RingRanked

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

Updated 2026-10-29 · Facts checked against vendor websites on the date shown · How we compare

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Short answerSelf-serve AI receptionists cost $24.95 to $99 a month to start (29 Oct 2026). What matters is what that includes: 30 calls (Upfirst), 60 minutes (Dialzara), 150 minutes (Trillet), 250 minutes (Rosie) or 200 minutes (Frontdesk). Overage runs from $0.20 a minute to $1.50 a call. Developer platforms charge per minute ($0.05-$0.31) with no monthly fee, but you build the agent.
ServiceTypeStarting priceFree trialBest for
Upfirst AI $24.95/mo
Starter: 30 calls, $1.50/extra call; $20/mo billed annually		 14 days, no card Small businesses: real estate, law firms, property management, contractors, HVAC Visit site
Dialzara AI $29/mo
Business Lite: 60 min, then $0.48/min; Pro $99 for 220 min		 7 days Small businesses Visit site
Rosie AI $49/mo
Professional: 250 min/mo; Scale $149 (1,000 min), Growth $299 (2,000 min)		 7 days Solo owners and small businesses Visit site
Trillet AI $49/mo
AI Receptionist: 150 min, $0.20/min overage; white-label from $99/mo		 28-day money-back (receptionist); 7-day trial (white-label) Solo owner-operators; agencies (white-label) Visit site
Phonely AI $50/mo
Starter: 200 min (table says 250); $33/mo annual		 not stated Solopreneurs (up to 50 calls/mo) to enterprise Visit site
Goodcall AI $79/mo
Starter: 100 unique customers/mo (~150 calls), then $0.79 each; billed per unique customer, not per minute		 Free demo agent; pay when you connect a number Solo operators to multi-location service businesses Visit site
Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) AI $99/mo
Business-in-a-Box: 200 voice min/mo, overage ~ $0.25/min; $79/mo billed annually		 7 days, no card Growing small businesses; agencies on Partner plan Visit site
Nextiva AI Receptionist (XBert) AI $99/mo
100 interactions, $1.50 each extra		 No; 30-day money-back guarantee Service SMBs: home services, dental, professional services, restaurants Visit site
Sameday AI AI $449/mo
Launch: 500 min, 3 locations; Scale $789 for 1,000 min		 No (demo) Home services: HVAC, plumbing, roofing, pest control, electrical Visit site

Prices and trials from each vendor's own website, checked 2026-10-29. Plans change often: confirm on the vendor's pricing page before you buy.

Price per unit at the entry plan

Worked out from each vendor’s published entry plan (29 Oct 2026). “Effective” assumes you use the whole allowance.

ServiceEntry planIncludedEffective costOver the allowance
Upfirst$24.95/mo30 calls$0.83 per call$1.50 per call
Dialzara$29/mo60 minutes$0.48 per minute$0.48 per minute
Trillet$49/mo150 minutes$0.33 per minute$0.20 per minute
Rosie$49/mo250 minutes$0.20 per minutenot stated on the plan summary we read
Phonely$50/mo200 or 250 minutes (page conflicts)$0.20-$0.25 per minutenot stated
Goodcall$79/mo100 unique callers$0.79 per caller$0.79 per caller
Frontdesk$99/mo200 minutes$0.50 per minuteabout $0.25 per minute
Nextiva$99/mo100 interactions$0.99 per interaction$1.50 per interaction
Sameday AI$449/mo500 minutes, 3 locations$0.90 per minutenot stated

What you get for more money

  • Calendar booking and live transfer. Some vendors put these on higher tiers (Rosie: from $149/mo).
  • More languages. Rosie includes Spanish on every plan; Upfirst lists 35+ languages, Trillet 32, Frontdesk 20+.
  • Industry integrations. Sameday AI connects to ServiceTitan; Nextiva to Housecall Pro; Upfirst to Clio; Frontdesk to AppFolio and Yardi.
  • Multiple locations. Sameday AI’s Launch plan covers 3 locations; Nextiva lists multi-location routing.

Developer platforms: cheap per minute, but you do the work

Retell AI ($0.07-$0.31 per minute, $10 free credit), Vapi ($0.05 per minute hosting plus model and voice costs, $5 credit) and Bland AI ($0.14 per minute on the free Start plan) cost less per minute but are toolkits. You write the prompts, connect a phone number and calendar, test and maintain it. Worth it for agencies or technical owners; for most small businesses a finished receptionist is cheaper once you count your time.

Compare with a human service

A live receptionist costs far more per minute: PATLive’s pay-as-you-go rate was $2.99 a minute and Ruby’s entry plan $250 for 50 minutes ($5 a minute). See answering service cost.

FAQ

What is the cheapest AI receptionist?

On 29 Oct 2026 the lowest self-serve starting price we found was Upfirst at $24.95/mo for 30 calls ($20/mo billed annually). Dialzara starts at $29/mo for 60 minutes. Quo's phone plan from $19/user includes 10 AI-answered calls a month.

Is there a free AI receptionist?

Mostly free trials, not free plans. Upfirst offers 14 days with no card, Frontdesk 7 days with no card, and Rosie and Dialzara 7 days. Goodcall lets you try a demo agent free. Bland AI has a free Start plan, but it is a developer platform charged per minute.

Per minute or per call: which is cheaper?

If your calls are short (under 2 minutes), per-minute plans usually win. If calls are long, per-call (Upfirst) or per-caller (Goodcall) pricing protects you. Work out your average call length from your phone records first.

Are there hidden costs?

Watch for overage rates, features locked to higher tiers (on Rosie, calendar booking and live transfer start at $149), add-on prices per call (Smith.ai charges $1.50 per booked appointment), and annual-billing discounts that lock you in.

Sources