A system that answers every lead in under 60 seconds costs between about $50 a month for bare software you configure yourself and $1,500 a month for a fully managed service. But the number that matters more is the one nobody invoices you for: the average business answers a new lead in 42+ minutes, and 78% of customers hire whoever responds first (PipelineOn, Downtime Digital, 2026).
What you're actually buying
"Speed to lead" is a category name for a set of jobs: the 60-second response (text, email and a call attempt the moment a lead arrives), missed-call text-back, qualification and booking, the 7-touch follow-up for leads that go quiet, and reactivation and review asks. Before comparing prices, check which of those jobs each option actually does — most point tools do one.
The cost of the leak, before any vendor
Run your own number first: leads per month × your close rate × your average job × the share that never get a fast answer. Most owners have never measured that last one — 62% of calls to small businesses go unanswered, and 85% of missed callers never call back. Responders inside five minutes are 21× more likely to qualify the lead than those waiting half an hour.
Measure yours instead of guessing: the free diagnostic times how fast your business actually responds — your form, your phone, your number.
Cost by route
| Route | Typical monthly | The trade |
|---|---|---|
| DIY automation tools | $50–300 | You build the flows, you maintain them, and they break silently when a form changes. |
| Missed-call text-back tools | $99–299 | One job done well — but only the one job. |
| Human answering service | $900–1,800 all-in | Per-minute pricing compounds fast at real volume, and most stop at business hours. |
| Managed installs | $500–1,500 | Done for you. Ask: who owns the number, and what's guaranteed in writing? |
The hidden cost nobody mentions until your texts fail
Business texting in the US runs through A2P 10DLC registration — carrier-enforced vetting of your business and use case. Unregistered traffic gets blocked outright. Registration means brand and campaign fees, reviews currently running 10–15 days, and a $15 fee on every resubmission. The most common rejection cause is your own website — a missing privacy policy or a broken opt-in link. Any vendor quoting a price without mentioning 10DLC is quoting a system that can't text yet.
What GRIFFAIN charges
What GRIFFAIN charges
Two plans, nothing between — because the $1,500–3,000 middle is where owners pay agency prices for platform-grade service.
$397/mo · annualWebsite, ongoing care, and basic lead response — final scope confirmed at signing.
$5,000 install + $3,500/moThe Growth Engine: every system installed and run — 60-second lead response, the AI front desk, ads, local SEO, your site. Live in 30 days or the final install payment is waived. Annual prepay: 12 months for the price of 10.
Individual systems add to a plan from +$300/mo. You own everything — leave after the term and it all transfers within 30 days.
Full lead response adds to a plan from +$500/mo. The guarantee, in writing: every lead contacted in 60 seconds, or the month is free — measured from system logs you can see.
Questions owners actually ask
Does texting leads that fast annoy them?
The lead is still on their phone when the text lands — that's the point. What annoys people is silence, then a cold call three days later.
Do I use my own number or a new one?
Either — decided from your call volume on the call, not dogma. The number stays yours either way.
What happens after hours?
The system doesn't have hours. Leads at 9pm get answered at 9pm, qualified, and booked into the next open slot.
How does the month-free guarantee work?
If a lead reaches the system and isn't contacted inside 60 seconds, that month's service fee is credited — measured from the logs, which you can see.
More cost guides: AI marketing · AI receptionist · Google Ads.
Find the leak in your business — free
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