Best software · AI tools
10 Best AI Receptionists of 2026
This list is for small business owners, clinics and trades who miss calls while they are working. Rosie and SkipCalls are the cheapest ways to get every call answered, My AI Front Desk bundles voice with chat, SMS and a CRM, and Smith.ai lets you start free before paying per call.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 2, 2026 · 10 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 2, 2026
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
Mojolin is self-funded How we score
Rosie is our top pick for most small businesses: $49 a month buys 250 minutes of 24/7 answering, and the $149 plan adds calendar booking and warm transfers. If you want phone, chat and texting from one AI, My AI Front Desk is the best all-in-one, and SkipCalls is the lowest cost at $249.99 a year with unlimited minutes under fair use.
Top picks
Best overall
Rosie
8.5 / 10
Solo owners and small service businesses that want reliable call answering for a low monthly price.
Read the review →Runner-up
Goodcall
8.4 / 10
Busy shops with long or repeat calls that want a predictable bill.
Read the review →Also great
My AI Front Desk
8.4 / 10
Small businesses that want phone, chat and text handled by one AI and stored in one CRM.
Read the review →Comparison table
| # | Tool | Pricing | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosie | Solo owners and small service businesses that want reliable call answering for a low monthly price. | Professional $49 per month for 250 minutes; Scale $149 for 1,000 minutes; Growth $299 for 2,000 minutes; 7-day free trial | 8.5 |
| 2 | Goodcall | Busy shops with long or repeat calls that want a predictable bill. | Starter $79 per month for 100 unique customers; Growth $129 for 500; Scale $299 for 2,000; no per-minute charges | 8.4 |
| 3 | My AI Front Desk | Small businesses that want phone, chat and text handled by one AI and stored in one CRM. | Business-in-a-Box $99 per month, or $79 per month billed annually, including 200 voice minutes; Partner and Enterprise plans custom | 8.4 |
| 4 |  SkipCalls | Contractors and handymen who want every call answered for the lowest yearly price. | $29.99 per month with a 7-day free trial, or $249.99 per year ($20.83 per month); unlimited minutes under a fair use policy | 8.4 |
| 5 |  Smith.ai | Professional services firms, such as law offices, that want to test an AI receptionist free before paying. | Free plan with 25 calls per month ($3.00 per call after); Pro from $150 per month for 75 calls ($2.00 per call); Enterprise from $500 per month | 8.4 |
| 6 |  Dialzara | Small businesses that want a low entry price and room to add outbound calling later. | Business Lite $29 per month for 60 minutes; Business Pro $99 for 220 minutes; Business Plus $199; Business Elite $349; 7-day free trial | 8.3 |
| 7 |  Mercateer | HVAC, plumbing and electrical shops that need after-hours calls quoted, booked and escalated. | Solo $99 per month for 300 minutes; Crew $199 for 900 minutes; Fleet $399; $0.30 per minute overage; no setup fee | 8.2 |
| 8 |  VoiceAgent | Small businesses that want inbound answering plus outbound calls and reminders at a low per-minute cost. | Basic $29 per month for 75 minutes; Plus $79 for 275 minutes; Starter $99 for 800 minutes; Growth $299 for 3,000 minutes | 8.2 |
| 9 |  Heyline | Appointment-based businesses that book through Google Calendar and want a no-card test drive. | Starter $99 per month for 200 minutes ($82.50 billed yearly); Growth $199 for 500 minutes; Scale $499 for 1,500 minutes; 14-day free trial | 8.0 |
| 10 |  rednea | European and UK practices and small firms that need GDPR-focused call answering in several languages. | Basic $90 per month for 300 minutes; Professional $290 for 1,000 minutes; Scale from $590; month to month, no setup fee | 7.9 |
Scoring weights
Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method
The full ranking
Rank 1 · Best overall
Rosie
A 24/7 AI answering service for small businesses that answers calls, books appointments and captures leads.
heyrosie.com8.5
out of 10
Best for: Solo owners and small service businesses that want reliable call answering for a low monthly price.
Rosie is the most balanced AI receptionist for a typical small business. The $49 Professional plan gives you 250 minutes a month of 24/7 answering from an AI that is trained on your business, with custom message taking, appointment links by text, spam detection and a website chat widget. Rosie says more than 2,000 small businesses use it, and setup is aimed at owners rather than IT staff.
The features most businesses eventually want sit on the $149 Scale plan: direct booking onto your calendar, warm transfers where Rosie briefs your team before connecting, live transfers and texting callers mid-call, plus 1,000 minutes. Growth at $299 adds waterfall transfers across several numbers and custom training on your own documents. If you only need messages taken, Professional is plenty; if you want jobs booked, budget for Scale.
Standout feature
250 minutes of 24/7 answering for $49 a month is one of the best entry prices among established AI receptionists.
Use cases
Plumbers and electricians
Answer calls while on a job
Outcome: No more lost callers to voicemail
Salons and studios
Book appointments directly on the calendar
Outcome: Fuller schedule without front desk staff
Busy offices
Warm-transfer urgent calls to staff
Outcome: Right person picks up with context
Key features
- 24/7 AI answering trained on your business
- Custom message taking and automatic spam detection
- Appointment booking on your calendar from Scale
- Warm and live call transfers from Scale
- Website chat widget and texting during calls
Pros
- 250 minutes for $49 is strong value for a small business
- Native iOS and Android apps for owners on the move
- Clear plans with a 7-day free trial
Cons
- Direct calendar booking and transfers need the $149 Scale plan
- Website texting is a $50 per month add-on
Rank 2 · Runner-up
Goodcall
An AI answering service billed per unique customer served, with no per-minute charges.
goodcall.com8.4
out of 10
Best for: Busy shops with long or repeat calls that want a predictable bill.
Goodcall has the most distinctive pricing on this list. Instead of minutes, you pay per unique customer your AI agent serves each month, so long conversations and repeat calls from the same person do not change the bill. Starter is $79 a month for 100 unique customers, which Goodcall says is about 150 calls; Growth is $129 for 500; Scale is $299 for 2,000. Overage is billed at each plan's own rate, from 79 cents down to 15 cents.
You can start free with a demo agent and only add a phone number when you are ready, and changes to the agent are made by describing them in plain English rather than rebuilding flows. The limits on Starter are tight, with one external tool, one team member and 30 days of call history, so multi-person shops will want Growth. For businesses whose calls run long, such as quoting or troubleshooting, Goodcall is often cheaper than per-minute rivals.
Standout feature
You pay per unique customer served, so long calls and repeat callers do not raise your bill.
Use cases
Repair shops
Handle long quote calls
Outcome: No per-minute bill shock
Multi-location businesses
Answer calls across locations on Scale
Outcome: One predictable monthly cost
Owners
Edit the agent in plain English
Outcome: Changes without a developer
Key features
- Billing per unique customer, not per minute
- Workers and external tool connections for actions during calls
- Agent edits in plain English
- Call history from 30 days to unlimited
- Free demo agent before adding a number
Pros
- Long calls and repeat callers do not raise the bill
- Overage rates are the plan's own rate, with no penalty
- Change the agent by describing what you want
Cons
- Starter allows only one external tool and one team member
- Longer call history needs higher plans
Rank 3 · Also great
My AI Front Desk
An AI receptionist bundled with web chat, two-way SMS, an AI-native CRM and automations in one plan.
myaifrontdesk.com8.4
out of 10
Best for: Small businesses that want phone, chat and text handled by one AI and stored in one CRM.
My AI Front Desk, which brands itself as Frontdesk, sells more than call answering. The single Business-in-a-Box plan costs $99 a month, or $79 billed annually, and includes 200 voice minutes plus a web chatbot, two-way SMS, an AI-native CRM and sequence automations. Calls, chats and texts land in the same customer record, so follow-ups do not depend on someone copying notes between apps.
Usage beyond the plan draws on a credit pool at $10 per 1,000 credits, and purchased credits never expire. The downside of a single bundled plan is that a business that only wants phones still pays for the whole front office, and API access is reserved for Partner and Enterprise customers. For a small business that would otherwise pay separately for a receptionist, chat widget, texting tool and CRM, it is the best all-in-one value here.
Standout feature
The $99 plan bundles AI phone answering with chat, SMS, a CRM and automations.
Use cases
Home service companies
Answer calls and text back missed leads
Outcome: Every enquiry gets a reply
Clinics
Handle web chat and calls with one AI
Outcome: Same answers on every channel
Agencies
Resell under a Partner plan
Outcome: Volume pricing and API access
Key features
- AI phone answering with 200 voice minutes a month
- Web chat and two-way SMS in the same plan
- AI-native CRM and sequence automations
- Zapier integration and a verified outbound number
- 20+ languages
Pros
- Voice, chat, SMS and CRM for one price
- No contracts, cancel anytime
- Unused overage credits never expire
Cons
- Only one self-serve plan, so small users pay for the full bundle
- API access is limited to Partner and Enterprise
Rank 4
SkipCalls
A low-cost AI receptionist for contractors and small businesses that answers your existing number 24/7.
skipcalls.com8.4
out of 10
Best for: Contractors and handymen who want every call answered for the lowest yearly price.
SkipCalls is the budget pick, and it does the basics well. For $29.99 a month, or $249.99 a year, it answers your existing business number around the clock in English or Spanish, books jobs into Google Calendar or Outlook, filters spam calls and notifies you instantly. Minutes are unlimited under a fair use policy that SkipCalls puts at roughly 200 to 350 calls a month on its Starter and Pro plans, which covers most one-truck and small-crew businesses.
The trade-off is depth. You get fewer options for transfers, routing rules and integrations than Rosie or My AI Front Desk, and the product is aimed squarely at contractors, handymen and small offices. There is a 7-day free trial on monthly plans, which needs a card, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If your main problem is calls going to voicemail while you are on a ladder, SkipCalls fixes it for less than a dollar a day.
Standout feature
Unlimited AI answering under fair use for $249.99 a year is the lowest price on this list.
Use cases
Handymen
Answer calls while on site
Outcome: Jobs booked instead of missed
Bilingual businesses
Answer Spanish-speaking callers
Outcome: No lost Spanish-language leads
Small offices
Filter spam calls automatically
Outcome: Fewer interruptions
Key features
- Answers your existing number 24/7 in English or Spanish
- Books jobs into Google Calendar or Outlook
- Spam call filtering
- Instant client notifications
- Unlimited minutes under fair use
Pros
- Cheapest yearly price on this list
- No per-minute bills on the main plans
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Fair use limits are about 200 to 350 calls a month
- Fewer routing and transfer options than pricier tools
Rank 5
Smith.ai
An AI receptionist you can train and test in a Quality Studio before going live, priced per call.
smith.ai8.4
out of 10
Best for: Professional services firms, such as law offices, that want to test an AI receptionist free before paying.
Smith.ai's AI Receptionist is built around a simple promise: train it, test it, then go live for free. The free plan includes 25 calls a month and the core features, including 24/7 answering, recordings with transcripts and summaries, lead qualification and routing, AI scheduling through Calendly and others, and integrations with Clio and Zapier. The Quality Studio lets you test how it handles calls before customers ever hear it.
Paid plans are priced per call. Pro starts at $150 a month for 75 calls, about $2.00 each, and adds dedicated onboarding and live support; Enterprise starts at $500 a month for 300 calls, with Smith.ai building and running a custom setup. That pricing favors firms with fewer, higher-value calls, such as law practices, over businesses that field dozens of short calls a day, where minute-based tools like Rosie are cheaper.
Standout feature
The free plan includes 25 real calls a month and a Quality Studio to test the AI before going live.
Use cases
Law firms
Qualify new client calls and log them in Clio
Outcome: Intake without a front desk
Consultants
Book meetings through Calendly
Outcome: Calls become scheduled meetings
Cautious buyers
Test in Quality Studio on the free plan
Outcome: Confidence before paying
Key features
- Quality Studio to test the receptionist before going live
- 24/7 AI call answering with recordings, transcripts and summaries
- Lead qualification and call routing
- AI scheduling with Calendly and other tools
- Native integrations including Clio and Zapier
Pros
- Free plan with 25 calls a month
- Core features are on the free plan
- Strong fit for law firms through the Clio integration
Cons
- Per-call pricing gets expensive for high call volumes
- Dedicated onboarding needs the $150 Pro plan
Rank 6
Dialzara
AI receptionist plans from $29 a month with add-ons for outbound calls, SMS and website chat.
dialzara.com8.3
out of 10
Best for: Small businesses that want a low entry price and room to add outbound calling later.
Dialzara gets you a working AI receptionist for $29 a month. Business Lite includes 60 minutes of talk time, a prompt you can edit yourself, message taking with custom questions, warm transfers to your team and Zapier or Make integrations. Business Pro at $99 raises that to 220 minutes and adds blind transfers, and overage falls from $0.48 a minute on Lite to $0.35 on Elite. A usage estimator on the pricing page suggests a plan from your call count.
The Lite allowance is small, about 20 to 30 calls a month, so most busy businesses will land on Pro. Dialzara also sells outbound calling plans for follow-ups and reactivation, but those start at $750 a month, and a done-for-you service starts at $1,500 a month. For an owner who wants to test an AI receptionist cheaply and grow into it, Dialzara is a sensible choice.
Standout feature
A $29 entry plan includes warm transfers and Zapier integrations, which many rivals reserve for higher tiers.
Use cases
Startups
Test AI answering on the $29 plan
Outcome: Low-risk first trial
Insurance agents
Take messages with custom intake questions
Outcome: Complete details on every lead
Growing teams
Connect calls to tools through Zapier
Outcome: Call data lands in the CRM
Key features
- Self-editable prompt and message taking with custom questions
- Warm transfer on every plan, blind transfer from Pro
- Zapier and Make integrations
- Call recordings and summaries
- Outbound voice, SMS and chat add-ons
Pros
- $29 entry plan with a 7-day free trial
- Overage rate drops as plans grow
- Done-for-you option for teams without time to set up
Cons
- Lite includes only 60 minutes
- Outbound calling plans start at $750 per month
Rank 7
Mercateer
A 24/7 AI answering service for the trades that quotes from your price book and books onto your board.
mercateer.com8.2
out of 10
Best for: HVAC, plumbing and electrical shops that need after-hours calls quoted, booked and escalated.
Mercateer is built for the trades, and it shows in the details. It answers 24/7, including holidays, quotes from your own price book, books onto your calendar or dispatch board and follows on-call rules to wake the right tech for an emergency. The same agent handles web chat, SMS and email, speaks more than 30 languages, and hangs up on spam and silent calls after 20 seconds so they do not eat your minutes.
Every feature is on every plan, and the tiers only change volume: Solo is $99 a month for 300 minutes, Crew is $199 for 900, and Fleet is $399, with a flat $0.30 a minute overage and no setup fee or contract. For an HVAC, plumbing or electrical shop that loses after-hours emergency jobs, Mercateer fits better than a general receptionist. Businesses outside the trades will get more from Rosie or My AI Front Desk.
Standout feature
It quotes from your price book and wakes the on-call tech, features general receptionists rarely offer.
Use cases
HVAC companies
Book after-hours no-heat calls
Outcome: Emergency jobs captured overnight
Plumbing shops
Quote standard jobs from the price book
Outcome: Callers hear a real price
Multi-truck crews
Escalate urgent calls to the on-call tech
Outcome: Fast response without a dispatcher
Key features
- Quotes from your price book
- Books onto your calendar or dispatch board
- 30+ languages on every plan
- Web chat, SMS and email under the same agent
- On-call escalation rules and tech wake-ups
Pros
- Every feature on every plan; tiers only change minutes
- Spam and silent calls hang up after 20 seconds
- No setup fee and no contract
Cons
- Built for trades, less suited to other industries
- Solo includes 300 minutes, so busy shops need Crew
Rank 8
VoiceAgent
AI voice agents that answer calls on your phone line and website and book into your calendar.
voiceagent.chat8.2
out of 10
Best for: Small businesses that want inbound answering plus outbound calls and reminders at a low per-minute cost.
VoiceAgent sells AI voice agents that answer your phone line and your website, using what your business knows and booking directly into your calendar. The $99 Starter plan is the sweet spot: 800 minutes a month, roughly $0.12 a minute, three parallel calls, three phone numbers, unlimited assistants, and outbound calls, scheduling and appointment reminders. Agents speak English, Spanish, French, German and Hindi.
The two cheaper plans are more limited. Basic at $29 includes 75 minutes and Plus at $79 includes 275, both with one parallel call, and extra minutes cost $35 per 100 compared with $15 per 100 on Starter and above. You can keep your number and test a demo agent that calls you back within seconds. VoiceAgent suits a business that wants both inbound answering and simple outbound calls without paying for a separate dialer.
Standout feature
The $99 plan includes 800 minutes plus outbound calls and reminders, about $0.12 a minute.
Use cases
Real estate agents
Answer listing enquiries and book viewings
Outcome: Viewings booked after hours
Dental clinics
Send appointment reminders by phone
Outcome: Fewer no-shows
Salons
Answer calls and website visitors with one agent
Outcome: Same booking flow everywhere
Key features
- Answers on your phone line and website
- Books straight into Google Calendar
- Outbound calls, scheduler and appointment reminders from Starter
- English, Spanish, French, German and Hindi
- Free US phone number on every plan
Pros
- Low per-minute cost on higher plans, about $0.10
- Keep your existing number, no coding needed
- Demo agent calls you back to test
Cons
- Basic and Plus allow only one parallel call
- Overage on Basic and Plus is $35 per 100 minutes
Rank 9
Heyline
An AI receptionist built from your website that you can test in the browser before going live.
heyline.ai8.0
out of 10
Best for: Appointment-based businesses that book through Google Calendar and want a no-card test drive.
Heyline's best feature is how you start. It builds a receptionist from your website, and you can talk to it in your browser for free with no card and no phone number. Going live starts a 14-day trial with 60 minutes included. Every plan includes a dedicated number, real-time Google Calendar booking and transcripts, summaries and outcome notifications, and Growth and Scale pool minutes across up to three or five businesses.
Pricing is clear but not cheap: Starter is $99 a month for 200 minutes, Growth $199 for 500 and Scale $499 for 1,500, which Heyline itself works out to $0.50, $0.40 and about $0.33 a minute. If you run out, $10 adds 20 minutes, and you can set a monthly cap so the bill never surprises you. Outbound calling is listed as coming soon. Heyline is a polished choice for appointment businesses, but Rosie gives more minutes for less money.
Standout feature
You can build and talk to your receptionist in the browser before entering a card or phone number.
Use cases
Clinics and studios
Book appointments into Google Calendar
Outcome: Bookings without a front desk
Owners with several businesses
Run up to 5 lines on one account
Outcome: One bill, pooled minutes
Cautious buyers
Test in the browser before paying
Outcome: Hear it before committing
Key features
- Builds the receptionist from your website
- Free browser test drive with no card or number
- Real-time Google Calendar booking on all plans
- Transcripts, summaries, outcomes and notifications
- Up to 5 businesses on one account with pooled minutes
Pros
- Try a working receptionist before entering a card
- Monthly top-up cap prevents surprise bills
- Multi-business accounts on Growth and Scale
Cons
- Higher entry price than Rosie or Dialzara
- Outbound calls are listed as coming soon
Rank 10
rednea
An AI phone assistant for businesses across Europe that answers in many languages and books appointments.
rednea.ai7.9
out of 10
Best for: European and UK practices and small firms that need GDPR-focused call answering in several languages.
rednea, formerly fonea, is an AI phone assistant aimed at businesses across Europe, with industry pages for medical practices, law firms, trades and more. It answers around the clock in 99 languages, books appointments into Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and industry software, routes calls to the right person and takes callback notes when nobody is free. Setup is free and the company says it is ready in about 30 minutes; you can test it live in the browser.
The Basic plan is $90 a month for 300 minutes and one number, with web chat and a choice of more than ten voices. Professional at $290 adds 1,000 minutes, five numbers, unlimited assistants and users, and outbound calls. Custom calendar and tool integrations cost extra. For a UK or EU practice that needs multilingual answering and strong data protection, rednea is a good fit; US small businesses will find cheaper options above.
Standout feature
It answers in 99 languages and is built around European data protection requirements.
Use cases
Physiotherapy practices
Answer calls during treatments
Outcome: No patients sent to voicemail
Multilingual firms
Answer callers in their own language
Outcome: Fewer lost international callers
Busy offices
Forward only important calls
Outcome: Staff interrupted less
Key features
- 24/7 AI phone assistant in 99 languages
- Appointment booking with Google Calendar and Microsoft 365
- Call forwarding based on the enquiry
- Web chat for your website and 10+ voices
- Outbound calls on Professional, API access on Scale
Pros
- GDPR compliant and CCPA/CPRA-ready
- Free setup, ready in about 30 minutes
- Unlimited assistants and users from Professional
Cons
- Higher entry price than US-focused rivals with similar minutes
- Custom calendar and tool integrations cost extra
Frequently asked questions
+What does an AI receptionist do?
It answers your business phone with a natural-sounding voice, answers common questions, takes messages, books appointments and transfers urgent calls to a person. Most also send you a summary or transcript of each call.
+How much does an AI receptionist cost?
Self-serve plans on this list start at $29 a month (Dialzara, VoiceAgent, SkipCalls monthly) and run to a few hundred dollars for high volume. Smith.ai has a free plan with 25 calls a month, and SkipCalls costs $249.99 a year.
+Can I keep my existing business number?
Usually yes. Tools like SkipCalls and VoiceAgent answer your existing number through call forwarding, while others such as Heyline give you a dedicated number. Check with your phone carrier that forwarding is supported.
+Will callers know they are talking to AI?
Many will not notice on short calls, but you should not rely on that. Choose a tool with easy transfers to a human, and test it yourself with a demo call before going live.
+Which AI receptionist is best for contractors?
Mercateer is built for HVAC, plumbing and electrical shops and quotes from your price book. SkipCalls is the cheapest option for small crews, with unlimited minutes under fair use.
+Is an AI receptionist better than a human answering service?
An AI receptionist is cheaper and answers instantly at any hour, but it handles complex or emotional calls less well. Many businesses use AI for routine calls and transfer the rest to staff.
About this list
Updated November 2, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded
Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com
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