Best AI receptionist for small business in 2026

Ready-made AI receptionists you can switch on yourself, weighted toward the monthly bill a small team actually pays.

Prices checked on November 11, 2026 · 11 compared

CloudTalk

Sales and support teams that want 70+ languages and real CRM integrations

CloudTalk official website, captured Nov 11, 2026
$99/mo
$99for 200 min

$99/mo for 200 minutes
Checked Nov 11, 2026

9.2/10 · Excellent

Why it stands out:

  • 70+ languages and accents, the widest list in this comparison
  • Native HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Zoho and Zendesk links
  • 14-day trial with 50 free AI minutes, no card

The catch:

  • US and Canada customers pay an 11% compliance and administrative fee on top of the subscription, and extra minutes cost $0.50.

My AI Front Desk

Owners who want calls, texts, web chat and a simple CRM in one $99 plan

My AI Front Desk official website, captured Nov 11, 2026
$99/mo
$99for 200 min

$99/mo for 200 minutes
Checked Nov 11, 2026

9.0/10 · Excellent

Why it stands out:

  • Voice, web chat, 400 SMS and a CRM in one $99 plan
  • Cheapest extra minutes among the bundles ($0.25)
  • HIPAA with signed BAAs, according to the brand

The catch:

  • There is only one self-serve plan: if 200 minutes is too much or too little, you pay overage or talk to sales.

Goodcall

Shops with long calls: billed per unique customer, never per minute

Goodcall official website, captured Nov 11, 2026
$79/mo
$79for 200 min

$79/mo for 100 unique callers
Checked Nov 11, 2026

8.9/10 · Very good

Why it stands out:

  • No minute metering: repeat callers count once a month
  • Free demo agent: build and hear it before you pay
  • SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant, according to Goodcall

The catch:

  • The Starter plan covers 100 unique customers and allows only one external tool, so a busy shop with several systems outgrows it fast.

Compare plans

Entry plans side by side, from each brand's own pricing page. Green marks the best value in each row.

Best AI receptionist for small business in 2026: plans compared
Plan detailsGreen = best value in this table
Price and limits
Entry price$24.95/mo$99/mo$99/mo$79/mo$50/mo$49/mo$29/mo$150/mo$49/mo$250/mo$449/mo
200-minute month$59.95$99$99$79$50$49$96.20$162.50Not stated$720$449
Extra minute$0.60$0.50$0.25$0.32$0.35Next plan$0.48$1.00Not statedNot statedNot stated
Calendar bookingOn the entry planOn the entry planOn the entry planOn the entry planNot statedHigher plans onlyHigher plans onlyOn the entry planOn the entry planOn the entry planOn the entry plan
Call transferWarm transferWarm transferLive transferLive transferLive transferHigher plans onlyBlind transferWarm transferWarm transferWarm transferNot stated
Languages35+70+20+Not stated50+210+210+22
Free trial14 days14 days7 daysFree demo agentNot stated7 days7 daysFree planNot statedNot statedDemo only
SetupSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSet up with youSet up with you
IntegrationsCRM via API + ZapierNative integrationsZapierCRM via API + ZapierNative integrationsZapierZapierNative integrationsNative integrationsNative integrationsNative integrations
The ranking

All 11, ranked. Ordered by small-business fit; each score is the service's one overall score.

01
Upfirst official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Upfirst

9.5/10 · ExcellentOur No. 1

Best for: Small businesses that want booking, warm transfers and 35+ languages on the cheapest plan

  • Calendar booking and warm transfers on every plan, even the $24.95 one
  • 14-day trial (or 100 calls) with no credit card
  • Spam and calls under 15 seconds are not billed

The catch: It bills by the call: the $24.95 plan covers 30 calls, then $1.50 each, so a busy month is cheaper on Premium.

$24.95/mo

$24.95/mo for 30 calls. About $60 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Upfirst Read the review
02
CloudTalk official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

CloudTalk

9.2/10 · Excellent

Best for: Sales and support teams that want 70+ languages and real CRM integrations

  • 70+ languages and accents, the widest list in this comparison
  • Native HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Zoho and Zendesk links
  • 14-day trial with 50 free AI minutes, no card

The catch: US and Canada customers pay an 11% compliance and administrative fee on top of the subscription, and extra minutes cost $0.50.

$99/mo

$99/mo for 200 minutes. About $99 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at CloudTalk Read the review
03
My AI Front Desk official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

My AI Front Desk

9.0/10 · Excellent

Best for: Owners who want calls, texts, web chat and a simple CRM in one $99 plan

  • Voice, web chat, 400 SMS and a CRM in one $99 plan
  • Cheapest extra minutes among the bundles ($0.25)
  • HIPAA with signed BAAs, according to the brand

The catch: There is only one self-serve plan: if 200 minutes is too much or too little, you pay overage or talk to sales.

$99/mo

$99/mo for 200 minutes. About $99 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at My AI Front Desk Read the review
04
Goodcall official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Goodcall

8.9/10 · Very good

Best for: Shops with long calls: billed per unique customer, never per minute

  • No minute metering: repeat callers count once a month
  • Free demo agent: build and hear it before you pay
  • SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant, according to Goodcall

The catch: The Starter plan covers 100 unique customers and allows only one external tool, so a busy shop with several systems outgrows it fast.

$79/mo

$79/mo for 100 unique callers. About $79 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Goodcall Read the review
05
Phonely official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Phonely

8.9/10 · Very good

Best for: Budget-minded teams that want 200 minutes and 50+ languages from $50

  • 200 minutes for $50 a month ($33 billed annually)
  • 50+ languages with premium voices on every plan
  • Unlimited concurrent calls and 3 numbers included

The catch: The pricing page doesn't say whether there is a free trial, and it lists 200 minutes on the plan card but 250 in its table.

$50/mo

$50/mo for 200 minutes. About $50 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Phonely Read the review
06
Rosie official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Rosie

8.7/10 · Very good

Best for: Solo owners who want 250 minutes for $49 and a dead-simple setup

  • 250 minutes for $49: the cheapest 200-minute month among ready-made receptionists
  • Trains itself from your Google profile and website
  • Native iOS and Android apps, English and Spanish on every call

The catch: Calendar booking and call transfers start on the $149 Scale plan; the $49 plan texts a booking link instead.

$49/mo

$49/mo for 250 minutes. About $49 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Rosie Read the review
07
Dialzara official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Dialzara

8.7/10 · Very good

Best for: Very low call volumes that want an answering line from $29

  • $29 entry plan with 60 minutes, no contract
  • 10 languages including Spanish on every plan
  • Transparent overage from $0.48 down to $0.35 a minute

The catch: The $29 plan only does blind transfers and has no calendar sync; both start on the $99 Business Pro plan.

$29/mo

$29/mo for 60 minutes. About $96 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Dialzara Read the review
08
Smith.ai official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Smith.ai

8.7/10 · Very good

Best for: Firms that want a live North America-based receptionist behind the AI

  • Live human backup on complex calls, any time
  • Free plan with 25 calls a month, forever
  • Native Clio and Zapier integrations, Calendly scheduling

The catch: Per-call pricing is high: $150 buys 75 calls on Pro, and extra calls cost $2.50 each.

$150/mo

Free plan (25 calls); paid from $150/mo for 75 calls. About $163 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Smith.ai Read the review
09
RingCentral AIR official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

RingCentral AIR

8.4/10 · Good

Best for: Businesses already on RingCentral, or who want a big-vendor option

  • Works on any phone system, not only RingCentral
  • 10+ languages, detected from the caller's first word
  • Routes calls with a summary to the right person

The catch: Only 100 minutes are included, and the price of extra 100-minute bundles isn't shown on the pages we read.

$49/mo

$49/mo for 100 minutes. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at RingCentral AIR Read the review
10
Ruby official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Ruby

7.9/10 · Fair

Best for: Businesses that want real people answering, with AI only as a helper

  • Real receptionists answer 24/7, holidays included
  • Bilingual Spanish call handling
  • No activation, onboarding or setup fees

The catch: It is the most expensive option here by far: $250 for 50 minutes, $720 for 200.

$250/mo

$250/mo for 50 minutes. About $720 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Ruby Read the review
11
Sameday AI official website, captured Nov 11, 2026

Sameday AI

7.5/10 · Fair

Best for: Busy HVAC, plumbing and roofing shops that live in ServiceTitan

  • Built for home services: residential and commercial routing
  • Schedules into ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro
  • 3 locations and your whole team on the Launch plan

The catch: It starts at $449 a month and sign-up goes through a demo call, with no free trial.

$449/mo

$449/mo for 500 minutes. About $449 for a 200-minute month. Checked Nov 11, 2026.

Check price at Sameday AI Read the review

Prices checkedOn November 11, 2026, on each brand's own pricing page

Official sourcesEvery plan limit links to its source

Public methodOne published formula, no paid placement

Links are flaggedSome links may earn us a commission

“Upfirst is our No.”
Dana WhitfieldEditor, phone and front-desk software, Best AI Receptionist

Who should pick what

This ranking leaves out developer platforms and weighs the monthly bill a little more (30% for the 200-minute month, 15% for the entry price). It is the list for an owner who wants something answering tonight, without hiring anyone to build it.

Solo and quiet lines: Rosie ($49 for 250 minutes) or Dialzara ($29 for 60). Want bookings from day one: Upfirst. Want one tool for calls, texts, web chat and follow-ups: My AI Front Desk.

Also see: Best AI receptionist, Best AI answering service, Cheapest AI receptionist in 2026: the best under $100, Best AI receptionist for a medical or dental office.

How this ranking is weighted

Same criteria values for every ranking; only the weights change, and they only set the order. The score shown next to each service is its overall score, the same on every page. Criteria a brand doesn't state score 2/10.

CriterionWeight
Cost of a 200-minute month30%
Entry price15%
Price of an extra minute10%
Appointment booking12%
Call transfer8%
Languages5%
Free trial or free plan8%
Setup effort10%
Integrations2%

Full method and scales

Frequently asked
questions

What is the best AI receptionist for a small business?
Upfirst. It comes first on this ranking's weights and scores 9.5/10 overall. Upfirst is our No. See the Upfirst review.
How did you rank these 11 services?
With one published formula: 9 criteria, each scored out of 10 from the brand's own pricing page, then weighted for this need (cost of a 200-minute month 30%, entry price 15%, price of an extra minute 10%, appointment booking 12%, call transfer 8%, languages 5%, free trial or free plan 8%, setup effort 10%, integrations 2%). Details on how we score.
What does a 200-minute month cost?
From $49 to $720 in this ranking, using each plan's included volume and published overage (prices checked on November 11, 2026).
Can I keep my business phone number?
Yes. Every service here works by forwarding your existing number to the receptionist's line, so you can start with after-hours or overflow calls only.
Do you get paid by these companies?
Some links may become affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the order, which comes from the formula. Read our disclosure.

Upfirst comes first here, 9.5/10 overall.