Receptionist Picks
English

Synthflow alternatives now that it's enterprise-only

Synthflow no longer sells self-serve plans. Pay-as-you-go platforms to build on, and ready-made AI receptionists you can try free, ranked with prices at 200 calls.

At a glance

At a glance
ServiceBillingIncludedTry it freeBooks appointmentsTransfers live callsTexts callersHuman backup
Synthflow–Custom quote–NoYesYesYesNot stated
Retell AI–Per minute–Free trialYesYesYesNot stated
Bland AI$19.99/moPer minuteUnlimitedFree planYesYesYesNot stated
Vapi$29/moPer minute–Free trialYesYesYesNot stated
Goodcall$79/moFlat rate–Free trialYesYesYesNot stated
Upfirst$24.95/moPer call30 callsFree trialYesYesYesNot stated
NextPhone$199/moFlat rateUnlimitedFree trialYesYesYesNot stated

Synthflow used to be a common recommendation for small businesses that wanted to build their own AI receptionist without code. That’s no longer how it sells. New customers get an annual Enterprise contract, quoted by sales after a scoping call, with no free plan, no trial and no per-minute rate (Synthflow pricing). Synthflow says launches take weeks, depending on integrations, your phone system and the security review.

For a contact center or a multi-location brand, that’s fine. For a plumber, a law office or a salon that wanted to try something this afternoon, it’s a dead end. This list covers both ways forward.

  • Ranks 1 to 3 are voice-agent platforms you can still sign up for and pay as you go. You build the agent, as you would have on Synthflow’s old self-serve plans.
  • Ranks 4 to 6 are ready-made AI receptionists. Nothing to build: you describe your business, forward your calls and they answer.

Prices are worked out for one example business: 200 calls a month at about 3 minutes each, so 600 minutes.

Platforms you can still start on today

1. Retell AI is the nearest match to what Synthflow used to be. You build in a dashboard, either as one prompt or as a drag-and-drop conversation flow, and its Auto Receptionist setup starts from your website. Retell says a standard setup needs no engineering team and most front desks go live in a few days (Retell Auto Receptionist). It books into Cal.com and GoHighLevel, as Synthflow does, plus Calendly, Google Calendar and Squarespace Scheduling. Pricing is pay-as-you-go with no contract: Retell puts the all-in rate at $0.07 to $0.31 a minute, so about $42 to $186 for 600 minutes, plus $2 a month per number (Retell pricing). Like Synthflow, it offers HIPAA.

2. Bland AI shares Synthflow’s enterprise pitch and its forward-deployed engineers, but still has a free self-serve plan. One rate covers the AI: $0.14 a minute on Start, so $84 for 600 minutes, plus $0.05 per transferred minute (Bland pricing). You build agents with plain-language prompts on a visual canvas. For a small business the gaps are texting, warm transfers and a HIPAA BAA, all on Enterprise, and booking that’s documented only for Cal.com. Read our Bland AI review.

3. Vapi is the developer’s choice: you pick the language model, voice and transcription, and pay $0.05 a minute for hosting plus those providers at cost. Vapi’s calculator works out to about $0.08 to $0.13 a minute, so about $49 to $77 for 600 minutes (Vapi pricing). It has dashboard templates for support and appointment scheduling, but it’s less friendly to non-developers than Synthflow’s visual builder was, and HIPAA is a $2,000-a-month add-on. See Retell AI vs Vapi.

Ready-made AI receptionists

If you came to Synthflow because you wanted a receptionist, not a building project, these are the better fit. Each publishes its price, has a free trial or free demo, and runs month to month.

4. Goodcall keeps the no-code feel without the flow chart. You set it up by describing your business to Gabi, its built-in assistant, by typing or talking; Gabi writes the greeting and steps, runs practice calls, and publishes changes only when you approve them (Goodcall). Billing is per unique caller, not per minute, so long calls and repeat callers cost nothing extra. Starter is $79 for 100 unique callers and Growth $129 for 500, which covers our 200-call business with room to spare. It books into Google Calendar and transfers to up to three people in turn. The catch: it answers in English only, where Synthflow lists more than 30 languages.

5. Upfirst covers 200 calls with every feature on every plan. The $159.95 Pro plan has 300 calls, and booking (Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square, Clio Manage), warm transfers and texts are on every plan (Upfirst pricing). Spam and calls under 15 seconds don’t count. For multi-location businesses, each extra agent is $9.95 a month, and an Enterprise plan covers 1,000+ calls and signs BAAs. The 14-day trial needs no card.

6. NextPhone suits owners who want someone else to do the setup, which is what Synthflow’s engineers now offer at enterprise scale. On the $299 Growth plan, NextPhone’s team builds, tests and tunes your agent and connects your CRM (Clio, MyCase, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Jobber and others). Every plan has unlimited inbound calls with no per-minute charges (NextPhone pricing). The $199 Pro plan is self-serve. It doesn’t sign BAAs.

Who should still go to Synthflow

Contact centers, outsourced call centers and multi-location brands with the volume for an annual contract. Synthflow plugs into phone systems like Five9, RingCentral, 8x8 and Zoom, offers white-label workspaces, and builds the agents with you. Our Synthflow review covers that in detail.

Everyone else has faster options. If you have a developer, start with Retell AI. If you don’t, try Goodcall or Upfirst this week, and see the best AI receptionists for small business for the full ranking.

Alternatives

  1. Retell AI

    Our pick

    –

    A pay-as-you-go platform for building AI phone agents: you set up the agent, number and integrations, and pay per minute for each part of the stack.

    Strengths

    • No platform fee or contract: start with $10 in free credits and pay per second of use
    • A dashboard builder with templates, plus an Auto Receptionist setup that starts from your website
    • Books into Cal.com, Calendly and GoHighLevel and syncs calls to HubSpot, Salesforce and other CRMs
    • Keep your existing number over SIP, or buy one for $2 a month
    • Self-serve HIPAA BAA at no extra fee, plus SOC 2 Type II
    • Agents can speak 55 languages, depending on the voice and speech-recognition providers chosen

    Weaknesses

    • You build and tune the agent yourself, or pay an implementation team or partner to do it
    • The per-minute price stacks several fees (platform, model, voice, telephony, add-ons), so the real cost depends on choices a business owner may not understand
    • Silence and hold time are billed, and numbers, SMS and extra concurrency cost extra each month
    • Retell's own pages disagree on details such as the free allowance (60 minutes or $10 in credit)
    Visit Retell AI
  2. Bland AI

    $19.99/mo

    An enterprise voice AI platform running on its own models, with one per-minute rate that covers the AI; self-serve plans start at $0.14 a minute.

    Strengths

    • One per-minute rate covers the AI, so there are no separate model, voice or transcription bills
    • Free Start plan with an inbound number and no card required
    • Runs on its own models, with on-premises or VPC deployment for enterprise customers
    • Speaks 40+ languages and can switch language mid-call
    • HIPAA with a BAA, SOC 2 Type II and GDPR for regulated businesses

    Weaknesses

    • Pitched at enterprises: the receptionist is yours to build, and hands-on help from Bland's engineers comes with Enterprise
    • Texting, warm transfers and the HIPAA BAA are Enterprise-only (texting also comes with the Agent Phone plan)
    • The Start plan caps you at 100 calls a day, and transferred minutes cost extra
    • Lower rates need the $299-a-month Build plan
    • Booking is documented only for Cal.com
    Visit Bland AI
  3. Vapi

    $29/mo

    A developer platform for voice AI agents: $0.05 a minute hosting plus the model, voice and transcription you pick, billed at cost.

    Strengths

    • Pick any model, voice and transcriber, billed at provider cost with no markup
    • A free US number and $5 in credits let you call a test agent within minutes
    • Dashboard templates for support and appointment scheduling, with Google Calendar and GoHighLevel booking tools
    • Blind and warm transfers, call recordings and an automatic summary after each call
    • Deep developer tooling: API, SDKs, CLI, config as code, simulations and monitoring

    Weaknesses

    • Built for developers: the receptionist logic, tools and providers are yours to configure
    • Costs stack from separate hosting, model, voice, transcription and telephony charges
    • The free number is US-only and inbound-only; outbound calls need a number from Twilio, Telnyx or another carrier
    • Texting needs your own Twilio account
    • HIPAA costs $2,000 a month extra
    Visit Vapi
  4. Goodcall

    $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
  5. Upfirst

    $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
  6. NextPhone

    $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

Features

Features
SynthflowRetell AIBland AIVapiGoodcallUpfirstNextPhone
Starts at––$19.99/mo$29/mo$79/mo$24.95/mo$199/mo
BillingCustom quotePer minutePer minutePer minuteFlat ratePer callFlat rate
Free planNoNoYesNoNoNoNo
Free trialNo$10 in free creditsFree Start plan with 2 credits and an inbound number, no card required$5 in free credits and a free US number for inbound callsFree 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 charged
Month to monthNoYesNot statedYesYesYesYes
Setup feeNot statedNoneNot statedNoneNoneNot statedNone
Phone number includedNoNoYesYesYesYesYes
Keep your numberYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Transfers live callsYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Books appointmentsYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Texts callersYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Call summariesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Call recordingYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Outbound callsYesYesYesYesNot statedNot statedNot stated
Spam filteringNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedYesYesYes
Human backupNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot statedNot stated
HIPAAYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
LanguagesEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Catalan, Welsh, Greek, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Hebrew, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese, IndonesianAfrikaans, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Filipino, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Nepali, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, WelshEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Greek, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Hindi, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, MalayNot statedEnglishEnglish, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, VietnameseEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese
CalendarsCal.com, GoHighLevelCal.com, Calendly, GoHighLevel, Google Calendar, Squarespace SchedulingCal.comGoogle Calendar, GoHighLevelGoogle CalendarGoogle Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square, Clio ManageGoogle Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Cal.com, OnceHub
IntegrationsSalesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Zendesk, Freshworks, GoHighLevel, Twilio, Telnyx, Vonage, RingCentral, Five9, 8x8, ZoomHubSpot, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho CRM, GoHighLevel, Zendesk, Jobber, QuickBooks, Zapier, Make, n8n, Twilio, Vonage, TelnyxSalesforce, HubSpot, Slack, TwilioGoHighLevel, Twilio, Telnyx, VonageGoogle 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, Webhooks
IndustriesHealthcare, Legal, Real estate, Home servicesAny businessHealthcare, Insurance, Financial services, Utilities, GovernmentAny businessAny 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, Automotive

Sources

Synthflow

  1. Synthflow pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Synthflow homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Synthflow: Enterprise AI receptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Synthflow: Voice AI cost (no self-serve plans for new customers)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Synthflow docs: TelephonyChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Synthflow docs: Supported languagesChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Synthflow docs: General configuration (AI models)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  8. Synthflow docs: Cal.comChecked Nov 8, 2026
  9. Synthflow docs: GoHighLevelChecked Nov 8, 2026
  10. Synthflow docs: Post-call SMSChecked Nov 8, 2026
  11. Synthflow docs: Post-call webhook (summary, transcript, recording)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  12. Synthflow docs: Flow DesignerChecked Nov 8, 2026
  13. Synthflow docs: Multi-agent systemChecked Nov 8, 2026
  14. Synthflow docs: Phone numbers ($1.50 a month per purchased number)Checked Nov 8, 2026

Retell AI

  1. Retell AI pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Retell AI homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Retell AI: Auto ReceptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Retell AI: Small business virtual receptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Retell docs: IntroductionChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Retell docs: IntegrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Retell docs: Supported languages by providerChecked Nov 8, 2026
  8. Retell docs: Post-call analysisChecked Nov 8, 2026
  9. Retell docs: Send SMSChecked Nov 8, 2026
  10. Retell docs: Data storage settings (recordings)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  11. Retell docs: Compliance (HIPAA BAA)Checked Nov 8, 2026

Bland AI

  1. Bland pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Bland homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Bland docs: BillingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Bland docs: Agent Phone planChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Bland docs: Purchase a phone numberChecked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Bland docs: Bring your own TwilioChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Bland docs: Agent builderChecked Nov 8, 2026
  8. Bland docs: Integration tools (Cal.com, Salesforce, Slack)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  9. Bland docs: HubSpot integrationChecked Nov 8, 2026
  10. Bland docs: SMSChecked Nov 8, 2026
  11. Bland docs: Warm transferChecked Nov 8, 2026
  12. Bland docs: Call details (summary, transcript, recording)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  13. Bland docs: Send call (supported languages)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  14. Bland docs: Blocked numbersChecked Nov 8, 2026

Vapi

  1. Vapi pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  2. Vapi docs: IntroductionChecked Nov 8, 2026
  3. Vapi docs: Phone quickstartChecked Nov 8, 2026
  4. Vapi docs: Free Vapi numbersChecked Nov 8, 2026
  5. Vapi docs: Default tools (transfer, SMS)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  6. Vapi docs: Google Calendar toolChecked Nov 8, 2026
  7. Vapi docs: GoHighLevel toolsChecked Nov 8, 2026
  8. Vapi docs: Transfer callChecked Nov 8, 2026
  9. Vapi docs: Call analysis (summaries)Checked Nov 8, 2026
  10. Vapi docs: Call recordingChecked Nov 8, 2026
  11. Vapi docs: Multilingual supportChecked Nov 8, 2026
  12. Vapi docs: Model providersChecked Nov 8, 2026
  13. Vapi docs: HIPAAChecked Nov 8, 2026

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