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The best AI receptionist depends on the calls you get
We make Uptonica, one of the tools on this list. Most “best AI receptionist” lists are written by a vendor, and several rank themselves first. This one has no ranking: it says which tool fits which business, and where each one falls short, ours included.
Quick answer
- Trades that miss calls on the job (plumbing, HVAC, cleaning): Goodcall or Rosie.
- Law firms and other professional services that want a person to step in: Smith.ai, which adds live agents on top of the AI.
- A tight budget: Smith.ai’s free plan (25 calls a month) or Dialzara, from $29 a month.
- Already on a business phone system: RingCentral AI Receptionist, which works with the phone system you have, or CloudTalk for AI and a new phone system in one.
- Restaurants, salons and shops whose customers also write on WhatsApp and chat, in more than one language: Uptonica, which answers calls, chats and messages from the same information.
- A real person, not AI: Ruby, whose receptionists are people.
How we chose
We read the pricing and product pages of every tool on 14 November 2026. Prices are the cheapest paid plan, billed monthly, in US dollars (Uptonica bills in euros). We did not test call quality: try two or three with your own calls before you choose.
The nine tools side by side
| Tool | Best for | Cheapest paid plan | Languages | Books into your calendar | Hands a live call to a person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai | Professional services that want live backup | Free for 25 calls a month; Pro $150 a month for 75 calls | English, Spanish | Yes: Calendly, Clio, HubSpot and more | Yes |
| Goodcall | Trades and local services | $79 a month for 100 customers | Not stated on its site | Yes: Google Calendar | Yes |
| Rosie | Solo operators and small trades | $49 a month for 250 minutes | English, Spanish | From the $149 plan; below that it texts a booking link | From the $149 plan |
| Dialzara | Tight budgets | $29 a month for 60 minutes | 10 languages | Yes | On the higher plans |
| My AI Front Desk | Callers in many languages | $99 a month for 200 minutes ($79 billed yearly) | 20+ languages | Yes | Yes, limited on the cheapest plan |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | Keeping the phone system you have | $49 a month for 100 minutes | English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese | Yes: Google, Outlook, Calendly | Yes |
| CloudTalk | AI and a new phone system in one | $99 a month for 200 minutes | 70+ languages | Yes: Google, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com | Not listed for the AI plan |
| Ruby | A real person on every call | $250 a month for 50 minutes | English, Spanish | Its receptionists book for you | Yes, they forward calls to you |
| Uptonica | Calls, WhatsApp and chat together | €59 a month, 260 phone minutes, chat and WhatsApp included | English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Catalan | Yes, in Uptonica’s bookings | Yes, by topic, to up to five people |
Prices and features from each vendor’s own site, checked on 14 November 2026. Plans count minutes, calls or customers, so compare what you get, not just the price.
Each tool
Smith.ai
An AI receptionist with live North American agents you can add per call. The free plan covers 25 calls a month, then $3 a call. Good for: law firms and practices where some calls need a person. Watch for: billing is per call, not per minute, and cancelling takes 30 days’ notice.
Goodcall
Built for local businesses that miss calls while they work. It answers, books, and transfers to a person, with a backup number if the first one doesn’t pick up. Good for: trades with many repeat callers. Watch for: billing is per unique customer (79¢ for each one over the plan), and its site doesn’t say which languages it speaks.
Rosie
You forward your calls to Rosie and it answers in English or Spanish. Good for: one-person businesses. Watch for: booking straight into your calendar and transferring calls start from the $149 plan. The $49 plan texts a booking link instead.
Dialzara
The lowest entry price on this list, with no setup fee. The $29 plan covers 60 minutes, then $0.48 a minute. Good for: low call volumes on a budget. Watch for: call transfers are listed only on the higher plans, and 60 minutes go fast when calls run long.
My AI Front Desk
Answers in more than 20 languages and books on your calendar. Extra minutes come from prepaid credits, at 25¢ a minute. Good for: businesses whose callers don’t all speak English. Watch for: the cheapest plan limits call transfers.
RingCentral AI Receptionist
Works with the business phone system you already have, not only RingCentral’s. $49 a month for 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute, with a 14-day free trial. Good for: keeping your current phone system. Watch for: extra minutes add up quickly on a busy line.
CloudTalk
A cloud phone system with an AI voice agent on top, in more than 70 languages, with a 14-day trial that includes 50 minutes. Good for: replacing your phone system and adding AI in one go. Watch for: the AI agent is billed separately from the phone plans, and the AI plan doesn’t list handing a call to a person.
Ruby
Not AI: Ruby’s receptionists are people, and AI only helps them. Good for: callers who expect a person every time. Watch for: it costs far more per minute than any AI here, from $250 a month for 50 minutes.
Uptonica
One AI answers your phone, WhatsApp and website chat from the same information, and logs every call in the CRM. A US number takes a minute, with no paperwork, or you forward the number you have. €59 a month includes 260 phone minutes and the chat. Good for: restaurants, salons and shops whose customers call and message, in more than one language. Watch for: there’s no voicemail or schedule by hours yet, and choosing among voices is available only in Italian.
How to choose
Count your calls first. Most plans bill by the minute, but Smith.ai bills per call and Goodcall per customer. Take last month’s calls and work out what each plan would have cost.
Decide what happens when the AI can’t help. If some calls must reach a person, pick a tool that transfers them, and check that it’s on the plan you’d buy.
Call it yourself. Most of these have a free plan or trial: ring it with the three questions you get most often, in the languages your customers speak.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI receptionist?
Software that answers your business phone with a voice AI. It answers questions, takes bookings and messages, and on many tools passes the call to a person when it can’t help.
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
From $29 a month for 60 minutes (Dialzara) to $150 a month for 75 calls (Smith.ai Pro), and Smith.ai has a free plan for 25 calls a month. A human service like Ruby starts at $250 a month for 50 minutes.
Can an AI receptionist book appointments?
Yes. Most tools here book straight into a calendar such as Google or Outlook. Rosie does it from its $149 plan; below that it texts a booking link.
Can it answer in Spanish?
Most can. Smith.ai, Rosie, Dialzara, RingCentral, Ruby and Uptonica list Spanish by name, and My AI Front Desk and CloudTalk list 20 and 70 languages or more. Goodcall’s site doesn’t say.