The best AI receptionist for small business
Six AI receptionists a small business can switch on itself, ranked by what they cost at 200 calls a month, what they book into and what happens when the AI is stuck.
At a glance
| Service | Billing | Included | Try it free | Books appointments | Transfers live calls | Texts callers | Human backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | Per call | 30 calls | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| Goodcall | $79/mo | Flat rate | – | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| Rosie | $49/mo | Flat rate | 250 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| Smith.ai | $150/mo | Per call | 75 calls | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| NextPhone | $199/mo | Flat rate | Unlimited | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | $49/mo | Per minute | 100 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
If you run a small business and miss calls while you’re on a job, with a client or closed for the night, an AI receptionist answers them for you. It greets the caller, answers common questions, books an appointment or takes a message, and texts or emails you a summary.
We ranked only tools you can sign up for and switch on yourself, with prices on their website. The order weighs four things: what it costs at a typical small-business volume, whether it books into your calendar on the plan you’d actually buy, how it hands a caller to a person, and how easy it is to try before you pay.
To keep the prices comparable, every figure below assumes 200 calls a month at about 3 minutes each, so 600 minutes.
1. Upfirst: best all-round pick
Upfirst charges by calls answered, not minutes, and every feature is on every plan. At 200 calls you’d pick Pro: $159.95 a month for 300 calls, so you have headroom for a busy month. Spam calls and calls under 15 seconds don’t count (pricing).
It books into the calendars small offices actually use: Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Manage. It warm-transfers calls to your staff and texts callers. The 14-day trial needs no credit card and plans are month to month.
The catch is at the bottom: the $24.95 Starter plan covers only 30 calls, and extra calls cost $1.50 each. If you’re unsure of your volume, start on the trial and count.
2. Goodcall: cheapest at real volume
Goodcall bills by unique callers per month. The same customer calling back three times counts once, and long calls cost nothing extra (pricing). At 200 callers, Growth at $129 covers you with room up to 500. If many of your calls are repeat customers, the $79 Starter plan (100 unique callers) may be enough.
You set it up by describing your business to its built-in assistant in plain words, and nothing goes live until you approve it. It books into Google Calendar only, answers in English only, and uses a local US number. It’s the best value here if those limits don’t bother you.
3. Rosie: best for a low budget and bilingual callers
Rosie starts at $49 for 250 minutes, but that plan only texts callers a booking link. Booking straight into Google Calendar or Calendly, and live transfers, start on Scale at $149 for 1,000 minutes (pricing). At 600 minutes, Scale is the plan, with 400 minutes to spare.
Every plan answers in English and Spanish and trains itself from your Google Business Profile and website, so setup is quick. There’s no per-minute overage: going over moves you to the next plan. Call recordings are deleted after 30 days, so download any you need to keep.
4. Smith.ai: best when a human should take the hard calls
Smith.ai costs more per call, but it can hand a caller to its own live receptionists when the AI can’t help, at no extra fee when the AI starts the escalation (AI pricing). At 200 calls it costs $385 (the 150-call plan plus 50 extra calls at $2.30) or $500 for the 300-call plan.
Its free plan answers 25 calls a month, which is enough to test it on real callers. Note that cancelling a paid plan needs 30 days’ notice, and Smith.ai says it isn’t HIPAA-compliant. Read our Smith.ai review or the Smith.ai alternatives.
5. NextPhone: best flat bill for busy lines
NextPhone charges a flat $199 a month on Pro with unlimited calls and no overage (pricing). At 200 calls that’s dearer than Upfirst or Goodcall, but at 500 or 1,000 calls it gets cheap per call, and you never worry about a surprise bill.
It answers in 14 languages and books into six calendar apps. On Pro you set it up yourself; on Growth ($299) NextPhone’s team builds the agent and connects your CRM. It doesn’t sign BAAs, so it isn’t for medical offices.
6. RingCentral AI Receptionist: best if you already use RingCentral
RingCentral’s AI Receptionist works in front of any phone system for $49 a month, or as a $39 add-on for RingCentral phone customers (pricing). Only 100 minutes are included, then $0.50 a minute. At 600 minutes that’s $299 a month, more than any pick here except Smith.ai.
It makes sense for small volumes, for a business that wants a big-name vendor that says it is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant, or for RingCentral customers who want it inside their existing phone app. The 14-day free trial lets you see your real minute count first.
Which one fits you
- Under 50 calls a month: Upfirst Starter or Rosie Professional keep the bill under $55, and Smith.ai’s free plan covers the first 25 calls.
- Around 200 calls: Goodcall or Upfirst, at $129 to $160.
- 500 calls and up: Goodcall Growth or NextPhone’s flat $199.
- You want people behind the AI: Smith.ai, or Abby Connect if you’d pay more for a hybrid service.
All six let you keep your existing number, so you can try one for a week without changing anything your customers see. For the price maths at other volumes, see the cheapest AI receptionists, and if you’re switching from a human service, AI receptionist vs answering service.
Best picks
Our pick
$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
$79/mo
An AI phone agent you build by chatting with an assistant, billed per unique caller instead of per minute, from $79 a month for 100 callers.
Visit GoodcallStrengths
- Billed per unique caller, not per minute: long calls and callbacks from the same number that month cost nothing extra
- Published prices from $79 a month, month to month, with no setup fee and a local number included
- Set up and change the agent by telling Gabi in plain words, with practice calls and approval before anything goes live
- Transfers to up to three people in turn, retrying busy lines
- Books into Google Calendar and sends leads to Google Sheets, HighLevel or 10,000+ apps via Zapier
Weaknesses
- Answers in English only
- Local US numbers only: no toll-free, Canadian or international numbers yet
- You can't port your number in yourself; you forward your existing line instead
- Your Goodcall number can send texts but can't receive replies yet
- HIPAA use with a BAA needs the $299 Scale plan or Enterprise
$49/mo
A self-serve AI answering service for small businesses that answers calls in English and Spanish, from $49 a month for 250 minutes.
Visit RosieStrengths
- Published, self-serve prices from $49 a month for 250 minutes, with a 7-day free trial
- No per-minute overage: going over your minutes moves you to the next plan's flat price
- No contract or cancellation fee; cancel from the admin anytime
- Trains itself from your Google Business Profile and website, with setup in as little as 10 minutes
- English and Spanish, call recordings, transcripts and summaries on every plan, plus iOS and Android apps
Weaknesses
- Calendar booking and live call transfers start on the $149 Scale plan; Professional only texts a booking link
- Direct calendar integrations are limited to Google Calendar and Calendly
- CRMs connect only through Zapier for now; direct CRM integrations are still in the works
- Call recordings are deleted automatically after 30 days
$150/mo
AI receptionist billed per call, with a free 25-call plan, plus live North America-based receptionists from $300 a month.
Visit Smith.aiStrengths
- Free AI plan with 25 real calls a month, not a time-limited trial
- AI can hand a call to Smith.ai's live North America-based receptionists, with no fee when the AI starts the escalation
- Bills per call, not per minute, with every price and overage rate published
- Test the AI with simulated calls in Quality Studio before it answers real callers
- Month to month, no setup fee, and a dedicated number included or keep your own
Weaknesses
- Not HIPAA-compliant: it can't handle calls involving protected health information
- Extra AI calls cost more than included ones ($2.17 to $3.00 each)
- Live receptionist plans are expensive, from $300 for 30 calls, and booking, recording and Spanish cost extra per call
- Cancelling the AI Receptionist needs 30 days' notice
- Hybrid AI-plus-human pricing needs a consultation
$199/mo
An AI receptionist for law firms and service businesses with unlimited calls at a flat $199 a month, no per-minute fees and a 7-day free trial.
Visit NextPhoneStrengths
- Flat $199 a month for unlimited inbound calls, with no per-minute charges, overage fees or setup fee
- Self-serve signup with a 7-day free trial, month-to-month with no contract
- Answers in 14 languages, switching when the caller does, with 30 voices to choose from
- Books into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Cal.com and OnceHub and texts the caller a confirmation
- Says it never trains AI on your calls and has opted out of training with every AI provider it uses
Weaknesses
- Doesn't sign BAAs, and its terms forbid use with protected health information
- Hasn't completed a SOC 2 audit of its own
- CRM updates and Zapier, Make and API access start at the $299 Growth plan
- 2-way texting and calling from your business number need the $599 Scale plan
- No toll-free numbers
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
Features
| Upfirst | Goodcall | Rosie | Smith.ai | NextPhone | RingCentral AI Receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $24.95/mo | $79/mo | $49/mo | $150/mo | $199/mo | $49/mo |
| Billing | Per call | Flat rate | Flat rate | Per call | Flat rate | Per minute |
| Free plan | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days or 100 calls, whichever comes first, plus 25 texts; no credit card | Free demo agent you can build and test; you pay once you add a phone number | 7 days on every plan; cancel before it ends to avoid being charged | No | 7 days, cancel before it ends and you aren't charged | 14-day free trial, standalone or with RingEX |
| Month to month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Setup fee | Not stated | None | Not stated | None | None | Not stated |
| Phone number included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keep your number | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transfers live calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Books appointments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Texts callers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call summaries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outbound calls | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Spam filtering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Human backup | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| HIPAA | Yes | Yes | Not stated | No | No | Yes |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese | English | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese | English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese |
| Calendars | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square, Clio Manage | Google Calendar | Google Calendar, Calendly | Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Appointy, Harmonizely | Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Cal.com, OnceHub | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly |
| Integrations | Zapier, Make, Clio, Custom API actions, MCP server | Google Sheets, HighLevel, Zapier | Zapier, Shopify | Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio Grow, Clio Manage, MyCase, CallRail, Zapier, Make | Clio Manage, Clio Grow, MyCase, Lawmatics, PracticePanther, HubSpot, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Jobber, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Zapier, Make, Slack, Webhooks | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, RingCentral RingEX |
| Industries | Real estate, Law firms, Property management, Chiropractors, Contractors, Emergency restoration, Financial services, Franchises, HVAC, Insurance, Landscaping, Pest control, Plumbing, Restaurants, Salons, Towing, Veterinary | Any business | Any business | Law firms, Home services, Software and SaaS, Marketing agencies, General contractors, Finance, Hiring and staffing, Insurance | Legal, Financial services, Professional services, Real estate, Construction and trades, Home services, Beauty and personal care, Wellness and fitness, Food and dining, Automotive | Healthcare, Legal, Real estate, Financial services, Insurance, Construction |
Sources
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
Goodcall
- Goodcall homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Goodcall pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Goodcall FAQ: pricing, billing, phone numbers and HIPAAChecked Nov 8, 2026
- How Goodcall worksChecked Nov 8, 2026
Rosie
- Rosie pricing and FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Rosie homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Rosie: dental answering service (new Rosie number at signup, call forwarding)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Rosie Shopify integrationChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Rosie bilingual answering serviceChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Rosie terms of serviceChecked Nov 8, 2026
Smith.ai
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Hybrid pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai AI ReceptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists (FAQ on HIPAA, outbound calls, keeping your number)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai bilingual answeringChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
NextPhone
- NextPhone homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone pricing and FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone security (AI training, SOC 2, BAAs)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone industriesChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone: AI Receptionist on the App StoreChecked Nov 8, 2026