The best AI receptionist for medical practices
AI receptionists for clinics and therapy practices, ranked by HIPAA terms, practice-software integrations and what 200 patient calls a month really cost.
At a glance
| Service | Billing | Included | Try it free | Books appointments | Transfers live calls | Texts callers | Human backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My AI Front Desk | $99/mo | Per minute | 200 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | $49/mo | Per minute | 100 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| Quo | $19/mo | Per call | 10 calls | Free trial | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| Abby Connect | $164/mo | Per minute | 50 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | Per call | 30 calls | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
A medical or therapy practice has one question most businesses don’t: can this AI legally hear what patients say? A patient calling to book usually gives a name, a date of birth and a reason for the visit. Under HIPAA that’s protected health information, so the vendor answering the call needs to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) with you.
That rule shaped this list. We ranked AI receptionists that list healthcare among the businesses they serve and offer HIPAA terms of some kind, then ordered them by whether those terms cover the AI on an ordinary plan, whether they connect to practice software, and what they cost at 200 calls a month at about 3 minutes each (600 minutes).
Two popular tools are left out for that reason: Smith.ai says it isn’t HIPAA-compliant, and NextPhone doesn’t sign BAAs. Dental offices should also look at Arini, which books straight into Open Dental, Dentrix and Eaglesoft but serves dental practices only.
1. My AI Front Desk: best for therapy practices
My AI Front Desk (now branded Frontdesk) signs a BAA and connects to the practice software many therapy practices run on: SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, TheraNest, Jane App, CentralReach, Fusion Web Clinic, IntakeQ and Practice Better (mental health page). It books into Google Calendar, Outlook or Calendly and texts confirmations.
There’s one self-serve plan: $99 a month for 200 minutes, then $0.25 a minute. At 600 minutes that comes to about $199. It answers in 20+ languages, including English, Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese (pricing). The 7-day trial can still incur usage charges, and refunds are generally not given, so test it on a quiet line first.
2. RingCentral AI Receptionist: best for a clinic that wants a large vendor
RingCentral says its AI Receptionist is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant and doesn’t use your data to train its models (product page). It works in front of your existing phone system, routes callers by department or location, and hands calls to staff with a summary. That suits a clinic with a front desk, several providers or more than one site.
It’s priced for low volume: $49 a month for 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute. At 600 minutes you’d pay about $299. It books into Google, Outlook or Calendly calendars, but no practice-management system is listed, so bookings may need copying into your EHR. The 14-day trial is free.
3. Quo: best if you also need a new phone system
Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is a business phone system with an AI agent, Sona, that answers missed, after-hours or every call. Quo signs a BAA on its Business and Scale plans, but you take full responsibility for patient details its AI handles and must tell patients when AI is on the call, and texts and integrations aren’t covered by it (HIPAA help).
It’s the cheapest pick at 200 calls: one Business seat at $33 plus Sona’s $99 tier for about 250 calls, so $132 a month. The trade-offs are real. Sona only works on Quo numbers, so you move your phone line to Quo. Quo names no calendar Sona books into; it texts the patient a booking link. And every staff member on the phone system is another seat.
4. Abby Connect: best if a person must take some calls
Abby Connect mixes AI with live receptionists, and lists healthcare, dental and chiropractic among the businesses it serves. You choose which call types the AI handles and which go to a person (AI receptionist).
Read the HIPAA line carefully: Abby offers HIPAA compliance for its human answering, not the AI (pricing). For a practice, that means routing any call that may involve patient details to a person. It’s also the most expensive here: AI minutes work out to $1.38 to $1.65 each, so 600 AI minutes cost roughly $899 a month. Plans are month to month with a free trial.
5. Upfirst: best for small clinics, with a catch
Upfirst lists chiropractors and veterinary clinics among the businesses it serves and books into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity or Square (Upfirst). At 200 calls the Pro plan costs $159.95. It’s easy to set up yourself, with a 14-day trial and no credit card.
The catch: BAAs come only on the custom Enterprise plan, priced for 1,000 calls a month and up (pricing). A practice whose calls involve patient details needs to talk to Upfirst’s sales team before going live.
Before you sign
- Get the BAA before the first patient call, and check which plan it’s on.
- Decide where bookings land. Only My AI Front Desk names practice software. With the others, the AI books into a calendar or texts a link, and someone copies it into your EHR.
- Plan the hand-off. Urgent symptoms, prescription questions and upset patients should go to a person. Every tool here can transfer a call, so set those rules up front.
For how prices are built across the market, see our AI receptionist pricing guide.
Best picks
Our pick
$99/mo
An AI receptionist that answers, transfers and books calls, bundled with chat, SMS and a CRM, from $99 a month for 200 minutes.
Visit My AI Front DeskStrengths
- Published price and overage: $99 a month for 200 minutes, then $0.25 a minute, with no contract
- Self-serve signup with a 7-day free trial
- Live-transfers urgent calls with a spoken summary and books into Google Calendar, Outlook or Calendly
- Website chat, two-way SMS, email drafts and a CRM come in the same plan
- Signs a BAA for HIPAA and connects to therapy, property-management and ecommerce software
Weaknesses
- Only 200 minutes on the self-serve plan; there is no larger published tier between it and custom Enterprise pricing
- Outbound calls are capped at 20 a day on Business-in-a-Box
- Keeps only the last 200 call and chat logs on Business-in-a-Box
- Usage charges can apply during the free trial, and refunds are generally not given
- API access is limited to custom Partner and Enterprise plans
RingCentral's AI receptionist (AIR) answers calls 24/7 on any phone system, books appointments and texts callers. From $49 a month for 100 minutes.
Visit RingCentral AI ReceptionistStrengths
- Works on top of any phone system by call forwarding or SIP, so you don't have to switch phone providers
- Published pricing: $49 a month for 100 minutes, $0.50 per extra minute, and a 14-day free trial
- Books appointments in Google, Outlook or Calendly calendars and logs leads to Salesforce, HubSpot or Zoho
- Answers in six languages and switches language mid-call, with eight voices to choose from
- HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant, and RingCentral says it doesn't train its AI on your data
Weaknesses
- Only 100 minutes are included; busier businesses pay $0.50 a minute past that
- Getting RingCentral's own business phone adds $30 per user a month on top of the AI receptionist
- Shopify and WhatsApp integrations are listed as coming soon, and the AI text agent may cost extra
- The standalone plan is only sold in the US and Canada
$19/mo
Sona, the AI agent in the Quo (formerly OpenPhone) phone system, answers calls 24/7. Plans from $19 a user include 10 calls; more cost $25 to $199 a month.
Visit QuoStrengths
- Cheap to start: every Quo plan includes about 10 Sona calls a month, and 600 calls cost $199 a month on top of the phone plan
- Per-call pricing with an overage switch: leave it off and Sona never bills beyond your tier, or turn it on at $0.45 to $1.00 a call
- A full business phone system comes with it: numbers, free porting, shared inboxes, texting, phone menus and apps on every device
- Sona transfers callers, texts links mid-call and logs every call with a recording, transcript and summary
- Answers in English, Spanish or French, and a HIPAA BAA is available on Business and Scale
Weaknesses
- Works only inside Quo: your calls have to come through a Quo number, so you can't add Sona to another phone system
- Answers inbound calls only; Sona can't make outbound calls
- Scheduling means texting the caller a booking link; Quo documents no calendar that Sona books into
- The phone plan is priced per user, so a larger team pays for every seat on top of Sona's tier
- Starter only gets summaries and transcripts for Sona-handled calls, and call summaries are always in English
$164/mo
A hybrid answering service: an AI receptionist and US-based live receptionists on one plan, from $164 a month. AI minutes count half.
Visit Abby ConnectStrengths
- AI and live US-based receptionists on one plan, chosen per call type, with warm transfer to a person on the same call
- AI minutes count half, so a plan covers up to twice as many minutes when the AI answers
- Published prices, a free trial, no setup fee and month-to-month terms
- AI answers in English and Spanish, detecting the caller's language, and books into Google Calendar, Calendly and Acuity
- Transcripts, AI summaries, sentiment scores and recordings for every call in the app and portal
Weaknesses
- Even all-AI answering costs about $1.38 to $1.65 a minute, well above most AI-only receptionists
- Usage is billed by the minute, so long calls eat the plan quickly
- HIPAA compliance is offered only for human answering, not the AI
- Trial length isn't published, and human receptionists book appointments only through Calendly
$24.95/mo
An AI receptionist that answers calls and texts 24/7, books appointments and blocks spam, from $24.95 a month for 30 calls.
Visit UpfirstStrengths
- Cheap entry point: $24.95 a month for 30 calls, or $20 billed annually
- Every feature on every plan, including booking, warm transfers, texting, recordings and 35+ languages
- Spam, robocalls and calls under 15 seconds don't count toward your calls
- 14-day trial (up to 100 calls) with no credit card, and month-to-month plans
- Books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Manage, with Zapier and Make for the rest
Weaknesses
- Small plans fill up fast: 30 calls on Starter, then $1.50 per extra call
- No refund if you prepay a year and cancel
- BAAs for compliance are only on the custom Enterprise plan
- No native mobile app; the web app can be saved to a phone's home screen
- Each extra agent, for another location or business line, adds $9.95 a month
Features
| My AI Front Desk | RingCentral AI Receptionist | Quo | Abby Connect | Upfirst | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $99/mo | $49/mo | $19/mo | $164/mo | $24.95/mo |
| Billing | Per minute | Per minute | Per call | Per minute | Per call |
| Free plan | No | No | No | No | No |
| Free trial | 7 days; usage charges can still apply during the trial | 14-day free trial, standalone or with RingEX | 7-day free trial of Quo with all AI features, Sona included; paid Quo customers can also get a one-time 7-day Sona trial with unlimited calls that converts to paid unless canceled | Free trial on every plan; length not stated | 14 days or 100 calls, whichever comes first, plus 25 texts; no credit card |
| Month to month | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Setup fee | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | None | Not stated |
| Phone number included | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keep your number | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transfers live calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Books appointments | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Texts callers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call summaries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outbound calls | Yes | Not stated | No | Yes | Not stated |
| Spam filtering | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Human backup | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| HIPAA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | English, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese | English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese | English, Spanish, French | English, Spanish | English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese |
| Calendars | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly | Not stated | Google Calendar, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Microsoft Outlook | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square, Clio Manage |
| Integrations | Zapier, SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, TheraNest, Jane App, CentralReach, Fusion Web Clinic, IntakeQ, Practice Better, AppFolio, Yardi, Buildium, Entrata, RealPage, Shopify, WooCommerce, Klaviyo | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, RingCentral RingEX | Jobber, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, Attio, Clio, HighLevel, Housecall Pro, JobTread, Gong, Slack, Google Contacts, Zapier, Make | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Square, Zendesk, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Google Contacts, Notion, Airtable, Asana, monday.com, Trello | Zapier, Make, Clio, Custom API actions, MCP server |
| Industries | Property management, Retail and ecommerce, Therapy practices, Real estate, Accounting and finance, Legal, Automotive | Healthcare, Legal, Real estate, Financial services, Insurance, Construction | Home services, Law firms, Property management, Healthcare, Education | Legal, Home services, HVAC, Plumbing, Business services, Financial services, Healthcare, Beauty and wellness, Dental, Chiropractic, Accounting, Real estate, Property management | Real estate, Law firms, Property management, Chiropractors, Contractors, Emergency restoration, Financial services, Franchises, HVAC, Insurance, Landscaping, Pest control, Plumbing, Restaurants, Salons, Towing, Veterinary |
Sources
My AI Front Desk
- Frontdesk homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk AI receptionist pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk: AI phone receptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk: AI calendar bookingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk: AI receptionist for mental health practices (HIPAA, languages, EHRs)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk: AppFolio integration (also Yardi, Buildium, Entrata, RealPage pages)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk: Shopify integration (also WooCommerce, Klaviyo pages)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Frontdesk terms of service (trial, refunds, data use)Checked Nov 8, 2026
RingCentral AI Receptionist
Quo
- Quo pricing (plans, Sona credit tiers, integrations, add-ons, FAQ)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo: Sona AI agent (capabilities and FAQ: pricing, trial, languages, inbound only)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Sona pricing (credits, tiers, overages, eligibility)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Sona setup and configuration (call flows, voices, languages)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Sona actions (send SMS, transfer call, create Jobber request)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Sona job guide (scheduling by booking link)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: HIPAA compliance (BAA on Business and Scale)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Managing your trial (7 days, includes Sona)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Install apps (web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Quo help: Call transfer (manual transfers need Business or Scale)Checked Nov 8, 2026
Abby Connect
- Abby Connect pricing (plans, Abby Minutes, overage)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: AI ReceptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect homepage (human, AI or both)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: Outbound callsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AbbyGo on the App StoreChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AbbyGo on Google PlayChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: Abby vs Conversational ("Included with Abby": Abby hosts your business number)Checked Nov 8, 2026
Upfirst
- Upfirst homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst pricing and FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst Help Center: pricing FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst documentation: MCP server and custom actionsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst privacy policyChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst Help Center: adding Upfirst to your phone's home screenChecked Nov 8, 2026