Buyer’s guide · 8 options · Updated 15 September 2026

Best AI receptionist for small business in 2026: 8 options compared on what you pay.

Every price below was read off the vendor’s own pricing page on 15 September 2026, and each one links to that page. Per-call, per-minute and flat plans are costed at the same call volume, so you compare like with like. TheBigBot is our product and it is on the list. We say where the others are the better buy.

See the comparison → Jump to the reviews

Short answer

For low call volume on a tight budget, Upfirst from $24.95 a month. For a human safety net, Smith.ai, whose AI can hand calls to its live agents. For long calls, Goodcall from $79, billed per caller rather than per minute. For calls, CRM and follow-up in one login, TheBigBot at $197 a month plus AI minutes.

$24.95

Lowest paid AI plan we checked (Upfirst Starter, 30 calls)

$250

Ruby’s entry live-receptionist plan, 50 minutes

$2.00

Smith.ai Pro price per included AI call

2 of 8

Options on this page that include a CRM

Sources: each vendor’s own pricing page, checked 15 September 2026. Links in the table and the sources section.

01 · How we compared

Our methodology, and our bias.

TheBigBot is one of the eight products on this page. Read it knowing that. What we can offer instead of neutrality is a comparison where the other tools are described accurately and the cases they win are named, because a guide where the author wins every category is no use to a buyer.

Every option is compared on five things: how the vendor charges (per call, per minute, per unique caller, or a flat plan), the starting price of a plan that answers calls, whether that plan books straight into your calendar, whether a CRM is included, and what happens when a caller needs a person.

On sourcing: every price and plan feature was read from the vendor’s own pricing page on 15 September 2026 and is linked where it appears. Where a page does not publish something, such as Rosie’s rate for extra minutes or Ruby’s overage, we say it is not listed rather than guess. We compared published pricing and plan features, not call quality; we did not place test calls, so use each vendor’s free trial for that. If something here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it, including where the correction favours a competitor.

Ruby is a live, human receptionist service, not an AI tool. It is here because it is what most small businesses weigh an AI receptionist against. Build-your-own voice AI platforms aimed at developers and agencies are left out: they have to be built before they answer a single call.

02 · Side by side

Eight AI receptionists, on price and on what the plan does.

Starting price is the cheapest published plan that answers calls. The booking and transfer columns say which plan includes them, because that is where the headline price and the real price split.

Tool	Best for	Starting price	Pricing model	24/7	Books appointments	CRM included	Live-human fallback
Upfirst	Low call volume, quick setup	$24.95 / month for 30 calls	Per call; $1.50 per extra call on Starter	Yes	Yes, on every plan	No; connects through Zapier	Warm transfer to your team, every plan
Smith.ai AI Receptionist	Callers who sometimes need a person	$0 for 25 calls; Pro $150 / month for 75	Per call; $3.00 per extra call on Free, $2.50 on Pro	Yes	Yes, AI scheduling (Calendly and others)	No; native integrations incl. Clio, Zapier	Transfer to Smith.ai’s live receptionists, day or night
TheBigBot	Calls, CRM and follow-up in one login	$197 / month, plus $499 one-time setup	Flat plan, no cap on calls; AI minutes $0.12 to $0.24	Yes	Yes, from live calendar availability	Yes, full CRM	Live transfer to your team
Goodcall	Long calls	$79 / month per agent, 100 unique callers	Per unique caller; $0.50 each extra; unlimited minutes	Yes	Yes, through calendar integrations	No; connects through Zapier	Transfer to your business line or a named contact
Rosie	Answering and messages on a small budget	$49 / month for 250 minutes	Minute bucket; extra-minute rate not listed	Yes	Texts a booking link on $49; books directly from $149	No; connects through Zapier	Live and warm transfers from $149
My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk)	AI answering plus a light CRM	$99 / month, or $79 billed annually, 200 minutes	Minutes plus credits; 25 credits ($0.25) per extra minute	Yes	Yes	Yes, AI-native CRM	Call transfer to your team (2 transfer actions on Business)
Dialzara	Paying by the minute with rates in writing	$29 / month for 60 minutes	Minute bucket; $0.48 to $0.35 per extra minute by plan	Yes	Calendar sync from Pro, $99	No; Make, Zapier or API	Blind transfer on every plan; warm transfer from Pro
Ruby (live receptionists)	Callers who expect a person	$250 / month for 50 minutes	Per minute, answered by staff	Yes	Scheduling available	No	Every call is answered by a person

Checked 15 September 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page. Monthly billing shown unless stated; several vendors discount annual plans. Taxes and carrier fees excluded. Always get your own quote.

03 · By situation

Which AI receptionist is best for small business?

There is no single best one. There is a best one for your call volume, your call length and what you already own.

👤

Solo owner, a few calls a day

Upfirst Starter at $24.95 for 30 calls books into your calendar on the entry plan. Dialzara Lite is $29 for 60 minutes but has no calendar sync.

🙋

Some callers need a person

Smith.ai answers with AI first and can transfer to its own live receptionists at any hour. If every call should reach a person, Ruby.

⏱

Calls run long

Goodcall bills per unique caller with unlimited minutes, so a ten-minute quote call costs the same as a one-minute one.

📅

Booking is the whole point

Check the plan, not the brand. Upfirst books on every plan; Rosie books directly from $149 and Dialzara syncs calendars from $99.

🗂

You want a CRM with it

Frontdesk includes an AI-native CRM, chat and SMS for $99. TheBigBot includes a full CRM plus the website, follow-up and review requests.

🦷

Dental or medical calls

Ask for a signed BAA before patient calls touch any tool. Ruby lists HIPAA-compliant services; TheBigBot’s HIPAA add-on is $297 a month. See the dental answering service page.

04 · The eight, one at a time

What each one is actually for.

Where it wins, where it falls short, and who should pick it. Every figure is from the vendor’s own pricing page.

Upfirst

From $24.95 / month for 30 calls · per call · booking and warm transfer on every plan

Wins: the lowest entry price here that still books straight into Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity or Calendly, with warm transfers, 35+ languages and a 14-day trial with no credit card. You choose whether it answers every call, only overflow, or only after hours. Falls short: per-call pricing makes a busy month cost more, at $1.50 per extra call on Starter, and there is no CRM; caller details go to yours through Zapier. Pick it if you get a handful of calls a day and already have a CRM, or do not need one. Upfirst pricing.

Smith.ai AI Receptionist

Free for 25 calls, then $3.00 a call · Pro $150 / month for 75 calls · live agent backup

Wins: humans in the loop. When a call gets complicated, the AI can transfer it to a live, North America-based Smith.ai receptionist at any hour, so your team is not interrupted. AI scheduling and native integrations such as Clio and Zapier are in the free plan, and there is no long-term contract. Falls short: the highest per-call cost of the AI tools here, at $2.00 per included call on Pro and $2.50 per extra call, and no CRM of its own. Pick it if a wrong answer costs you more than a call fee does. Read our Smith.ai comparison. Smith.ai pricing.

TheBigBot

$197 or $497 / month flat · $499 one-time setup · AI minutes $0.12 to $0.24

Wins: the receptionist sits inside a full CRM with unlimited users, and the website, follow-up sequences and review requests share the same login. No other option here builds your website. It answers your existing number in under a second, books from live calendar availability, transfers the live call to your team when asked, and texts you anything it cannot answer. No per-call fee, no cap on calls, and English, Spanish, French and Mandarin on one number. Falls short: if you only need calls answered, it costs more than every other AI tool here at 50 calls a month, and more than all but Smith.ai at 150: $197 a month plus minutes and a $499 setup. Setup takes three days, not minutes. Transfers go to your own team, so someone on your side still picks up. Pick it if you pay separately for an answering service, a CRM and a follow-up tool. The AI receptionist page covers how it works.

Goodcall

From $79 / month per agent · 100 unique callers, then $0.50 each · unlimited minutes

Wins: no minute or call meter. A customer who rings ten times from the same number counts once, and a long call costs nothing extra. It connects to your calendar and CRM and transfers to your business line or a named contact. Annual billing takes Starter to $66. Falls short: pricing is per agent, and Goodcall’s answer for several locations is one agent per location, each billed. Starter keeps call and customer details for only 7 days (30 on Growth), and CRM sync runs through Zapier. Pick it if your calls run long, such as quotes or troubleshooting. Goodcall pricing.

Rosie

From $49 / month for 250 minutes · direct booking and live transfer from $149

Wins: the most minutes for the money at entry level, English and Spanish on every call, spam detection, and a 7-day free trial. It learns your business from your Google profile and website. Falls short: the $49 Professional plan texts callers a booking link rather than booking them. Direct calendar booking, warm transfers and live transfers start on Scale at $149, and the pricing page does not list a rate for minutes beyond your plan. Pick it if you mainly need questions answered and messages taken, or you are ready to start on Scale. Rosie pricing.

My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk)

$99 / month or $79 billed annually · 200 minutes, then $0.25 a minute · CRM included

Wins: one plan covers call answering, web chat, two-way SMS, an AI-native CRM and sequence automations, with 20+ languages, no contract and a 7-day free trial. It is built to be set up yourself. Falls short: one pool of credits covers voice, SMS, chat and forms, which makes the bill harder to predict than a plain minute bucket. The Business plan allows 2 agent actions of each type, such as call transfers, and caps outbound AI calls at 20 a day. Pick it if you want AI answering plus a light CRM for under $100 and are happy to configure it. Frontdesk pricing.

Dialzara

From $29 / month for 60 minutes · $0.48 to $0.35 per extra minute · calendar sync from $99

Wins: a low entry price, published overage rates on every plan, no contract and a 7-day free trial. Pro and above add warm transfers, English and Spanish, after-hours rules and calendar sync. Falls short: the $29 Lite plan has no calendar sync and blind transfers only, so booking really starts at $99 for 220 minutes. CRM connections run through Make, Zapier or API. Pick it if you want to pay by the minute and see every rate before you sign. Dialzara pricing.

Ruby

Live receptionists, not AI · from $250 / month for 50 minutes · 24/7

Wins: every call is answered by a trained person, 24/7 including nights, weekends and holidays. Scheduling, bilingual answering, intake and payment collection are available, HIPAA-compliant services are offered, and Ruby lists no setup or onboarding fees. Falls short: the price per minute. $250 for 50 minutes is $5.00 a minute, and $720 for 200 minutes is $3.60, so one three-minute call on the entry plan costs $15. Pick it if your callers expect a person, your volume is low, or the calls are sensitive. Ruby pricing.

05 · The real monthly bill

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

Published entry prices run from $24.95 to $150 a month for AI and $250 for live people, but the entry plan is often not the plan you need. This is each option costed at two volumes, on the cheapest published plan that books into your calendar.

Tool	50 calls a month (100 minutes)	150 calls a month (300 minutes)
Upfirst	$54.95 (Starter plus 20 extra calls)	$119.95 (Premium plus 60 extra calls)
Smith.ai AI Receptionist	$75 (Free plan plus 25 extra calls)	$270 (Pro, 150-call tier)
TheBigBot	$209 to $221 (Launch plus AI minutes)	$233 to $269 (Launch plus AI minutes); $499 setup once
Goodcall	$79 (Starter)	$104 (Starter plus 50 extra callers)
Rosie	$149 (Scale; $49 if a texted booking link is enough)	$149 (Scale)
My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk)	$99 (Business-in-a-Box)	$124 (plus 100 extra minutes at $0.25)
Dialzara	$99 (Pro, the first plan with calendar sync)	$135 (Pro plus 80 extra minutes at $0.45)
Ruby (live receptionists)	$395 (100-minute plan)	$720 plus overage (200-minute plan; overage rate not listed)

Assumes two-minute calls, every call from a different number, monthly billing and no annual discount. Taxes, phone numbers and carrier fees excluded. TheBigBot’s range reflects its published AI minute rate of $0.12 to $0.24. Prices checked 15 September 2026 on the pages linked in the comparison table.

Read the table honestly. On call answering alone, TheBigBot is the most expensive AI option at 50 calls a month, and at 150 calls only Smith.ai costs more. Upfirst, Goodcall, Frontdesk and Dialzara all answer and book for less. If you already pay for a CRM, a website and a follow-up tool, and they work, buy a standalone receptionist.

The gap is what the flat plan carries beyond the phone: the CRM record every call creates, the follow-up sequence for callers who did not book, review requests, and the website, all under one login. See pricing for what each plan includes.

06 · AI or people

AI receptionist vs live answering service: which should you pick?

A live answering service puts a trained person on every call. Ruby charges $250 for 50 minutes, which is $5.00 a minute. Smith.ai’s human receptionist plans are priced per call: $300 a month for 30 calls, with $11.50 per extra call. People are still better at complaints, upset callers and conversations that need judgement.

An AI receptionist answers several calls at once, never has a shift change, and costs cents to a few dollars per call on the plans above. It is better at the repeatable work: answering the same questions the same way, checking the calendar and booking the slot before the caller hangs up, at 2am as easily as 2pm.

Most small businesses do not have to choose one or the other. Smith.ai pairs its AI with its own live agents. Upfirst, Rosie’s Scale plan, Dialzara, Frontdesk, Goodcall and TheBigBot answer with AI and transfer to your own staff when a caller asks for a person. The question is who you want picking up the transferred call: your team, or someone else’s.

For the full cost breakdown, including what hiring a receptionist costs, read AI receptionist vs answering service vs hiring. For service businesses, the small business page shows how calls turn into booked jobs.

07 · Where we fit

Where TheBigBot is and is not the answer.

The honest version, since we are on our own list.

Pick something else if

You only need the phone answered.

You already have a CRM you like. Upfirst, Goodcall, Frontdesk and Dialzara all answer and book for less than our $197.
You want a trained person to take over complex calls without involving your staff. Smith.ai or Ruby do that; our transfers go to your team.
You get a few calls a week. A $499 setup is hard to justify at that volume.
You want to be live today. Our setup takes three days.

Pick TheBigBot if

The phone is not the only thing you are missing.

You pay separately for an answering service, a CRM and a texting or email tool.
Callers who do not book still need a follow-up, and nobody sends it.
You want the call, the contact record, the booking and the review request in one place.
You are adding people and do not want a per-seat software bill; users are unlimited.

08 · Before you sign anything

What should you check before you buy?

Nine questions for every trial and demo call, including ours. These are the answers that change the price after you have signed.

1. What counts as a unit? A call, a minute, or a unique caller. Give the vendor your real monthly call count and average length, and ask for the monthly total.

2. What does one more unit cost? On the AI plans we checked, extra usage costs from $0.25 a minute to $3.00 a call, and some pricing pages do not list a rate at all. Get it in writing.

3. Does the plan I am quoted book, or send a link? Rosie books directly from $149 and Dialzara syncs calendars from $99. A cheaper plan may only text the caller a booking link.

4. Where does a transfer go? To your staff or to the vendor’s own live agents, and is it warm (briefed first) or blind? Dialzara’s entry plan is blind transfer only.

5. Where does the caller’s information end up? A built-in CRM, a Zapier connection to yours, or an email summary. A Zapier connection may need its own paid plan.

6. How long is call data kept? Goodcall’s Starter plan keeps call and customer details for 7 days.

7. Does it work on my existing number? Some tools assign you a new number and ask you to forward calls to it. Ask what callers will see.

8. Is it ready for patient calls? If you run a dental or medical practice, ask for a signed business associate agreement. Ours is part of the $297 a month HIPAA add-on; the dental answering service page has the details.

9. Can I hear a real call first? Use the trials: Upfirst offers 14 days, Rosie, Frontdesk and Dialzara 7 days, and Smith.ai has a free plan for 25 calls. For ours, Book a Demo.

09 · Our pricing, published

How much does TheBigBot cost?

No quote call to find out. Both plans include the AI receptionist and all 22 platform features. The difference is how much content and social publishing we run for you each month.

Ready in 3 days

Authority Launch

Website, CRM, AI receptionist and automations, set up for you and live in three days.

^$197

/ month

🚀 One-time setup:$499Live in 3 days

Get Started →

What the receptionist includes

🤖 AI receptionist

1 AI receptionist on your number, 24/7
Booking into your calendar, live transfer, SMS fallback
AI minutes at $0.12 to $0.24, itemised on your statement

🌐 Built for you

1 complete website, up to 50 pages
Full CRM with unlimited contacts, pipelines and users
Review harvesting campaign and AI website chat widget

Ready in 7 days

Authority Pro

Everything in Launch, plus weekly content and social publishing run for you.

^$497

/ month

🚀 One-time setup:$499Live in 7 days

Get Started →

Everything in Launch, plus:

📝 Weekly blog engine

3 SEO blog posts / week (156/year)
Targeted at what your buyers actually search

📣 Weekly social engine

3 social posts / week, every channel
Google Business, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

💎 Usage is published, not quoted. AI minutes, SMS and email carry a usage fee on top of the plan. A typical two-minute call costs 25 to 50 cents, with no per-call fee and no cap on calls. Every rate is on the usage fees page.

10 · FAQ

AI receptionist questions, answered plainly.

What is the best AI receptionist for a small business in 2026?

It depends on your calls. For low volume on a tight budget, Upfirst from $24.95 a month books into your calendar on every plan. For callers who sometimes need a person, Smith.ai can transfer to its own live receptionists. For long calls, Goodcall bills per unique caller with unlimited minutes. For AI answering plus a light CRM, Frontdesk at $99. TheBigBot suits businesses that want the receptionist, a full CRM and follow-up in one login.

How much does an AI receptionist cost per month?

Published entry prices on 15 September 2026 were $24.95 at Upfirst, $29 at Dialzara, $49 at Rosie, $79 at Goodcall, $99 at Frontdesk and $150 for Smith.ai Pro, which also has a free plan for 25 calls. At 150 two-minute calls a month, the cheapest plan that books ran from $104 to $270. TheBigBot is $197 or $497 a month plus AI minutes at $0.12 to $0.24 and a $499 one-time setup.

Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a live answering service?

Usually, yes. At 50 two-minute calls a month, Ruby’s live receptionists cost $395 on the 100-minute plan, while the other AI tools on this page cost $54.95 to $149 on plans that book appointments, and TheBigBot $209 to $221 with its CRM included. Smith.ai’s human receptionist plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls. Live people are still the better choice for sensitive calls and callers who expect a person.

Can an AI receptionist book appointments?

Most can, but check the plan. Upfirst, Smith.ai, Goodcall, Frontdesk and TheBigBot book on their entry plans. Rosie’s $49 plan texts a booking link, and direct calendar booking starts on Scale at $149. Dialzara’s calendar sync starts on Pro at $99.

Can an AI receptionist transfer a call to a real person?

Yes. Smith.ai can transfer to its own live receptionists at any hour. Upfirst, Goodcall, Frontdesk, Dialzara, TheBigBot and Rosie’s Scale plan transfer to your own staff. Ask whether the transfer is warm, where the AI briefs the person first, or blind. Dialzara’s entry plan offers blind transfers only.

Do I need a CRM with an AI receptionist?

Not always. If you already run a CRM, most tools here push caller details into it through Zapier or a native integration. If you do not, a call summary in your inbox is easy to lose. Frontdesk and TheBigBot are the two options on this page with a CRM included, so every call creates a contact record you can follow up from.

Is TheBigBot the right choice if I only need calls answered?

Probably not. At 50 calls a month TheBigBot costs $209 to $221 plus a $499 setup, while Upfirst, Goodcall, Frontdesk and Dialzara answer and book for $54.95 to $99. TheBigBot makes sense when you would otherwise pay separately for the receptionist, a CRM, follow-up campaigns and a website.

How often is this comparison updated?

Every price and plan feature on this page was checked against the vendor’s own pricing page on 15 September 2026, and the date at the top changes whenever we re-check. If you find something out of date, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it, including where the correction favours a competitor.

Sources

Where the numbers come from.

Upfirst pricing: upfirst.ai/pricing
Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing: smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist
Smith.ai live receptionist pricing: smith.ai/pricing/receptionists
Goodcall pricing: goodcall.com/pricing
Goodcall transfers and number setup: goodcall.com FAQ
Rosie pricing: heyrosie.com/pricing
My AI Front Desk pricing: myaifrontdesk.com/pricing
Dialzara pricing: dialzara.com/pricing
Ruby pricing: ruby.com/pricing
TheBigBot plans and usage: pricing and usage fees

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