Best AI receptionists for small businesses (2026): prices compared
Last updated October 19, 2026 · Prices and features change, so check the linked sources before you buy.
The six we compared
We picked AI receptionists that small businesses can sign up for without a sales call, plus one human service for contrast. Prices are US list prices from each vendor’s pricing page on October 19, 2026.
| Service | How it bills | Entry price | Booking on the call | Human backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Per call | Free: 25 calls/mo, then $3 a call. Pro $150/mo for 75 calls [1] | AI scheduling with Calendly and others, on the free plan too [1] | Yes. Calls can transfer to a live North America-based receptionist [1] |
| Goodcall | Per unique caller per month; no per-minute charges | Starter $79/mo for 100 unique customers, then 79¢ each [2] | Through “workers” you set up, such as a booker [2] | Transfers to people you choose [2] |
| Rosie | Per minute | Professional $49/mo for 250 minutes; 7-day free trial [3] | Sends booking links by text on $49. Books on your calendar from Scale ($149/mo, 1,000 minutes) [3] | Live and warm transfers from Scale [3] |
| Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) | Monthly plan + usage credits | $99/mo, or $79/mo billed yearly, with 200 voice minutes [4] | Yes, per the vendor [4] | Call transfer is one of its “agent actions” [4] |
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) with Sona | Per user, plus per-call credits for the AI agent | $19/user/mo ($15 yearly). Sona AI agent included for 10 calls/mo [5] | Not on the pricing page; ask Quo | Sona picks up when your team can’t; it’s a full phone system [5] |
| Ruby | Per receptionist minute (humans, AI-assisted) | Plans of 50, 100, 200 and 500 minutes a month [6]. Ruby’s page doesn’t show minute prices without JavaScript; third-party reviews report $250/mo for 50 minutes [7], so confirm with Ruby | Scheduling is an optional feature [6] | Every call is answered by a person [6] |
What 100 calls a month would cost
Take a small business that gets 100 calls a month, about 3 minutes each (300 minutes). Here is the list-price math from each pricing page. It leaves out taxes, spam allowances and any intro discounts.
| Service | Plan that fits | Estimated monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Goodcall | Starter (100 unique customers) | $79 if those calls come from 100 or fewer different people. Repeat callers in the same month count once [2] |
| Quo + Sona | Starter for 1 user + the $49 Sona credit tier (100 calls) | $68 ($19 + $49), if Sona answers every call [5] |
| Frontdesk | Business-in-a-Box | About $119: $99, plus 100 extra minutes at 25 credits each. The plan’s free 1,000-credit pool covers 40 of them, and two $10 reloads cover the rest [4] |
| Rosie | Scale (1,000 minutes) | $149. The $49 plan’s 250 minutes would run out, and Rosie doesn’t publish its overage rate on the pricing page [3] |
| Smith.ai | Pro, 75 calls | About $213: $150 + 25 extra calls at $2.50 [1]. The free plan would be $225 (75 calls at $3) |
| Ruby | 200- or 500-minute plan | Quote from Ruby. Human answering costs much more than AI per minute |
The cheapest option changes with your call pattern. Per-minute plans (Rosie, Frontdesk) get expensive when calls run long. Per-call plans (Smith.ai) get expensive when you get lots of short calls. Goodcall’s per-caller billing is the most predictable if the same customers ring back often.
Which one fits you
- You’re a solo tradesperson who misses calls on the job: Goodcall or Rosie. Both learn your business quickly, and you can keep your number by forwarding it (Goodcall says so on its pricing page [2]).
- You want to try one before paying anything: Smith.ai Free (25 calls a month) or Goodcall’s free demo agent, which you can test before connecting a number [1][2].
- You need a business phone line anyway: Quo. You get a number per user, a shared inbox and an AI agent in one bill [5].
- You want calls, website chat and texting in one place: Frontdesk bundles all three in its $99 plan [4]. Rosie includes a website chat widget free on every plan [3].
- You’re a law firm, clinic or anyone whose callers expect a human: Ruby. HIPAA-compliant service is available [6]. Smith.ai’s AI-first plan with live-agent backup is the in-between option.
- You run Jobber, Housecall Pro, Vagaro or similar software: check that software’s own AI receptionist first. See our home-service guide and salon guide.
- You run a dental practice: you need one that works with your practice-management software. Read Dental AI receptionists compared from our sister newsletter.
Five checks before you switch it on
- Call it yourself, badly. Mumble, interrupt, ask something off-script, ask for a price you don’t publish. Most vendors let you test before going live [1][2].
- Write the “ring me now” rules. Decide which words or situations transfer straight to a person (a flood, an angry customer, a legal deadline).
- Start with overflow and after-hours only. Forward unanswered calls first, not every call. Move more over once you trust it.
- Know what happens when you go over. Check the overage rate (Smith.ai $2.50–$3 a call, Goodcall 79¢ a customer on Starter, Frontdesk 25¢ a minute) [1][2][4].
- Say it’s an AI. Callers who find out on their own trust you less. A short “I’m the virtual assistant for…” costs nothing.
And your website?
Many customers check your site before they call. A small website chatbot that answers only from your own pages and takes a callback request covers the same after-hours gap. (Disclosure: our sister service Botday sets that up in a day. It isn’t part of the comparison above.)
Adoptly earns no commission from any service on this page (as of October 19, 2026). Prices are US list prices from each vendor’s site on that date unless labelled otherwise.
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI receptionist for a small business?
Smith.ai has a free plan that covers 25 calls a month, then charges $3 a call. Among paid plans, Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes and Quo starts at $19 per user a month with its Sona AI agent included for 10 calls. Goodcall starts at $79 a month for 100 unique callers. Prices checked October 19, 2026.
How do AI receptionists charge?
Three ways: per call (Smith.ai), per minute (Rosie, Frontdesk) or per unique caller (Goodcall). Per-minute pricing gets expensive when calls run long. Per-call pricing gets expensive when you get lots of short calls.
Can an AI receptionist book appointments?
Many can. Smith.ai lists AI scheduling with Calendly and others on its free plan. Rosie books directly on your calendar from its $149 Scale plan; the $49 plan texts callers a booking link instead. Always test booking on a demo call before going live.
Is an AI receptionist better than a live answering service like Ruby?
It is much cheaper per call and answers instantly, but it can mishandle unusual or emotional calls. Ruby has people answer every call. Smith.ai sits in between: AI answers first and can transfer to a live receptionist.
Do I have to change my phone number?
Usually not. Goodcall says you can keep your existing number by forwarding it. Quo will port your number for free. Most services work by forwarding unanswered or after-hours calls.
Sources
- Smith.ai: AI Receptionist plans and pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Goodcall pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Rosie pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Quo pricing, including Sona credits (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Ruby plans and pricing (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- OnCrew: Ruby Receptionist pricing 2026 (third-party report)