Find the AI receptionist that fits your business and your phone bill
Independent comparisons of AI receptionist and answering services for small businesses. Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page, with a link and the date we checked it. Where a vendor doesn't publish something, we say so.
Start with your trade
Plumbers
Emergency triage, after-hours calls, and booking while you're under a sink.
HVAC
Surviving weather-driven call spikes without busy signals or runaway overage.
Law firms
Intake without legal advice, Clio integration, and when a human backup matters.
Dental
HIPAA and BAAs first, then emergencies, new patients and your PMS.
Roofers
Storm surges, inspection booking, and keeping ad-driven leads from leaking.
Electricians
Safety triage first, then capturing quote requests you can follow up on.
Prices at a glance
Entry-level list prices, checked October 27, 2026. Billing units differ, so use the estimator for a real comparison.
| Service | From | Entry plan includes | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| My AI Front Desk | $99/mo | 200 voice minutes/mo | Free account creation; trial usage depends on plan or offer (see vendor's trial terms) |
| Rosie | $49/mo | 250 minutes/mo | 7-day free trial; page says no credit card required to start |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls/mo | 14-day free trial with full plan features |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $0/mo | 25 calls/mo (Free); 75 calls/mo (Pro) | Free plan (25 calls/mo) instead of a timed trial |
| Goodcall | $79/mo | 100 unique customers/mo | Free demo agent; you pay when you connect a number |
| Dialzara | $29/mo | 60 minutes/mo | 7-day free trial |
| NextPhone | $199/mo | Unlimited inbound calls | 7-day free trial |
| Allo (AI Receptionist add-on) | $42/mo | Not stated for the AI Receptionist | 3-day free trial |
| Ruby (live receptionists) | $250/mo | 50 receptionist minutes/mo | Not stated |
Head-to-head comparisons
Upfirst vs Smith.ai
Both charge per call rather than per minute. Upfirst is much cheaper per call and includes every feature on every plan. Smith.ai costs more but adds escalation to live receptionists and has a free tier.
Goodcall vs Dialzara
Goodcall bills per unique caller per month with no minute meter. Dialzara bills talk time by the second with published overage. Which is cheaper depends on how long your calls run and how often the same people call back.
Rosie vs Upfirst
Two low-cost options with different billing. Rosie sells minutes and gates booking and transfers behind its $149 plan. Upfirst sells calls and includes everything on its $24.95 plan.
Frontdesk vs Rosie
Both bill by the minute and target small businesses. Rosie is cheaper to start and gives you more minutes per dollar. My AI Front Desk bundles chat, texting, a CRM and automations into one $99 plan.
Three things to know before you buy
Billing units aren't comparable
Some services sell minutes, some sell calls, one counts unique callers, one is flat-rate. A "$49" plan can cost more than a "$99" one at your volume.
Entry plans leave things out
Live transfers, calendar booking and Spanish are sometimes reserved for higher tiers. Check that the features you need are on the plan you're pricing.
You still write the rules
The AI follows your instructions. Emergency transfers, safety scripts and "don't promise prices" rules are yours to set. Our trade guides include checklists.