Find the best AI receptionist for your business, fast
We track 33 AI phone-answering tools: real prices, included minutes, overage fees and fine print. See the top pick for your situation in seconds.
What's new in AI receptionists
Jobholler launches a 24/7 AI receptionist for contractors
Built for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing shops. Plans: Starter $85/mo, Core $149/mo, Pro $399/mo. Free 3-day trial.
Read source → · See in comparisonPerceny introduces Percy, an AI receptionist for salons
Included on the Elite plan; Business plans add Two-Way Messaging for $50/month. AI usage is paid from messaging credits (1 credit = $1).
Read source → · See in comparisonVirtualPBX offers a free personalized AI receptionist preview
The AI Employee is $99/month. New customers also get Smarter Voice phone service for up to 5 people.
Read source → · See in comparison800.com launches a 7-day free trial of its AI Agents
250 trial minutes. A card is required and gets charged on day 8. AI Starter costs $49/mo (annual) or $59 (monthly), and AI Grow costs $124 or $149.
Read source → · See in comparisonSaaSyVoice launches an English/Spanish AI phone receptionist
Plans from $29/month. 14-day free trial with no card required.
Read source → · See in comparisonBest AI receptionist by category
Top overall: Highest overall score across all tools with a published price.
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
25 calls (Free); 75 calls (Pro) included · Free plan · for Law firms / lead qualification
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam counts toward quota except auto-filtered known spammers (10% removal allowance); 30 days' notice to cancel; per-call billing
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
SaaSyVoice
60 min (Basic); 300 min (Solo $79) included · 14-day free trial, no card, 15 live min · for U.S. small businesses; solo operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Extra phone numbers $5/mo; trial ends at 14 days or 15 minutes; no BAAs (don't use for PHI)
Callin.io
215 min included · 7-day free trial · for Agencies / DIY
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Unused minutes roll over 30 days
Trillet AI Receptionist
150 min included · 28-day money-back guarantee (no trial) · for Solo owner-operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Inbound only, no CRM integration, cannot be resold
Small business: Tools aimed at small or local service businesses (trades, salons, law, restaurants). +2 for that fit. Developer and enterprise platforms are excluded.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
25 calls (Free); 75 calls (Pro) included · Free plan · for Law firms / lead qualification
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam counts toward quota except auto-filtered known spammers (10% removal allowance); 30 days' notice to cancel; per-call billing
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
SaaSyVoice
60 min (Basic); 300 min (Solo $79) included · 14-day free trial, no card, 15 live min · for U.S. small businesses; solo operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Extra phone numbers $5/mo; trial ends at 14 days or 15 minutes; no BAAs (don't use for PHI)
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Marlie AI
250 min included · 2-week money-back guarantee · for Restaurants, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Basic has no call transfer, 1 action/call
Solopreneur: Starts at $100/mo or less. +2 if the vendor says it's for solo operators or solopreneurs.
SaaSyVoice
60 min (Basic); 300 min (Solo $79) included · 14-day free trial, no card, 15 live min · for U.S. small businesses; solo operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Extra phone numbers $5/mo; trial ends at 14 days or 15 minutes; no BAAs (don't use for PHI)
Trillet AI Receptionist
150 min included · 28-day money-back guarantee (no trial) · for Solo owner-operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Inbound only, no CRM integration, cannot be resold
AI-Receptionist.com
75 min (Essential) included · 7-day free trial, no card, 30 live min · for Solopreneurs
⚠ True-cost gotchas: When minutes run out receptionist STOPS answering new calls unless booster minutes; US/Canada only
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Goodcall
100 unique customers (~150 calls) included · Free demo agent (pay when number connected) · for Solo operators / busy shops
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Bills per unique caller, not minutes; spam/wrong numbers excluded; 30-day call history on Starter
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
25 calls (Free); 75 calls (Pro) included · Free plan · for Law firms / lead qualification
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam counts toward quota except auto-filtered known spammers (10% removal allowance); 30 days' notice to cancel; per-call billing
Budget: Starts at $50/mo or less, ranked by score, then cheapest first.
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
25 calls (Free); 75 calls (Pro) included · Free plan · for Law firms / lead qualification
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam counts toward quota except auto-filtered known spammers (10% removal allowance); 30 days' notice to cancel; per-call billing
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
SaaSyVoice
60 min (Basic); 300 min (Solo $79) included · 14-day free trial, no card, 15 live min · for U.S. small businesses; solo operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Extra phone numbers $5/mo; trial ends at 14 days or 15 minutes; no BAAs (don't use for PHI)
Callin.io
215 min included · 7-day free trial · for Agencies / DIY
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Unused minutes roll over 30 days
Trillet AI Receptionist
150 min included · 28-day money-back guarantee (no trial) · for Solo owner-operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Inbound only, no CRM integration, cannot be resold
High call volume: Includes 150+ minutes/calls or unlimited calls. +2 for unlimited, +1 for 200 or more.
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
SaaSyVoice
60 min (Basic); 300 min (Solo $79) included · 14-day free trial, no card, 15 live min · for U.S. small businesses; solo operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Extra phone numbers $5/mo; trial ends at 14 days or 15 minutes; no BAAs (don't use for PHI)
Callin.io
215 min included · 7-day free trial · for Agencies / DIY
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Unused minutes roll over 30 days
Phonely
100 min Free; 250 min Starter included · Free plan
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Post-transfer minutes may be billed
Trillet AI Receptionist
150 min included · 28-day money-back guarantee (no trial) · for Solo owner-operators
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Inbound only, no CRM integration, cannot be resold
Marlie AI
250 min included · 2-week money-back guarantee · for Restaurants, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Basic has no call transfer, 1 action/call
Plumbers: Plumbers miss calls while on a job, and many calls are urgent leaks or no-water emergencies. Look for live transfer to whoever is on call, booking into your schedule, and a flat or predictable price for busy weeks. See full page →
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
800.com AI Agents
250 min during trial (plan allowances not published on fetched page) included · 7-day free trial · for Home services, real estate, legal, healthcare, property management
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Pricing page blocked our fetch, so prices come from the 2026-10-07 press release; press release says card charged on day 8, AI page says no card required; booking & CRM sync on AI Grow ($149, $124 annual); 30-day money-back guarantee
Jobber Receptionist
14-day Jobber trial · for Home service / field service
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Add-on to Jobber subscription; 1-year commitment options
Rosie
250 min (Professional) included · 7-day free trial · for Plumbing, HVAC, construction, electricians, home services
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Calendar booking & live transfers only from $149 Scale; overage rate not published on page
Jobholler
1 AI receptionist line; call handling included (no per-minute charges per launch release) included · 7-day free trial, no card · for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing contractors
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Quick-book self-scheduling only on Pro ($399); voicemail transcripts & review requests from Core ($149); launch release said 3-day trial, pricing page says 7-day
Compare the top 3 → · See full Plumbers page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
HVAC Companies: HVAC call volume spikes in heat waves and cold snaps. Look for emergency transfer, booking, field-service software integrations, and overage pricing that won't punish a busy month. See full page →
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
800.com AI Agents
250 min during trial (plan allowances not published on fetched page) included · 7-day free trial · for Home services, real estate, legal, healthcare, property management
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Pricing page blocked our fetch, so prices come from the 2026-10-07 press release; press release says card charged on day 8, AI page says no card required; booking & CRM sync on AI Grow ($149, $124 annual); 30-day money-back guarantee
AgentZap
150 min included · 30-day money-back guarantee · for HVAC and others
⚠ True-cost gotchas: $499 one-time setup fee on every plan; highest overage seen
Jobber Receptionist
14-day Jobber trial · for Home service / field service
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Add-on to Jobber subscription; 1-year commitment options
Rosie
250 min (Professional) included · 7-day free trial · for Plumbing, HVAC, construction, electricians, home services
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Calendar booking & live transfers only from $149 Scale; overage rate not published on page
Compare the top 3 → · See full HVAC Companies page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
Contractors & Electricians: Contractors need lead capture on missed calls and quick callbacks. Integrations with job-management software save retyping. See full page →
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
800.com AI Agents
250 min during trial (plan allowances not published on fetched page) included · 7-day free trial · for Home services, real estate, legal, healthcare, property management
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Pricing page blocked our fetch, so prices come from the 2026-10-07 press release; press release says card charged on day 8, AI page says no card required; booking & CRM sync on AI Grow ($149, $124 annual); 30-day money-back guarantee
Jobber Receptionist
14-day Jobber trial · for Home service / field service
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Add-on to Jobber subscription; 1-year commitment options
Rosie
250 min (Professional) included · 7-day free trial · for Plumbing, HVAC, construction, electricians, home services
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Calendar booking & live transfers only from $149 Scale; overage rate not published on page
Jobholler
1 AI receptionist line; call handling included (no per-minute charges per launch release) included · 7-day free trial, no card · for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing contractors
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Quick-book self-scheduling only on Pro ($399); voicemail transcripts & review requests from Core ($149); launch release said 3-day trial, pricing page says 7-day
Compare the top 3 → · See full Contractors & Electricians page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
Salons & Spas: Salons mostly need appointment booking into a calendar and texted confirmations, at a price that fits a small shop. See full page →
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Marlie AI
250 min included · 2-week money-back guarantee · for Restaurants, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Basic has no call transfer, 1 action/call
Perceny (Percy)
for Salons, barbershops
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Percy requires Business plan + $50/mo Two-Way Messaging add-on (included on Elite $399.99/location); not on Entry ($99.99); AI usage is usage-based
Compare the top 3 → · See full Salons & Spas page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
Clinics & Dental Offices: Clinics need appointment booking and careful handling of patient information. None of the pricing pages we track publish HIPAA terms, so ask any vendor for a BAA before signing. See full page →
Thin data: only 2 tool(s) in our data list clinics & dental offices or clinics & dental offices software as a fit. Many general tools may still work. See all tools.
800.com AI Agents
250 min during trial (plan allowances not published on fetched page) included · 7-day free trial · for Home services, real estate, legal, healthcare, property management
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Pricing page blocked our fetch, so prices come from the 2026-10-07 press release; press release says card charged on day 8, AI page says no card required; booking & CRM sync on AI Grow ($149, $124 annual); 30-day money-back guarantee
AgentZap
150 min included · 30-day money-back guarantee · for HVAC and others
⚠ True-cost gotchas: $499 one-time setup fee on every plan; highest overage seen
Compare the top 3 → · See full Clinics & Dental Offices page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
Law Firms: Law firms need intake and lead qualification, confidentiality, and practice-management integrations such as Clio or MyCase. See full page →
NextPhone
Unlimited calls · 7-day free trial · for Law firms, trades, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Flat-rate unlimited; 2-way SMS only on Scale ($599)
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
25 calls (Free); 75 calls (Pro) included · Free plan · for Law firms / lead qualification
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam counts toward quota except auto-filtered known spammers (10% removal allowance); 30 days' notice to cancel; per-call billing
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
800.com AI Agents
250 min during trial (plan allowances not published on fetched page) included · 7-day free trial · for Home services, real estate, legal, healthcare, property management
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Pricing page blocked our fetch, so prices come from the 2026-10-07 press release; press release says card charged on day 8, AI page says no card required; booking & CRM sync on AI Grow ($149, $124 annual); 30-day money-back guarantee
Quo (OpenPhone) Sona
10 Sona calls (1,000 credits) included included · 7-day free trial · for Home services teams already on Quo
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Sona usage via credit tiers ($25-$199/mo); $19.50 TCR fee + $1.50-3/mo messaging fee
Abby Connect
50 Abby Minutes (AI = 0.5 min each, ~100 AI min) included · Free trial · for Law, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Hybrid human/AI
Compare the top 3 → · See full Law Firms page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
Restaurants: Restaurants get repetitive calls about hours, menus and orders. Point-of-sale integrations help. See full page →
Marlie AI
250 min included · 2-week money-back guarantee · for Restaurants, service businesses
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Basic has no call transfer, 1 action/call
Upfirst
30 calls included · 14-day free trial
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Spam and <15s calls not billed; extra agents $9.95/mo
Aircall AI Voice Agents
50 min/mo free + 100 at signup included · Free access
⚠ True-cost gotchas: Phone plans need min 3 licenses
Compare the top 3 → · See full Restaurants page →
Trade fit bonus: +3 if the vendor lists this trade in its "best for" description, +1 for each matching trade-software integration (max +2). This is added to the overall score explained in How we rank. Only tools with some trade fit are shown.
How we rank
Every point comes straight from the vendor's public pricing page, as recorded in our data. We haven't call-tested these tools and we don't accept payment for placement.
- +2 published price · +2 starts at $50/mo or less (or +1 at $51–150)
- +2 free trial or free plan (or +1 money-back guarantee)
- +1 overage rate published · +1 included minutes/calls published (or +2 unlimited) · +1 4+ integrations listed
- −1 for each fine-print gotcha: setup fee, stops answering when minutes run out, requires another paid plan, unpublished details, hard caps, billing quirks like rounding or charging for silence
Each category adds a small, clearly labeled fit bonus or filter. Ties go to the cheaper tool. Tools with no published price aren't ranked, but they're all in All tools.
AI receptionist price changes and hidden fees for local service businesses.
By trade: Plumbers · HVAC Companies · Contractors & Electricians · Salons & Spas · Clinics & Dental Offices · Law Firms · Restaurants · Hidden fees · All 33 tools