Stop losing jobs to voicemail. We priced 12 AI receptionists on a real month of calls, and ranked them with one public formula.
Small businesses that want booking, warm transfers and 35+ languages on the cheapest plan
$24.95/mo for 30 calls
Checked Nov 11, 2026
Budget-minded teams that want 200 minutes and 50+ languages from $50
$50/mo for 200 minutes
Checked Nov 11, 2026
Firms that want a live North America-based receptionist behind the AI
Free plan (25 calls); paid from $150/mo for 75 calls
Checked Nov 11, 2026
Start with how your phone actually rings. If you get a few calls a day and mostly need them answered, booked or passed on, a ready-made AI receptionist under $100 a month will do the job, and the top of this list is where to look. If every caller must reach a person, skip to the services with live human backup further down.
We priced every service on the same month (200 minutes, about 80 calls) because headline prices hide everything that matters: included volume, overage, and which plan really books appointments. Upfirst comes out on top because it puts booking, warm transfers and 35+ languages on its $24.95 plan, and covers a normal month for $59.95.
Best for: Small businesses that want booking, warm transfers and 35+ languages on the cheapest plan
The catch: It bills by the call: the $24.95 plan covers 30 calls, then $1.50 each, so a busy month is cheaper on Premium.
$24.95/mo for 30 calls. About $60 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Upfirst Read the review
Best for: Sales and support teams that want 70+ languages and real CRM integrations
The catch: US and Canada customers pay an 11% compliance and administrative fee on top of the subscription, and extra minutes cost $0.50.
$99/mo for 200 minutes. About $99 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at CloudTalk Read the review
Best for: Owners who want calls, texts, web chat and a simple CRM in one $99 plan
The catch: There is only one self-serve plan: if 200 minutes is too much or too little, you pay overage or talk to sales.
$99/mo for 200 minutes. About $99 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at My AI Front Desk Read the reviewBest for: Budget-minded teams that want 200 minutes and 50+ languages from $50
The catch: The pricing page doesn't say whether there is a free trial, and it lists 200 minutes on the plan card but 250 in its table.
$50/mo for 200 minutes. About $50 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Phonely Read the review
Best for: Shops with long calls: billed per unique customer, never per minute
The catch: The Starter plan covers 100 unique customers and allows only one external tool, so a busy shop with several systems outgrows it fast.
$79/mo for 100 unique callers. About $79 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Goodcall Read the review
Best for: Very low call volumes that want an answering line from $29
The catch: The $29 plan only does blind transfers and has no calendar sync; both start on the $99 Business Pro plan.
$29/mo for 60 minutes. About $96 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Dialzara Read the review
Best for: Solo owners who want 250 minutes for $49 and a dead-simple setup
The catch: Calendar booking and call transfers start on the $149 Scale plan; the $49 plan texts a booking link instead.
$49/mo for 250 minutes. About $49 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Rosie Read the reviewBest for: Firms that want a live North America-based receptionist behind the AI
The catch: Per-call pricing is high: $150 buys 75 calls on Pro, and extra calls cost $2.50 each.
Free plan (25 calls); paid from $150/mo for 75 calls. About $163 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Smith.ai Read the review
Best for: Agencies and developers who build their own voice agents
The catch: You build everything yourself, from booking to transfers: it is a developer tool, not a ready-made receptionist.
$0.07 to $0.31 a minute. About $30 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Retell AI Read the review
Best for: Businesses already on RingCentral, or who want a big-vendor option
The catch: Only 100 minutes are included, and the price of extra 100-minute bundles isn't shown on the pages we read.
Best for: Businesses that want real people answering, with AI only as a helper
The catch: It is the most expensive option here by far: $250 for 50 minutes, $720 for 200.
$250/mo for 50 minutes. About $720 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Ruby Read the review
Best for: Busy HVAC, plumbing and roofing shops that live in ServiceTitan
The catch: It starts at $449 a month and sign-up goes through a demo call, with no free trial.
$449/mo for 500 minutes. About $449 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.
Check price at Sameday AI Read the reviewPrices checkedOn November 11, 2026, on each brand's own pricing page
Official sourcesEvery plan limit links to its source
Public methodOne published formula, no paid placement
Links are flaggedSome links may earn us a commission
Plan detailsGreen = best value in this table | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price and limits | ||||||
| Entry price | $24.95/mo | $99/mo | $99/mo | $50/mo | $79/mo | $29/mo |
| 200-minute month | $59.95 | $99 | $99 | $50 | $79 | $96.20 |
| Extra minute | $0.60 | $0.50 | $0.25 | $0.35 | $0.32 | $0.48 |
| Calendar booking | On the entry plan | On the entry plan | On the entry plan | Not stated | On the entry plan | Higher plans only |
| Call transfer | Warm transfer | Warm transfer | Live transfer | Live transfer | Live transfer | Blind transfer |
| Languages | 35+ | 70+ | 20+ | 50+ | Not stated | 10+ |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days | 7 days | Not stated | Free demo agent | 7 days |
| Setup | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Integrations | CRM via API + Zapier | Native integrations | Zapier | Native integrations | CRM via API + Zapier | Zapier |
Ready-made AI receptionists you can switch on yourself, weighted toward the monthly bill a small team actually pays.
See the ranking No. 1: Upfirst · 12 comparedAnswering services judged on the part that matters when a caller needs a person: transfers, languages and what a busy month costs.
See the ranking No. 1: Upfirst · 8 comparedEvery ready-made AI receptionist with an entry plan under $100 a month, ranked on what you pay for a normal month, not the headline price.
See the ranking No. 1: Upfirst · 8 comparedOnly services that state HIPAA support on their own pages, ranked on booking, transfers and integrations for a front desk that never stops ringing.
See the ranking No. 1: Upfirst · 9 comparedFor trades who miss calls on a ladder or under a sink: booking, transfers and Spanish weigh more, and every pick serves home services.
See the ranking No. 1: Upfirst · 7 comparedIntake calls are where firms win or lose clients. These services serve law firms, ranked with transfers and integrations weighted up.
See the ranking
What an AI receptionist really costs per month: entry prices, a 200-minute month, overage and the fees in the small print, for 12 services checked today.
AI receptionist, live answering service or in-house hire? Costs side by side, what each does well, where AI still fails, and the hybrid option.
Is an AI receptionist worth the money? A simple break-even test with real 2026 prices, three worked examples, and the cases where it is not worth it.
Nine questions that separate a good AI receptionist from a bad fit: billing meter, booking, transfers, languages, trial, setup, integrations, HIPAA and contracts.
Every plan priced on the same 200-minute month, overage included.
Booking that's locked to a higher tier scores half.
Warm, live, blind or none: it changes the score.
From English only to 70+ languages stated.
Free plan, trial length and who builds the agent.