Receptionist Picks
English

The cheapest AI receptionist at your call volume

What the cheapest AI receptionists really cost at 50, 200 and 500 calls a month, worked out from published plans, included minutes and overage, and what each price buys.

At a glance

At a glance
ServiceBillingIncludedTry it freeBooks appointmentsTransfers live callsTexts callersHuman backup
Goodcall$79/moFlat rate–Free trialYesYesYesNot stated
Upfirst$24.95/moPer call30 callsFree trialYesYesYesNot stated
NextPhone$199/moFlat rateUnlimitedFree trialYesYesYesNot stated
Rosie$49/moFlat rate250 minFree trialYesYesYesNot stated
Phonely$50/moPer minute200 minFree trialYesYesYesNot stated
Simple Phones$49/moPer call100 callsFree trialYesYesNot statedNot stated
Dialzara$29/moPer minute60 minFree trialYesYesYesNot stated

The cheapest AI receptionist on the pricing page is rarely the cheapest on your bill. A $29 plan with 60 minutes costs more than a $129 plan once you take a few hundred calls. So we worked out the monthly bill at three volumes from each vendor’s published plans, included minutes or calls, and overage rates.

Assumptions: every call lasts about 3 minutes, and we picked the cheapest plan (with overage where allowed) that covers the volume. For Goodcall, which bills per unique caller, we assumed every call is from a different number, the worst case.

Monthly bill 50 calls (150 min) 200 calls (600 min) 500 calls (1,500 min)
Goodcall $79 $129 $129
Upfirst $54.95 $159.95 $299
NextPhone $199 $199 $199
Rosie $49 $149 $299
Phonely $50 $150 $375
Simple Phones $49 $149 $249
Dialzara $72.20 $239 $524

We ranked them by what you pay across those volumes and how much of the job you get at that price: calendar booking, live transfers, and what happens when you run out.

1. Goodcall: cheapest from about 200 calls up

Goodcall bills by unique callers, so length doesn’t matter and repeat callers that month are free. Starter is $79 for 100 callers, Growth $129 for 500 (pricing). From 200 to 500 calls, nothing in the table beats it, and if many of your calls are repeat customers you’ll pay less than the table shows.

What you get at $129: Google Calendar booking, transfers to up to three people in turn, texts and emails with each lead, recordings and transcripts, a local number, no setup fee. What you give up: English only, US local numbers only, and a calendar choice of one.

Goodcall pricing page with Starter at $79 a month for 100 unique customers, Growth at $129 for 500 and Scale at $299 for 2,000, plus Enterprise
Goodcall's plans, priced by unique callers per monthgoodcall.com

2. Upfirst: cheapest under 100 calls with every feature

Upfirst bills per call, with every feature on every plan (pricing). At 50 calls it’s $54.95 (the $24.95 Starter plus 20 extra calls at $1.50) with booking into six calendars, warm transfers and texting included. That’s the most you get for under $60 anywhere here. Spam and calls under 15 seconds don’t count, and paying yearly saves 20%.

From about 350 calls it costs more than NextPhone’s flat $199, and Goodcall is cheaper well before that. But you’re never cut off: extra calls just cost $0.70 to $1.50 each.

Upfirst pricing page with plans for 30 calls at $24.95, 90 calls at $59.95, 300 calls at $159.95 and 600 calls at $299 a month, the features included in every plan, and an Enterprise plan for 1,000+ calls
Upfirst's plans, priced by calls a monthupfirst.ai

3. NextPhone: cheapest once you’re busy

NextPhone is $199 a month on Pro with unlimited calls and no overage (pricing). At 50 calls that’s poor value. At 500 it’s second only to Goodcall, and at 1,000 or 2,000 calls it’s the same $199. Booking into six calendar apps, transfers and texts are included. Paying yearly brings it to $1,990.

NextPhone pricing page with Pro at $199 a month, Growth at $299 and Scale at $599, each with unlimited calls
NextPhone's three flat-rate plansgetnextphone.com

4. Rosie: $49 if you mainly need messages taken

Rosie sells minutes: $49 for 250, $149 for 1,000, $299 for 2,000 (pricing). There’s no per-minute overage; going over moves you to the next plan.

Read the $49 line carefully. It answers, takes messages, filters spam and texts callers a booking link, but direct calendar booking and live transfers start at $149. So for 50 calls with real booking, Rosie costs $149, not $49. At 200 calls, $149 is a fair price for booking, transfers and English and Spanish answering.

Rosie pricing page with Professional at $49, Scale at $149 and Growth at $299 per month, each with a Start My Free Trial button
Rosie's three plans, billed monthlyheyrosie.com

5. Phonely: cheap entry, minute-based

Phonely starts at $50 a month for about 200 minutes, then $0.25 a minute, and your first 100 minutes are free (pricing). At 200 calls the Starter plan with overage and the $150 Professional plan cost the same; at 500, Starter plus overage is cheaper. Its own pricing page lists two different minute counts per plan, so check what your plan includes. Minutes after a call is transferred can still be billed at $0.02.

Phonely pricing cards: Starter $50 a month with 200 minutes, Professional $150 a month with 650 minutes, Enterprise as low as 5 cents a minute
Phonely's three plans, billed monthlyphonely.ai

6. Simple Phones: cheap, but with a hard ceiling

Simple Phones charges per call: $49 for 100, $149 for 500, $249 for 2,500 (Simple Phones). Prices are low and its team makes changes to your agent for free. But there’s no overage at all: go over your plan’s calls and your phone numbers are released. At exactly 500 calls the $149 plan fits on paper, but we’d budget $249 so a busy month can’t knock you offline.

Simple Phones pricing with Basic at $49 per month for up to 100 calls, Advanced at $149 for up to 500 calls and Premium at $249 for up to 2,500 calls, each with a Start trial button
Simple Phones' three plans and 14-day free trialsimplephones.ai

7. Dialzara: lowest sticker price, not lowest bill

Dialzara starts at $29 for 60 minutes (pricing). At 50 calls that plan plus overage at $0.48 a minute comes to $72.20, but without calendar sync and with blind transfers only; the $99 plan adds both. Its overage rate drops to $0.35 on bigger plans, yet at 500 calls it’s still the dearest here. It answers in 10 languages. Its plans say a number is included, but its FAQ lists $3 a month for a local number and $5 for toll-free. When minutes run out, callers go to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on.

Dialzara pricing page with Business Lite $29, Business Pro $99, Business Plus $199, Business Elite $349 and Done for You! from $1,500 a month, each listing included minutes and overage per minute
Dialzara's inbound AI receptionist plansdialzara.com

Cheaper still, with conditions

  • Smith.ai answers 25 calls a month free, every month (AI pricing). Beyond that, extra calls cost $3 each or paid plans start at $150 for 75 calls, so it’s only cheap at very low volume.
  • Quo costs about $118 for 250 AI-answered calls ($19 for a phone seat plus a $99 AI tier), but only on a Quo phone number, and it schedules by texting the caller a booking link (Sona pricing).

Which is cheapest for you

  • Under 50 calls: Upfirst for full features, Rosie at $49 if messages are enough.
  • 200 to 500 calls: Goodcall.
  • 500+ calls, or calls that run long: Goodcall or NextPhone.

If your calls average 5 minutes rather than 3, minute-based plans (Rosie, Phonely, Dialzara) cost up to two-thirds more, while per-call and flat prices stay put. For how vendors build these prices, see our AI receptionist pricing guide.

Best picks

  1. Goodcall

    Goodcall

    Our pick

    $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.

    Strengths

    • 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
    Visit Goodcall

  2. Upfirst

    Upfirst, Inc.

    $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.

    Strengths

    • 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
    Visit Upfirst

  3. NextPhone

    Pure Labs Inc.

    $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.

    Strengths

    • 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
    Visit NextPhone

  4. Rosie

    Rally Commerce, Inc. (dba Rosie)

    $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.

    Strengths

    • 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
    Visit Rosie

  5. Phonely

    Phonely Ltd

    $50/mo

    A self-serve AI phone agent you set up in minutes and tune with a visual call-flow editor, from $50 a month for about 200 minutes.

    Strengths

    • Self-serve from $50 a month with published per-minute overage, and the first 100 minutes free
    • Visual call-flow editor with routing, warm or cold transfers, API requests and A/B testing when a simple answering agent isn't enough
    • Books into Google Calendar and connects to Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier and Make
    • Includes phone numbers (3 on Starter) and works with your existing number by forwarding or porting
    • The same agent can answer by phone, SMS and web chat

    Weaknesses

    • HIPAA BAA, a built-for-you agent and a dedicated account manager are Enterprise-only
    • Outbound calling and CRM integrations start at the $150 Professional plan
    • The pricing page contradicts itself on included minutes (200 vs 250 on Starter, 650 vs 750 on Professional)
    • Minutes after a transfer can still be billed, at $0.02 a minute
    • Payments are non-refundable under its terms, except where the law requires
    Visit Phonely

  6. Simple Phones

    Simple Phones

    $49/mo

    A self-serve AI phone agent that answers missed or forwarded calls, books appointments and takes messages, from $49 a month for 100 calls.

    Strengths

    • Among the cheapest published plans: $49 a month for up to 100 calls, $149 for 500 and $249 for 2,500
    • Self-serve signup with a 14-day free trial, no contract and no charge for the phone line or building the agent
    • Changes to the agent's wording, voice, knowledge and integrations are made by the Simple Phones team for free
    • Answers in 19 languages and offers phone numbers in 25 countries
    • Rule-based call transfers plus text, email or webhook alerts to your team

    Weaknesses

    • No overage option: going over your plan's monthly calls releases your phone numbers
    • The FAQ still says plans start at $97 for 100 calls, while the pricing table shows $49
    • No calendar apps are named; CRM work is done case by case by the team
    • Outbound calls are limited to one a day to the same number, and only to people who called you first, unless you connect your own Twilio account
    • The help docs describe a menu of fixed flows with a GPT-3 fallback, and the blog hasn't been updated since 2024
    Visit Simple Phones

  7. Dialzara

    Dialzara LLC

    $29/mo

    A self-serve AI receptionist that answers calls 24/7, books appointments and transfers calls, from $29 a month for 60 minutes, with a 7-day free trial.

    Strengths

    • Cheap to start and fully published: $29 a month for 60 minutes, with overage listed for every plan ($0.48 down to $0.35 a minute)
    • Self-serve signup with a 7-day free trial, no setup fee and no contract
    • Billed by the second of live talk time, with no rounding up to the minute
    • Answers in 10 languages on every plan and switches language mid-call
    • Blocks spam calls, books into Google Calendar or Outlook, and records and summarizes every call

    Weaknesses

    • The $29 Lite plan has no calendar sync and only blind transfers; booking and warm transfers start on the $99 Pro plan
    • When included minutes run out, callers go straight to voicemail unless you turn on auto-recharge or buy more
    • No named CRM integrations listed; CRMs connect through Zapier, Make or webhooks
    • No public HIPAA claim: healthcare practices are told to contact sales for a custom configuration
    • Outbound calling is a separate plan starting at $750 a month
    Visit Dialzara

Features

Features
GoodcallUpfirstNextPhoneRosiePhonelySimple PhonesDialzara
Starts at$79/mo$24.95/mo$199/mo$49/mo$50/mo$49/mo$29/mo
BillingFlat ratePer callFlat rateFlat ratePer minutePer callPer minute
Free planNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
Free trialFree demo agent you can build and test; you pay once you add a phone number14 days or 100 calls, whichever comes first, plus 25 texts; no credit card7 days, cancel before it ends and you aren't charged7 days on every plan; cancel before it ends to avoid being chargedFirst 100 minutes free14 days7 days on every voice plan
Month to monthYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Setup feeNoneNot statedNoneNot statedNot statedNoneNone
Phone number includedYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Keep your numberYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Transfers live callsYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Books appointmentsYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Texts callersYesYesYesYesYesNot statedYes
Call summariesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Call recordingYesYesYesYesYesNot statedYes
Outbound callsNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedYesYesYes
Spam filteringYesYesYesYesYesNot statedYes
Human backupNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot stated
HIPAAYesYesNoNot statedYesNot statedNot stated
LanguagesEnglishEnglish, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, VietnameseEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, VietnameseEnglish, SpanishNot statedChinese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, UkrainianEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian, Dutch
CalendarsGoogle CalendarGoogle Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square, Clio ManageGoogle Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Cal.com, OnceHubGoogle Calendar, CalendlyGoogle CalendarNot statedGoogle Calendar, Microsoft Outlook
IntegrationsGoogle Sheets, HighLevel, ZapierZapier, Make, Clio, Custom API actions, MCP serverClio Manage, Clio Grow, MyCase, Lawmatics, PracticePanther, HubSpot, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Jobber, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Zapier, Make, Slack, WebhooksZapier, ShopifyGmail, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Zapier, Make, HubSpot, Salesforce, PipedriveZapier, TwilioZapier, Make
IndustriesAny businessReal estate, Law firms, Property management, Chiropractors, Contractors, Emergency restoration, Financial services, Franchises, HVAC, Insurance, Landscaping, Pest control, Plumbing, Restaurants, Salons, Towing, VeterinaryLegal, Financial services, Professional services, Real estate, Construction and trades, Home services, Beauty and personal care, Wellness and fitness, Food and dining, AutomotiveAny businessAny businessAny businessAny business

Sources

Goodcall

  1. Goodcall homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Goodcall pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Goodcall FAQ: pricing, billing, phone numbers and HIPAAChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. How Goodcall worksChecked Nov 8, 2026

Upfirst

  1. Upfirst homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Upfirst pricing and FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Upfirst Help Center: pricing FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Upfirst integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Upfirst documentation: MCP server and custom actionsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Upfirst privacy policyChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Upfirst Help Center: adding Upfirst to your phone's home screenChecked Nov 8, 2026

NextPhone

  1. NextPhone homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. NextPhone pricing and FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. NextPhone security (AI training, SOC 2, BAAs)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  4. NextPhone industriesChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. NextPhone: AI Receptionist on the App StoreChecked Nov 8, 2026

Rosie

  1. Rosie pricing and FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Rosie homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Rosie: dental answering service (new Rosie number at signup, call forwarding)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Rosie Shopify integrationChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Rosie bilingual answering serviceChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Rosie terms of serviceChecked Nov 8, 2026

Phonely

  1. Phonely homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Phonely pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Phonely integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Phonely docs: integrations overviewChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Phonely docs: Transfer CallChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Phonely docs: Call History (transcripts and recordings)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Phonely docs: Send SMSChecked Nov 8, 2026
  8. Phonely docs: Call FlowsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  9. Phonely template: counseling appointments (setup and number forwarding)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  10. Phonely Terms of ServiceChecked Nov 8, 2026

Simple Phones

  1. Simple Phones homepage (features, FAQ and pricing table)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Simple Phones Help: Inbound CallsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Simple Phones Help: Outbound CallsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Simple Phones Help: RoutingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Simple Phones API: Call Details & TranscriptChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Simple Phones privacy policyChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Simple Phones blogChecked Nov 8, 2026

Dialzara

  1. Dialzara homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Dialzara pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Dialzara FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Dialzara featuresChecked Nov 8, 2026