307,820
Performance Comparison: What Results Do Practices See?
Missed Call Reduction
Weave:
- Makes staff more efficient with better phone tools
- Call tracking helps identify when calls are missed
- Typical improvement: 10-20% reduction in missed calls
- Example: 30% missed → 24% missed
- Still requires humans to actually answer phones
AI Receptionist:
- Answers calls automatically, no human intervention needed
- Never busy, never on break, never sick
- Typical improvement: 80-90% reduction in missed calls
- Example: 30% missed → 3-5% missed
- Directly eliminates missed calls through automation
Winner: AI Receptionist (by wide margin)
After-Hours Coverage
Weave:
- No after-hours solution included
- Can set up voicemail or forwarding to cell phone
- Staff would need to work nights/weekends for coverage
- After-hours answer rate: 0-5% (if dentist answers personal phone)
AI Receptionist:
- Automatic 24/7/365 coverage included
- No additional cost for after-hours
- Books appointments directly even at 2 AM
- After-hours answer rate: 95-98%
Winner: AI Receptionist (Weave doesn’t address this at all)
Patient Communication
Weave:
- Excellent two-way texting platform
- Automated appointment reminders
- Review request automation
- Team chat for internal communication
- Text-to-pay functionality
- Superior comprehensive communication platform
AI Receptionist:
- Basic appointment confirmations via text/email
- Some platforms include reminders
- Focused on phone calls, not comprehensive communication
- May integrate with existing communication tools
Winner: Weave (significantly better communication features)
Staff Efficiency Impact
Weave:
- Makes existing staff 15-25% more efficient
- Faster call handling with patient info pop-ups
- Easier texting vs. phone tag
- Better internal team coordination
- Still requires same number of staff
AI Receptionist:
- Reduces staff workload by 40-70%
- Eliminates phone interruptions during patient care
- Can reduce staffing by 0.5-1 FTE
- Allows staff to focus on in-office patient experience
Winner: AI Receptionist (greater impact on workload)
Real Practice Comparisons: Practices That Switched
Case Study #1: Practice That Kept Weave AND Added AI
Practice: 2-location family dentistry, Chicago suburbs
Before (Weave only):
- Using Weave for 3 years: $1,398/month
- 2 full-time receptionists: $116,000/year
- Missed call rate: 26%
- After-hours: 100% to voicemail
- Staff loved Weave’s texting and communication features
After (Weave + AI):
- Kept Weave for texting, reminders, reviews: $1,398/month
- Added AI for phone answering: $1,195/month
- Reduced to 1.5 receptionists: $87,000/year
- Missed call rate: 4%
- After-hours: 97% answered by AI
- Total cost: Same as before ($116K)
- Revenue recovered: $1.8M from reduced missed calls
Outcome: “We love Weave for patient communication, but it doesn’t answer phones. AI handles calls, Weave handles everything else. Best of both worlds.”
Case Study #2: Practice That Switched from Weave to AI
Practice: Solo cosmetic dentistry, Manhattan
With Weave:
- Cost: $599/month ($7,188/year)
- 2 receptionists: $145,000/year
- Missed call rate: 19%
- Loved the texting but wasn’t solving missed calls
- Total: $152,188/year
After switching to AI:
- AI cost: $1,295/month ($15,540/year)
- 1 office manager (in-office only): $72,000/year
- Missed call rate: 3%
- Added standalone texting tool: $79/month ($948/year)
- Total: $88,488/year
- Annual savings: $63,700
- Revenue recovered from missed calls: $2.1M/year
Outcome: “Weave is great if you have enough staff to answer phones. We didn’t. AI solved the core problem—missed calls—at lower cost.”
Case Study #3: Practice That Chose Weave Over AI
Practice: 5-location DSO, well-staffed front desks
Why they chose Weave:
- Missed call rate was already low (8%)
- Adequate staffing at all locations
- Primary need was improving patient communication, not reducing missed calls
- Wanted review automation and two-way texting
- Valued team chat across locations
- Budget for comprehensive solution
Results with Weave:
- Missed calls: 8% → 6% (modest improvement)
- Patient texting adoption: 78% of patients prefer text
- Review collection improved 240%
- Staff communication across locations vastly improved
- Text-to-pay reduced outstanding balances by 32%
Outcome: “We don’t have a missed call problem—we have a communication problem. Weave solved that perfectly.”
Decision Framework: Which Solution is Right for YOU?
Use this decision tree to determine your best option:
Step 1: Calculate Your Missed Call Rate
- Under 10%: Weave may be sufficient (focus on communication efficiency)
- 10-25%: Consider AI, especially if you have after-hours gaps
- Over 25%: AI receptionist should be priority #1
Step 2: Assess After-Hours Demand
- Minimal after-hours calls: Weave may be sufficient
- Significant after-hours volume: AI receptionist essential
Step 3: Evaluate Staffing Situation
- Fully staffed, stable team: Weave enhances your team
- Understaffed or high turnover: AI reduces dependency on hiring
- Can’t hire receptionists: AI is only viable option
Step 4: Identify Primary Goals
Choose Weave if your top priorities are:
- Improving patient communication (texting, reviews)
- Making existing staff more efficient
- Better team coordination
- Payment collection improvements
Choose AI Receptionist if your top priorities are:
- Eliminating missed calls
- 24/7 phone coverage
- Reducing staffing costs or needs
- Scaling without adding front desk staff
Choose Both if:
- You want comprehensive communication platform + automatic call answering
- You have budget for $2,000-2,500/month in technology
- You want best-in-class for everything
Common Misconceptions Debunked
Misconception #1: “Weave has AI, so it’s the same thing”
Reality: Weave uses AI for features like review requests and text suggestions, but Weave does not answer phone calls automatically. You still need humans to pick up the phone. Dedicated AI receptionists answer and conduct phone conversations autonomously.
Misconception #2: “If I have Weave, I don’t need AI”
Reality: They solve different problems. Weave makes your human staff better. AI replaces the need for humans to answer phones. Many practices use both—Weave for communication, AI for call answering.
Misconception #3: “AI receptionist will do everything Weave does”
Reality: AI receptionists focus on phone answering and appointment booking. Most don’t include Weave’s review management, team chat, text-to-pay, or comprehensive communication platform. If you need those features, keep Weave or find alternatives.
Misconception #4: “Weave is cheaper than AI”
Reality: Weave subscription may be cheaper ($399-699 vs. $500-1,500), BUT you still need full receptionist staff with Weave. When you factor in staffing costs, AI is typically $25,000-$65,000/year less expensive because it reduces staffing needs.
The Bottom Line: It Depends on Your Problem
There’s no universal winner between Weave and AI receptionists because they solve different problems:
Weave is better if:
- You’re missing under 15% of calls
- You have adequate, stable staffing
- Your primary need is improving patient communication and staff efficiency
- You want comprehensive practice management communication platform
- You prefer human interaction for all calls
AI Receptionist is better if:
- You’re missing 15%+ of calls
- You have no after-hours coverage
- You’re struggling with staffing (turnover, hiring difficulties)
- Your primary need is capturing every call and booking appointments
- You want to scale without proportionally increasing staff
Use both if:
- You want the best of everything
- Budget allows $2,000-2,500/month in technology
- You need comprehensive communication + automatic call answering
Bottom line: Most practices struggling with missed calls find AI receptionist delivers higher ROI. Most practices with good phone coverage but wanting better communication choose Weave. Some do both.
The key is honestly assessing YOUR biggest problem, not picking based on features you don’t need.
Not Sure Which Solution Fits Your Practice Best?
We’ll review your specific situation—call volume, missed call rate, staffing, and goals—and recommend the best solution (whether that’s Weave, AI, both, or something else entirely).
30-minute unbiased consultation: We’ll analyze your practice metrics and recommend the solution that actually solves YOUR problem—not just sell you what we offer.