#1Top pickFree option
AI receptionist with live North America-based receptionists as backup
Smith.ai is an answering service that combines an AI receptionist with human receptionists who can take over calls. The AI answers, qualifies and routes calls, and complex calls can be transferred to a live receptionist at any hour. It connects to CRMs and scheduling tools and is popular with law firms and service businesses.
Why it's here
- +Live receptionists available as backup
- +Free AI plan to start
- +Clio, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations
- +Can take payments via LawPay, Square, PayPal
Watch out for
- −Priced per call, which adds up for busy lines
- −Human plans are much pricier than AI-only rivals
- −Extra CRM integrations cost per call
Free · from $150/moAutonomous
#2
AI phone answering for small businesses, from $49/mo
Rosie is an AI answering service that picks up a small business's calls 24/7, answers questions and takes messages. It trains itself from your Google Business profile and website, books appointments on higher plans, and can transfer callers to staff. It works in English and Spanish and includes a website chat widget.
Why it's here
- +Low entry price with minutes included
- +Learns from your website and Google profile
- +English and Spanish
- +iOS and Android apps
Watch out for
- −Calendar booking needs the $149 plan
- −Live transfers not on the cheapest plan
- −Minute caps per plan
#3
AI phone agent billed per unique caller, not per minute
Goodcall is an AI phone agent platform that answers business calls, captures leads and handles routine requests. Billing counts unique customers per month rather than minutes or calls, and spam and wrong numbers are not counted. You can build and hear a demo agent free before connecting a number.
Why it's here
- +No per-minute or per-call charges
- +Spam calls not billed
- +Edit the agent in plain English
- +Local number included
Watch out for
- −Overage per extra customer on Starter is high
- −Few external tool connections on Starter
- −Short call history on the base plan
#4
Per-call AI answering service with a no-card free trial
Upfirst is an AI answering service that answers every call, overflow calls or after-hours calls for a small business. It books appointments on Google, Outlook and Calendly, sends call summaries, and can text callers back. Pricing is per call, and spam or calls under 15 seconds are not billed.
Why it's here
- +Free trial needs no credit card
- +35+ languages
- +Spam and short calls not billed
- +Zero data retention option
Watch out for
- −Per-call pricing punishes long-tail volume
- −Base plan only covers 30 calls
- −Fewer deep CRM integrations
#5
AI receptionist plus web chat, SMS and a built-in CRM
My AI Front Desk is an AI receptionist that answers calls and also runs web chat, two-way SMS and follow-up sequences from one account. It includes a simple CRM, a knowledge base and outbound calling limits. It supports 20+ languages and claims setup in about five minutes.
Why it's here
- +Phone, chat, SMS and email drafts bundled
- +Built-in CRM and automations
- +Monthly, no contract
- +Partner plan for agencies
Watch out for
- −Usage caps across many channels to track
- −Knowledge base limited to 20 pages
- −Only one self-serve plan
#6
Budget AI receptionist that books, qualifies and routes calls
Dialzara is an AI receptionist that answers calls 24/7, books appointments, qualifies leads and transcribes voicemails. Plans are priced by included minutes, starting at 60 minutes a month. Add-ons cover SMS, a website chatbot and outbound calling.
Why it's here
- +Cheapest entry plan in this list
- +White-glove onboarding on paid plans
- +CRM and calendar integration from the base plan
Watch out for
- −Warm transfer only on the $349 plan
- −Overage around $0.35–$0.48/min
- −Self-editing the prompt needs a higher tier
#7
Business phone system with Sona, an AI agent that answers calls
Quo is a business phone system (formerly OpenPhone) that includes Sona, an AI agent that answers calls 24/7. Sona comes with every plan and uses call credits, with 10 calls included free. It suits teams that want a shared business number and AI answering in the same app.
Why it's here
- +Phone system and AI agent in one bill
- +Low per-user price
- +AI answering included on every plan
Watch out for
- −AI calls are metered on top of seats
- −Fewer AI customization options than voice platforms
- −Per-user pricing grows with team size
From $15/user/moAutonomous
#8
AI receptionist inside Weave's patient communication platform
Weave AI Receptionist is an AI agent in Weave's practice communication platform that answers calls and texts around the clock. It books appointments, answers common questions and captures appointment requests. It suits healthcare practices that already use or want Weave for phones and texting.
Why it's here
- +Phones, texting and AI in one system
- +Handles calls and texts
- +Built for practices
Watch out for
- −Pricing not public
- −Most useful if you adopt the whole Weave platform
- −Fewer customization options than voice platforms
#9
AI receptionist for P&C insurance agencies, connected to your AMS
Sonant is an AI receptionist for property and casualty insurance agencies, brokers and distributors. It answers calls 24/7, handles quote intake and service requests, books appointments and transfers calls to agents, then writes call summaries to the agency system. It is an Applied Epic certified partner and integrates with EZLynx, HawkSoft and AMS360.
Why it's here
- +Insurance-specific call handling
- +Writes to your AMS
- +Multilingual
Watch out for
- −No published pricing
- −Only fits insurance agencies
- −Requires a demo to start
#10
No-code AI voice agents for inbound and outbound calls
CallFluent AI is a no-code builder for AI voice agents that handle inbound and outbound calls for bookings, reminders, surveys and support. It offers hundreds of voices and many languages and connects to Google Calendar, GoHighLevel and Zapier. You bring your own Twilio account for phone numbers.
Why it's here
- +Cheap flat plans
- +Inbound and outbound on Business plan
- +White-label option for agencies
Watch out for
- −Needs your own Twilio account
- −Starter is inbound only
- −Advertised discounts make list price unclear
#11
AI agents that schedule, do intake and recall for medical practices
Hello Patient is an AI agent platform for healthcare practices that handles patient calls, texts and chats. Its agents book appointments 24/7, verify insurance at intake, follow up on no-shows and run recall campaigns. It integrates with EHRs including Epic, ModMed, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks and NextGen.
Why it's here
- +Wide EHR integration list
- +Phone, text and chat
- +Covers 20+ specialties including vet
Watch out for
- −No public pricing
- −Healthcare only
- −Requires a sales call